Curtland E. Fields
About Curtland E. Fields
Curtland E. Fields, age 73, is an independent director of Kearny Financial Corp. (KRNY), first appointed in June 2023 with a current term expiring in 2026. He is President, CEO, and Trustee of the Turrell Fund (Trustee since 1997; CEO since 2005) following a distinguished career at AT&T where he served as President of the $4B Consumer Services Division and led AT&T’s largest Midwest operating region; he holds an undergraduate degree in architecture and engineering from Princeton (with high honors) and an MBA in finance and marketing from Wharton (with honors) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | President, Consumer Services Division (~$4B) | Prior to 2005 | Led major P&L; assignments in finance, operations, marketing, and Office of the Chairman |
| AT&T (Midwest region) | President, Largest Operating Region | Prior to 2005 | Regional leadership; operational execution and growth |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turrell Fund (NJ & VT) | President, CEO, Trustee | Trustee since 1997; CEO since 2005 | Endowed private foundation serving children and families |
| Other public company boards | — | — | No directors at KRNY currently serve on other public company boards |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq standards .
- Committees:
- Enterprise Risk Management Committee member (Chair: Lawton; members include Chandonnet, Fields, McGovern, L. Montanaro); scheduled quarterly and met 6 times in FY2025 .
- Attendance: Board held 18 meetings in FY2025; no director attended fewer than 75% of Board/committee meetings; governance highlights note all directors >75% attendance .
- Executive sessions: Two executive sessions held in FY2025 .
- Board leadership: Separate Chair (independent) and CEO roles; Chairman is John J. Mazur, Jr. .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY2025 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $106,800 | Standard director cash retainer and eligible committee retainer payments per policy |
| Stock awards | — | None granted in FY2025 to Fields; directors did not hold restricted stock awards |
| Option awards | — | Fields did not hold stock options as of June 30, 2025 |
| All other compensation | — | Fields had no other compensation items in FY2025 |
Retainer schedule (policy reference):
- Quarterly retainer: $15,700 (Bank Board) and $11,000 (Company Board); Chair higher at $17,200 and $11,800 respectively .
- Audit & Compliance Committee: $1,562.50 per quarter for members; $2,500 for Chair .
- Compensation Committee: $1,000 per quarter for members; $1,500 for Chair; no fees for other committees .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Structure | FY2025 Status |
|---|---|---|
| Equity grants to directors | RSUs/Options | No stock awards or options granted to Fields in FY2025; none held as of June 30, 2025 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turrell Fund | Private foundation | President/CEO/Trustee | No related-party transactions disclosed with KRNY; none >$120,000 since prior fiscal year |
| Public company boards | — | — | None (reduces overboarding risk) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Strategic and financial leadership: Led AT&T Consumer Services ($4B P&L) and Midwest region; broad experience in finance, operations, marketing .
- Community impact: Long-standing leadership in philanthropy via Turrell Fund .
- Education: Princeton University (architecture/engineering, high honors); Wharton MBA (finance/marketing, with honors) .
- Risk oversight: Serves on KRNY’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned | 21,900 (less than 1%) |
| Options held | None |
| Pledged shares | None (company policy prohibits; only CEO has pledged shares) |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors must hold shares equal to 3x annual cash retainer; Directors comply with guidelines |
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent status; active risk oversight via ERM Committee; >75% attendance; separation of Chair/CEO; compliance with anti-hedging/anti-pledging and ownership guidelines; no other public boards (limits overboarding risk); no director-specific related party transactions >$120k .
- Compensation alignment: 2025 director pay for Fields solely cash retainer; no equity awards or options—neutral for alignment but mitigated by ownership guidelines and beneficial holdings .
- Red flags: None identified specific to Fields (no pledging; no director life insurance agreements—Fields is excluded from such agreements; no disclosed conflicts) .
- Monitoring items: Standard insider lending under ordinary-course policies applies to all insiders; loans approved with abstention and monitored monthly—no adverse features disclosed .