Deirdre Cunnane
About Deirdre Cunnane
Deirdre Cunnane is Vice President and Assistant Secretary of BNY Mellon Strategic Municipals, Inc. (NYSE: LEO) and has served in this officer role since 2019; she is Managing Counsel at BNY Mellon (since December 2021) and previously served as Counsel from August 2018 to December 2021 . She is age 35 in the 2025 proxy and is an officer of 47 investment companies (comprised of 103 portfolios) managed by the investment adviser or an affiliate . She is listed as Agent for Service for the Fund’s SEC filings, with address 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286 . The proxy does not attribute TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA growth metrics to her role; performance metrics tied to officer compensation are not disclosed for the Fund .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNY Mellon | Managing Counsel | December 2021–present | Officer of 47 investment companies in the complex; legal leadership supporting fund governance |
| BNY Mellon | Counsel | August 2018–December 2021 | Legal counsel across BNY Mellon fund complex |
External Roles
No external directorships or committee roles are disclosed for Deirdre Cunnane in LEO’s proxy/officer biographies .
Fixed Compensation
Officer-specific compensation (base salary, target/actual bonus, equity or options) is not disclosed in the Fund’s proxy; compensation tables cover directors and nominees only, and Part II provides officer biographies/terms without pay details .
Performance Compensation
No disclosure of performance-based compensation for Fund officers (including metrics, weights, targets, actuals, payout, or vesting schedules) appears in LEO’s proxy or semi-annual report .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
As of August 22, 2025, none of the Fund’s nominees, continuing directors, or officers owned any LEO Common Stock or VMTP Shares, implying 0 shares and 0% beneficial ownership for officers (including Deirdre Cunnane) .
| Ownership Item | Value |
|---|---|
| LEO Common Stock Owned | 0 shares (as of Aug 22, 2025) |
| VMTP Shares Owned | 0 shares (as of Aug 22, 2025) |
| Beneficial Ownership % | 0% (as of Aug 22, 2025) |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed |
| Stock ownership guidelines (officers) | Not disclosed |
Additional governance context: the Fund reports 5%+ holders and confirms widespread nominee/director/officer non-ownership of Fund shares; Section 13 filings identify external holders but not officer ownership .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Officer title and tenure | Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2019) |
| Employment basis | Officer of the Fund; Managing Counsel at BNY Mellon |
| Agent for Service | Listed as Agent for Service; 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286 |
| Term length | Officers hold office for an indefinite term until a successor is elected and qualified |
| Severance / Change-in-control | Not disclosed for Fund officers |
| Clawbacks / Non-compete / Garden leave | Not disclosed for Fund officers |
| Section 16 compliance | No delinquency noted for officers other than administrative Form 3 oversights for Lisa King and Roberto Mazzeo; Bank of America Form 4 also untimely; otherwise compliant for fiscal 2024 |
Additional Governance and Process Notes
- Board committee functions (Audit, Nominating, Compensation, Litigation) are described; compensation tables relate to directors/nominees and explicitly note no bonus/pension/profit-sharing plans for the Fund’s directors, not officers . Officer information is contained in Part II of the proxy (biographies/terms), with all officers’ address noted as 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286 .
- The semi-annual report itemizes fees paid to affiliates (management, custody, CCO services), but does not provide officer compensation detail; officers are listed by function/title .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Zero share ownership by officers (including Deirdre Cunnane) and lack of disclosed officer compensation or performance metrics suggests limited direct pay-for-performance alignment with LEO shareholders; director compensation structures are disclosed while officer pay is not, consistent with closed-end fund practices .
- Retention/pressure: Indefinite officer terms and absence of disclosed equity/option awards or vesting schedules imply low near-term insider selling pressure signals related to officer awards; there is no evidence of pledging or hedging by officers .
- Trading signals: No officer-level equity ownership or Form 4 activity for Deirdre Cunnane was identified; Section 16 review flags only administrative lapses for other officers and a delayed Form 4 for Bank of America, limiting insider-trading signal relevance for Deirdre specifically .
- Governance/continuity: As Managing Counsel and officer since 2019, Deirdre’s role supports legal and governance continuity across the BNY Mellon fund complex; the absence of individual incentive disclosure reduces visibility into personal performance levers but is typical for fund officers rather than operating executives .