Joseph Martella
About Joseph Martella
Joseph Martella is Vice President (Fund officer) of BNY Mellon Strategic Municipals, Inc. (LEO) since 2022, age 48, and concurrently serves as Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. (since December 2022). His principal responsibilities span product leadership roles at BNY Investments, including Head of Product Management (since January 2018) and Executive Vice President of North America Product (since April 2023), following prior service as Senior Vice President of North America Product (2010–March 2023) . Officers of the Fund hold office for an indefinite term until a successor is elected and qualified . The proxy does not disclose officer-specific compensation or performance-pay metrics; as of April 10, 2025, Fund officers (including Martella) held no shares of LEO Common Stock or VMTP Preferred Shares .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. | Vice President | Dec 2022–Present | Officer across BNY-managed investment companies (47 portfolios noted for officers) |
| BNY Investments (North America Distribution) | Head of Product Management | Jan 2018–Present | Product oversight supporting multiple registered investment companies |
| BNY Investments (North America Product) | Executive Vice President | Apr 2023–Present | Leadership of North America Product organization |
| BNY Investments (North America Product) | Senior Vice President | 2010–Mar 2023 | Product development and oversight responsibilities |
External Roles
- No external directorships or non-BNY roles are disclosed for Martella in the LEO proxy .
Fixed Compensation
- The proxy discloses Board director retainers and meeting fees but does not provide officer compensation details; the Fund has no bonus, pension, profit-sharing or retirement plan for Directors . Part II provides officer biographies and terms but no salary/bonus tables for officers .
Performance Compensation
- No disclosure of officer RSUs/PSUs, option awards, or performance metric weightings/payouts is provided in the proxy; compensation content relates to Directors only .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (LEO Common) | 0 shares as of Apr 10, 2025 |
| VMTP Preferred ownership | 0 shares as of Apr 10, 2025 |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | 0% (officers held no Common or VMTP shares) |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Ownership guidelines/compliance | Not disclosed in proxy |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fund role | Vice President (Fund officer) |
| Since | 2022 |
| Age | 48 |
| Employment (principal occupation) | Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc.; product leadership at BNY Investments |
| Address of officers | 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286 |
| Term length | Indefinite; officers serve until successor elected and qualified |
| Contract specifics (non-compete, severance, change-of-control) | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Section 16(a) compliance | Proxy notes filings were compliant for fiscal 2024 except a late filing by Bank of America; no officer-specific delinquencies indicated |
Investment Implications
- Alignment signal: Martella (and officers) held no LEO shares as of April 10, 2025, implying limited direct equity alignment or insider selling pressure tied to Fund shares .
- Pay-for-performance visibility: The proxy provides no officer compensation tables or performance metrics linking pay to Fund outcomes, reducing transparency into incentive alignment at the Fund officer level .
- Retention/contract risk: Officers serve on an indefinite basis; the proxy does not disclose employment agreements, severance, or change-of-control provisions for officers, limiting assessment of retention economics or parachute risk from Fund-level filings .
- Execution capability: Martella’s long-tenured product leadership roles at BNY Investments and current VP capacity at the Adviser suggest functional experience overseeing multiple registered investment companies, but Fund-level performance or TSR attribution to officers is not disclosed in the proxy .