Kristen Snyder
About Kristen Snyder
Kristen Snyder (age 40) is an independent director of LINKBANCORP, Inc. (LNKB), serving since 2021 and standing for reelection in 2025. She is a principal of Koppy’s Propane, Inc., overseeing Operations, Finance, Safety, and HR; earlier she was a Senior Analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from 2007–2010. Snyder is the daughter of director David H. Koppenhaver, which the board has evaluated within its independence determinations. Her business and finance experience led to her selection to the board.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GNB Financial Services / Gratz Bank | Director | 2018–2021 | Board service prior to LNKB merger; finance/operations perspective |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Senior Analyst | 2007–2010 | Analytical experience in financial services |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Scope/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koppy’s Propane, Inc. | Principal | Current | Oversees Ops, Finance, Safety, HR; controlling interest with Koppenhaver |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board deems Snyder independent under Nasdaq rules, while expressly considering LNKB’s purchase of propane supplies from a company in which Snyder and Koppenhaver have a controlling interest. The board concluded independence for all directors except Samuel, Breda and Harrison.
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (Audit Chair: William L. Jones, III); Audit met 8 times in 2024. Snyder is not a committee chair.
- Attendance: Board met 13 times in 2024; other than Pierson, no director attended fewer than 75% of board and committee meetings—implying Snyder met the 75% threshold.
- Annual meeting attendance: 19 of 21 directors attended May 23, 2024 annual meeting (two excused).
- Board leadership and risk oversight: Independent Chairman (Joseph C. Michetti, Jr.); separate CEO/Chair roles. Enterprise Risk Management Committee chaired by Pommerening; CRO-led risk program reports quarterly to the board.
Fixed Compensation
| Item | FY 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $30,000 | Paid to non-employee directors meeting ≥75% attendance; chairs receive an extra $2,500; board chair receives +$5,000 (Snyder is not a chair) |
| Committee chair fees | $0 | Not a chair; chair fee policy disclosed |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed | Proxy specifies annual retainer structure; no per-meeting fees noted |
| Total cash (Fees Earned) | $30,000 | As reported in Director Compensation table |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | FY 2024 Value | Quantity/Status | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock Units | $13,160 (grant-date fair value) | Quantity for FY2024 grant not specified; Snyder held 2,000 restricted shares outstanding as of 12/31/24 | LNKB plans require at least 95% of awards to have ≥1-year vesting; dividends not paid until vesting; double-trigger vesting on change-in-control; clawbacks apply |
| Stock Options | None disclosed for Snyder | Options noted for several directors; Snyder not among option holders | No repricing or cash buy-outs of underwater options without shareholder approval |
Notably, the 2025 Equity Incentive Plan caps annual equity awards for non-employee directors at $50,000 grant-date fair value, enforces minimum vesting, prohibits repricing, and requires double-trigger vesting on change-in-control with clawback coverage—supporting alignment and governance controls.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None (public companies) | Public | — | LNKB states that, other than Parmer at Amesite Inc., no LNKB directors serve on other public boards—this implies none for Snyder |
| Koppy’s Propane, Inc. | Private | Principal | LNKB purchased propane supplies from an entity with controlling interests held by Koppenhaver and Snyder; board evaluated independence in light of this |
| Family relationship | — | — | Snyder is daughter of LNKB director David H. Koppenhaver |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and operations leader in energy distribution; prior sell-side/financial services analytics background at JPMorgan; brings practical operating, safety, and HR oversight experience.
- Audit Committee service indicates financial statement literacy and governance engagement.
- Independent status with board oversight of potential related-party interactions.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Apr 4, 2025 | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 58,024 | Less than 1% of outstanding shares |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% | Based on 37,377,342 shares outstanding |
| Joint account with spouse | 54,796 shares | Included in beneficial ownership |
| Unvested restricted stock | 1,600 shares | Subject to vesting |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days | 666 units | Near-term vesting |
| Pledged shares | None pledged by directors/NEOs | |
| Anti-hedging policy | Hedging prohibited for directors, officers, employees |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with Audit Committee service and ≥75% meeting attendance; board maintains independent chair structure and robust ERM oversight.
- Director pay is modest and primarily retainer plus time-based equity; non-employee director equity capped and subject to clawbacks and minimum vesting, supporting alignment.
- Potential Conflicts and RED FLAGS:
- Related-party proximity: LNKB purchased propane supplies from an entity with Snyder’s controlling interest; while board evaluated independence, this is a recurring exposure area to monitor for transaction size, terms, and frequency.
- Family relationship on the board (Snyder is daughter of Director David H. Koppenhaver), increasing interlock and independence scrutiny; LNKB reports no related-person transactions >$120,000 since Jan 1, 2023 beyond those disclosed for Parmer’s entities, but continued monitoring is warranted.
- Overall investor confidence signals: Governance frameworks (anti-hedging, clawbacks, double-trigger vesting, independent chair) are positive; the propane supply relationship and familial tie are noteworthy but presently constrained by disclosure of independence considerations and absence of large related-party transactions.