Güez J. Salinas
ComstockAbout Güez J. Salinas
Güez J. Salinas, age 49, was elected to Comstock Inc. (LODE)’s Board on April 5, 2023. He brings over 30 years of experience across engineering, business development, finance, corporate management, and art & design, with a focus on cyber-security and AI policy. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and holds BA degrees in Political Science and Philosophy from Stanford, an MA in International Relations and an interdisciplinary PhD from USC with a cyber-security specialization (Viterbi), and completed an Oxford tutorial in International Political Economy .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America | Private equity and systems integration (Fleet Bank acquisition integration) | Not disclosed | Finance/operations systems integration |
| Cardinal Equities | Private equity | Not disclosed | Asset portfolio growth |
| Music technology startup | Co-founder | Not disclosed | IP used by Apple Music and Spotify |
| RIDE (Resources Invested for Development Education) | Co-founder | Not disclosed | Education resources for learning spectrum |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Council on International Policy | International cyber security expert | Not disclosed | Cyber-security expertise |
| The PATH (Polymathic Academy) | Founder; Director Emeritus | Not disclosed | Mentoring multidisciplinary entrepreneurship |
| LEWIS Registry | Co-founder; Executive Director | Not disclosed | Community touchpoint; partnership with Microsoft |
| Rolling Stone “Culture Council” | Member | Not disclosed | Technology-culture contributions |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Salinas is “independent” under NYSE American listing standards, the company’s independence standards, and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act .
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating and Governance Committee (Chair: William Nance), alongside Walter Marting Jr.; all members satisfy NYSE American and SEC independence requirements .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board and committees held 13 meetings. Directors attended 100% of the aggregate meetings of the Board and committees they served; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Board leadership: Company led by Executive Chairman and CEO Corrado De Gasperis .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $160,000 | No chair fees for Salinas; chair fees apply to other directors ($20,000 per chair) |
| Stock awards | $0 | 2020 equity grants vested in 2024 for certain directors; none for Salinas |
| Total (2024) | $160,000 | No options or new grants outstanding in 2024 |
- Program structure: Company pays each independent director a total of $160,000 in cash or shares, plus chair and committee meeting fees; each independent director also receives an annual cash payment of $60,000; chairs receive $20,000 annually .
Performance Compensation
| Metric/Instrument | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Fair Value | Vesting/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock awards (RSUs/DSUs) | None in 2024 for Salinas | — | — | — | No grants/options outstanding in 2024; 2020 plan vested for certain directors only |
| Options | None | — | — | — | No option awards disclosed |
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | Not disclosed | — | — | — | Director compensation not performance-based; Compensation Committee sets structure |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards: None disclosed for Salinas in the proxy biography .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: Company disclosed no compensation committee interlocks or insider participation; no executive served on another entity’s compensation committee where that entity’s executive serves on Comstock’s Compensation Committee .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Cyber-security and AI policy expertise (international cyber security expert at Pacific Council) .
- Finance/operations background (private equity; systems integration at Bank of America) .
- Multidisciplinary leadership and education initiatives (The PATH; RIDE) .
- Technology entrepreneurship (music tech IP used by Apple Music and Spotify) .
- Education: Stanford BA (Political Science and Philosophy), USC MA and interdisciplinary PhD (cyber-security specialization; Viterbi certification); Oxford tutorial in International Political Economy .
- Military service: U.S. Marine Corps .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (3/25/2025) | % of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Güez J. Salinas | 444 | —% (de minimis vs 26,903,872 shares outstanding) |
- Trading/hedging policy: Company prohibits directors, officers, employees, and designees from engaging in hedging, short sales, and other techniques that offset declines in the company’s equity value .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee role: Salinas is an independent director, serving on Nominating & Governance—aligned with board composition and governance effectiveness .
- Attendance and engagement: 100% attendance across Board and committee meetings in 2024; attended Annual Meeting—positive engagement signal .
- Compensation alignment: 2024 compensation for Salinas was all cash ($160,000) with no equity awards, which may limit longer-term ownership alignment compared to equity-heavy structures .
- Skin-in-the-game: Beneficial ownership of 444 shares as of March 25, 2025 suggests very limited personal equity exposure—potential alignment risk for investors focused on director ownership .
- Conflicts/related party exposure: Related person transactions are reviewed under a formal policy managed by the Audit & Finance Committee; no Salinas-specific related party transactions disclosed in the proxy excerpts reviewed .
- Risk controls: No hedging/short selling permitted under the securities trading policy—supports alignment with shareholders .
- Compensation committee interlocks: None—reduces risk of compensation governance conflicts .
RED FLAGS
- Very low beneficial ownership (444 shares; effectively 0%) may signal limited personal financial alignment with shareholders .
- All-cash director compensation in 2024 with no equity component for Salinas could reduce incentives tied to long-term stock performance .
Offsetting signals
- Strong independence determination and full attendance record bolster governance quality and board effectiveness .
- Service on Nominating & Governance Committee supports oversight of board composition and independence standards .
