C. Lynch Christian, III
Ramaco ResourcesAbout C. Lynch Christian, III
Independent director at Ramaco Resources (METC) since June 2019; age 73. Career spans coal mining and coal land leasing/management as officer/director of Imperial Colliery Company and Milburn Colliery Company, plus roles with mining equipment and services companies; previously practiced energy law at Jackson Kelly PLLC. Education: University of North Carolina and Washington & Lee University School of Law. Determined independent under Nasdaq rules and qualified for Audit Committee membership independence standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Colliery Company | Officer & Director | Since 1980 (coal operations) | Appalachian coal industry expertise |
| Milburn Colliery Company | Officer & Director | Since 1980 (coal operations) | Coal land leasing/management |
| Various mining-related companies | Officer & Director | Not specified | Mining/hydraulic equipment, crushing/handling, conveyor, crane/rigging services |
| Jackson Kelly PLLC | Attorney (Energy Law) | Prior to coal industry roles | Legal and regulatory expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public Company? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No other public company directorships referenced in proxy biography |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (as of proxy date):
- Audit Committee member
- Environmental, Health and Safety Committee Chair
- Technology Committee member
- Independence: Board majority independent; Christian affirmed independent under Nasdaq and Rule 10A‑3 for audit committee membership .
- Attendance: Board met 4 times, committees 24 times in 2024; each director attended >75% of meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Board holds scheduled meetings for independent directors without management .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2024 Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Director fees (cash) | $125,000 | Paid monthly |
| Committee chair fee (cash) | $25,000 | Paid quarterly; EH&S Chair |
| Restricted stock grant (Class A) | 5,297 shares | Granted Feb 29, 2024; fully vested Jan 2025 |
| Stock awards grant-date fair value | $93,121 | ASC 718 valuation |
| Total FY 2024 | $243,121 | Cash + equity |
Performance Compensation
- Directors receive time-based restricted stock; no disclosed performance-based metrics (no PSUs/TSR for directors). | Performance Metric | Weight | Target | Actual/Payout | |---|---|---|---| | Not applicable for non-employee directors | — | — | No director performance metrics disclosed
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Interlocks / Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No public company board interlocks disclosed for Christian |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Appalachian coal industry operations and land management; long tenure as officer/director in coal companies .
- Energy law background (Jackson Kelly PLLC) .
- Committee leadership in EH&S; audit oversight experience as Audit Committee member .
- Education: University of North Carolina (undergraduate), Washington & Lee University School of Law (JD) .
Equity Ownership
| As of Apr 29, 2025 | Class A Shares | Class B Shares | Total Shares | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 109,921 | 22,337 | 132,258 | <1% of each class |
- Hedging policy: Company prohibits directors from engaging in hedging/monetization transactions in Company securities .
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Transaction Date | Type | Security | Shares | Price | Post-Transaction Ownership | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-02-20 | Award (A) | Common Stock | 9,588 | $0 | 94,064 | |
| 2023-06-21 | Award (A) | Class A common | 94,064 | $0 | 94,064 | |
| 2023-06-21 | Award (A) | Class B common | 18,812 | $0 | 18,812 | |
| 2023-06-21 | Return to issuer (D) | Common Stock | 94,064 | $0 | 0 | |
| 2024-02-29 | Award (A) | Class A common | 5,297 | $0 | 99,361 | |
| 2024-12-16 | Award (A) | Class B common | 1,818 | $0 | 20,630 | |
| 2025-02-24 | Award (A) | Class A common | 10,560 | $0 | 109,921 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director; serves on Audit and Technology committees and chairs EH&S, supporting risk oversight across safety, environment, and financial reporting .
- Consistent engagement: >75% meeting attendance and participation in annual meeting (2024) .
- Cash/equity mix aligns director interests via annual restricted stock grants; hedging prohibited, enhancing alignment .
- Watchpoints/RED FLAGS:
- Company-level internal control material weakness reported for 2023; as Audit Committee member, ongoing remediation is critical (auditor changes from Cherry Bekaert to Grant Thornton in 2024) .
- Related party transactions involving management family members and the Ramaco Foundation require robust Audit Committee oversight; no specific transactions tied to Christian were disclosed, but governance vigilance is warranted .
- Ownership “skin in the game” is modest (<1% of class), which may reduce direct economic alignment relative to large holders .
Overall, Christian brings deep coal industry and legal expertise with active committee leadership. Continued focus on ICFR remediation and rigorous related-party review will be key signals for investor confidence in board effectiveness .