George Collier
About George Collier
George C. Collier (age 78) is an independent director of Meridian Corporation (MRBK) and has served on the board since 2004; he is Executive Vice President and Director of Streamlight, Inc., and formerly served as its Chief Financial Officer for over 30 years, bringing extensive managerial and financial expertise relevant to MRBK’s banking operations . He is designated independent under Nasdaq rules; MRBK maintains anti-hedging and pledging prohibitions and a clawback policy that support alignment and governance rigor .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streamlight, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer (former) | Served 30+ years | Senior finance leadership; long-tenured financial stewardship |
| Streamlight, Inc. | EVP and Director (current) | Ongoing | Executive oversight; industry/go-to-market insight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role/Capacity | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Fallen Firefighters | Active supporter/participant | Not disclosed | Community engagement; industry-adjacent network |
| Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) | Active supporter/participant | Not disclosed | Community engagement; stakeholder ties |
Board Governance
- Independence: MRBK identifies George C. Collier as independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules .
- Tenure: Director since 2004 (approx. 21 years of service as of 2025) .
- Committee memberships (2024 activity and current structure):
- Compensation Committee: Member; committee met 3 times in 2024. Chair: Anthony M. Imbesi . Collier is listed on the Compensation Committee report, evidencing active participation .
- Risk Management Committee: Includes all independent directors; met 4 times in 2024. Chair: Denise Lindsay .
- Governance & Nominating Committee (GNC): Comprised of all independent directors; met 10 times in 2024 .
- Audit Committee: Not a member (members are Holland [Chair], Imbesi, Helmig; met 11 times in 2024) .
- Loan Committee: Not a member (members are Annas, Casciato [Chair], Holland, Hollin; met 12 times in 2024) .
- Attendance: In 2024, all current directors attended at least 90% of aggregate board and applicable committee meetings .
- Lead Independent Director: Role held by Robert T. Holland, not Collier .
2024 Board/Committee Activity Snapshot
| Body | 2024 Meetings | Collier Member? |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Directors | 12 | Yes |
| Compensation Committee | 3 | Yes |
| Risk Management Committee | 4 | Yes (all independents) |
| Governance & Nominating Committee | 10 | Yes (all independents) |
| Audit Committee | 11 | No |
| Loan Committee | 12 | No |
Fixed Compensation
- Structure: Quarterly cash retainer and committee fees; no additional pay for employee-directors (not applicable to Collier) .
- 2024 fee schedule (per quarter): Retainer $10,400; Lead Independent Director premium $3,100; Committee Chair $2,100; Committee member $1,600 .
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash – George C. Collier | $48,000 | $48,000 |
Performance Compensation
- Equity compensation for non-employee directors: Eligible under 2016 Equity Incentive Plan; however, no stock options were granted to directors as compensation in 2023 or 2024 .
- Performance-based or meeting fees: Not disclosed for directors beyond the fixed schedule .
| Component | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Director stock option grants (compensation) | None granted | None granted |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streamlight, Inc. | Not disclosed as public | EVP & Director | No MRBK-related transactions disclosed; no interlocks with MRBK competitors/suppliers/customers disclosed . |
No other current public company directorships are disclosed for Collier in MRBK proxies .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial leadership: Former CFO of Streamlight for 30+ years; deep managerial and financial experience cited by MRBK as credentials to serve .
- Not designated as MRBK’s “audit committee financial expert” (that designation is held by Robert T. Holland) .
- Community/industry involvement: Engagement with organizations serving first responders indicates stakeholder connectivity .
Equity Ownership
| Date (Record) | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 27, 2024 | 67,536 | 0.60% | Beneficial ownership excludes unvested awards unless vest within 60 days . |
| March 28, 2025 | 67,636 | 0.60% | Shares outstanding: 11,285,278 as of 3/28/2025 . |
- Anti-hedging/pledging: MRBK prohibits hedging and pledging; supports alignment and risk controls .
- Section 16 compliance: One late Form 4 by Mr. Collier related to a March 13, 2023 share purchase, filed March 20, 2024 (administrative timeliness issue) .
Insider Trades/Compliance (Disclosed)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Late Section 16(a) filing | One late Form 4 for share purchase on 3/13/2023, filed 3/20/2024 |
Related-Party Exposure
- Director/officer loans: Aggregate outstanding balance to all executive officers, directors or their affiliates was $1.0 million at 12/31/2024; MRBK states loans are on market terms and compliant with Regulation O; no individual transactions identified for Collier .
- No other related-party transactions involving Collier are disclosed .
Governance Assessment
Strengths
- Independence and engagement: Independent status; active service on Compensation, Risk Management, and Governance & Nominating committees; board’s 90%+ attendance benchmark met in 2024 .
- Financial expertise/ownership: 30+ years CFO experience; meaningful personal share ownership (~0.60%), supporting alignment with shareholders .
- Governance practices: Anti-hedging/pledging prohibitions and clawback policy in place; key committees composed entirely of independent directors .
Watch items / potential red flags
- Tenure and refreshment: Very long tenure (since 2004) may raise typical investor questions about independence over extended service; board continues using full Board GNC composition for nominations .
- Compensation mix: Director compensation is entirely cash (no equity grants in 2023 or 2024), which may provide less ongoing alignment versus equity-based director pay at peers; mitigated by his direct ownership stake .
- Administrative timeliness: One late Form 4 in 2024 attributed to a 2023 transaction; not a substantive misconduct issue but noted for process control .
- Age/succession: At 78, future board succession planning and committee continuity should be monitored, though no concerns are disclosed by MRBK .
Overall implication for investor confidence
- Collier brings durable financial leadership and committee engagement, with tangible share ownership and independent status—net positives for board effectiveness. Monitor ongoing board refreshment, continued strong attendance, and potential evolution of director equity participation to further enhance alignment .