John Griesemer
About John F. Griesemer
John F. Griesemer (age 57) has served as an independent director of QCR Holdings, Inc. (QCRH) since 2022 and also sits on the board of QCRH’s subsidiary, Guaranty Bank. He is Chief Executive Officer and Chair of Erlen Group, a privately held industrial conglomerate (Springfield Underground, Cold Zone, Umlaut Transload, Radix Quarries). He holds a B.S. in Industrial Management and Engineering from Purdue University and previously worked at Vulcan Materials Company. His board profile emphasizes deep operating leadership and strong ties to the Springfield, Missouri market, one of QCRH’s core geographies .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erlen Group | Chief Executive Officer; Chair of the Board | Not disclosed (current) | Leads diversified industrial businesses; prior COO for Aggregates, Logistics, Real Estate |
| Vulcan Materials Company | Management roles (Northern Virginia) | Not disclosed (prior) | Industrial operations experience |
| Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc. (public prior to merger) | Director | Prior to 2022 merger into QCRH | Banking board experience; informs governance at QCRH |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranty Bank (QCRH subsidiary) | Director | Current | Subsidiary board service aligns with local market expertise |
| BNSF Transload Advisory Board | Member | Current | Logistics/rail advisory exposure |
| National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association | Board member | Current | Industry trade association leadership |
| Mercy Hospital & Mercy Springfield Communities | Past Chair | Prior | Community leadership in healthcare |
| Multiple local/regional nonprofits (e.g., Catholic Campus Ministries, Junior Achievement, Ozark Technical Community College Foundation) | Past board roles | Prior | Civic engagement in Springfield, MO market |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board classifies Mr. Griesemer as “independent” under Nasdaq rules .
- Attendance: The board met 4 times in 2024; all incumbent directors attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings, and all directors attended the annual meeting (virtual) .
- Committees: He served on the Compensation Committee (met 3 times in 2024; all members independent) and the Nomination & Governance Committee (met 4 times; all members independent). He was not a committee chair in 2024; chairs were Kilmer (Compensation) and Sorensen (Nomination & Governance) .
| Governance Dimension | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director class/term | Class III; term expires 2026 |
| Independence | Independent director (Nasdaq) |
| Committees (2024) | Compensation (member); Nomination & Governance (member) |
| Committee chairs | Not a chair; Comp: Kilmer (Chair); Nom/Gov: Sorensen (Chair) |
| Board/committee attendance | ≥75% for all directors in 2024; 4 board meetings; all attended annual meeting |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (QCRH + subsidiaries) | $56,300 | Director-specific “Fees Earned”; Mr. Griesemer did not elect to defer cash fees in 2024 |
| Equity (restricted stock) | $28,000 | RSUs granted March 1, 2024; $24,000 for QCRH board + $4,000 for subsidiary board; grant price $56.79; vested immediately |
| Total (2024) | $84,300 | Sum of cash and equity |
Additional fee schedule (policy reference):
- QCR Holdings quarterly retainer (non-employee directors): $10,625 for 2025 ($10,150 in 2024) .
- Additional quarterly retainers (selected): Board Chair $5,000; Audit Chair $1,500; Compensation Chair $1,250; Nomination & Governance Chair $1,250; committee member fees as specified .
| Fee Schedule | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| QCRH Quarterly Director Retainer | $10,625 | $10,150 |
| Board Chair (additional quarterly) | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Compensation Committee Member (additional quarterly) | $625 | $625 |
| Nomination & Governance Committee Member (additional quarterly) | $300 | $300 |
Comp structure mix (2024, person-specific): Cash ~66.8% ($56.3k) / Equity ~33.2% ($28k) of total $84.3k, with equity awards immediately vested on grant .
Performance Compensation
- Performance metrics: None disclosed for directors; non-employee director equity grants are time-based and immediately vest (no TSR/ROE metrics). No outstanding director stock or option awards at 12/31/2024 .
- Deferrals: Directors may defer cash fees into stock under the Deferred Income Plan; Mr. Griesemer did not defer cash fees in 2024 .
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | None (director equity is time-based; immediate vest) |
| Outstanding director equity (12/31/2024) | None (no vested/unvested stock or options outstanding) |
| Deferral election (2024) | No (did not defer cash fees) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc. (pre-merger) | Director | Public (prior to 2022 merger) | Served before GFED merged into QCRH |
| Guaranty Bank (QCRH subsidiary) | Director | Private (subsidiary) | Current subsidiary board role |
The proxy discloses that, aside from Mr. Besong (United Fire Group) and the prior GFED service by Mr. Griesemer and Mr. Batten, no other current directors served on public company boards within the past five years .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CEO/operator of industrial businesses (aggregates, logistics, real estate), bringing supply chain and industrial operations expertise to a bank holding company board .
- Deep ties to Springfield, MO, aligning with Guaranty Bank’s market footprint; local market knowledge aids credit/business oversight .
- Prior public bank board experience at GFED; current subsidiary bank board service .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (3/27/2025) | 81,631 shares; <1% of class (*) |
| Director ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer; 2025 threshold equals 2,945 shares |
| Compliance with guideline | Company states each director, including Mr. Griesemer, is in compliance |
| Hedging policy | Prohibited for all directors; none known to have hedged |
| Pledging policy | Prohibited without prior approval; none known to have pledged |
| Outstanding director awards (12/31/2024) | None (no vested/unvested stock or options outstanding) |
Note: The beneficial ownership table denotes percent of class with “*” indicating less than 1% .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and engagement: Independent; active on Compensation and Nomination & Governance Committees; board and committee meeting cadence indicates modest but consistent oversight; directors met attendance thresholds and attended the annual meeting, supporting engagement .
- Alignment and skin-in-the-game: Holds 81,631 shares versus a 2025 director guideline of 2,945 shares; company reports all directors are compliant, indicating strong alignment. Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies further reinforce alignment .
- Compensation structure: Director pay uses a cash retainer plus immediately vesting stock awards. While immediate vest can reduce long-term holding incentives, robust ownership guidelines (and Mr. Griesemer’s significant holdings) mitigate this concern; 2025 cash retainers increased modestly YoY, but within typical regional bank ranges .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: The proxy discloses ordinary-course banking relationships for directors and related parties subject to Reg O and a formal Related Party Transactions Policy. No Item 404 related-party transaction is disclosed for Mr. Griesemer; the Compensation Committee (including Mr. Griesemer) reports no relationships requiring Item 404 disclosure in 2024, supporting independence .
- Signals from shareholder votes: Say-on-pay support was ~96% at the 2024 annual meeting, indicating broad investor approval of compensation practices and governance oversight at QCRH .
- Compliance and disclosures: Section 16(a) delinquency disclosure identified one late Form 4 for another executive (Reba K. Winter); no such issues are cited for Mr. Griesemer, supporting good compliance hygiene .
RED FLAGS: None specifically identified for Mr. Griesemer in the 2025 proxy. Key mitigants include independence affirmation, ownership guideline compliance, prohibitions on hedging/pledging, and absence of related-party transactions requiring disclosure for him .
Watch items: Immediate-vest director equity (offset by strong ownership holdings); continued service on a subsidiary bank board is common in multi-bank holding companies but warrants routine monitoring for recusals in matters directly involving that subsidiary (policy framework appears robust) .