Anita Allen
About Anita L. Allen
Anita L. Allen, age 67, is an Independent Director of RENN Fund, Inc. (RCG) and has served since her appointment on June 6, 2024, with her current term expiring at the 2025 Annual Meeting . She is President of Allen Advisory Group and a former KPMG Consulting partner; she holds a B.S. in Accounting from Monmouth University and is a Certified Public Accountant, NACD Directorship Certified, and holds the CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Advisory Group | President | Since 2005 | Advises on strategy, digital transformation, performance improvement |
| KPMG Consulting | Partner; practice leader with P&L responsibility | 1993–2005 | Grew management/technology consulting business; expertise in internal controls, ERM, systems |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currant, Inc. | Director | Since 2015 | Technology solutions; private company |
| Tingley Rubber Corporation | Director | 2016–2020 | PPE manufacturer; private company |
| NACD New Jersey Chapter | Board Chair Emeritus; Director | 2014–2025 | NACD Directorship Certified; SME for certification exam |
| The Center for Hope & Safety | Board President | 2005–2014 | Non-profit leadership |
| YWCA Northern New Jersey | Advisory Committee Member | 2016–2021 | Non-profit advisory role |
Board Governance
- Independence: The proxy lists Ms. Allen as an Independent Director; independent directors do not own any interest in the Adviser (Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC) and had no material related-party transactions (>$120,000) in the last five fiscal years .
- Tenure and election: Appointed June 6, 2024; all directors now serve one-year annual terms following a bylaw amendment; Ms. Allen stands for election at each annual meeting .
- Committee memberships: Served in 2024 on the Audit Committee, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, and Pricing Committee; Ms. Allen is designated an “audit committee financial expert” along with Douglas J. Cohen and Melinda J. Newman .
- Attendance: Board held four meetings in 2024; all directors attended 100% of meetings during their terms; Ms. Allen attended all meetings following her appointment .
- Lead independent oversight: Chairs of the Audit and Governance Committees effectively serve as lead independent directors and regularly hold meetings without management present .
- Legal proceedings: No material pending legal proceedings involving any director or nominee adverse to the Fund .
- Compensation interlocks: No compensation committee interlocks or insider participation noted for the Fund’s last fiscal year .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Value | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board meeting fee (per meeting) | $1,800 | Effective March 7, 2024 | Independent directors; plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses |
| Committee fees | Not disclosed | 2024 | No committee-specific cash fees disclosed; director compensation section references per-board-meeting fees only |
| Annual retainer (cash) | Not disclosed | 2024 | Proxy does not indicate an annual retainer; compensation tied to per-meeting fees |
| Total compensation (Allen) | $3,600 | FY 2024 | Aggregate compensation from Fund and Fund Complex |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Disclosure | Terms/Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Equity awards (RSUs/PSUs/DSUs) | None disclosed | Proxy discloses only per-meeting cash fees; no equity program for directors is mentioned |
| Options | None disclosed | No option awards or repricings disclosed for directors |
| Performance metrics (TSR, EBITDA, ESG) | None disclosed | No performance-based director compensation metrics disclosed |
| Clawbacks / Gross-ups | None disclosed | No clawback provisions or tax gross-ups for director pay disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currant, Inc. | Private | Director | No disclosed related-party transactions with Fund/Adviser |
| Tingley Rubber Corporation | Private | Director | No disclosed related-party transactions with Fund/Adviser |
| NACD New Jersey | Non-profit | Board Chair Emeritus | Governance/community role |
| Center for Hope & Safety | Non-profit | Board President | Community role |
- No public company board roles for Ms. Allen are disclosed in the RCG proxy; independence reinforced by statement of no interests in the Adviser and no material related-party transactions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CPA; Bachelor of Science in Accounting (Monmouth University); NACD Directorship Certified; CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight .
- Deep expertise in internal controls, enterprise risk management, performance measurement, strategic cost management, and information systems design; biography notes she chairs Audit and Nom/Gov committees in her board work (biographical statement) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned | 653 | June 30, 2025 | Listed in beneficial ownership table |
| Ownership % of class | 0.01% | June 30, 2025 | Based on 7,015,786 shares outstanding |
| Dollar range of holdings | $0–$10,000 | Proxy 2025 | Director dollar range table |
| Shares outstanding (context) | 7,015,786 | June 30, 2025 | Outstanding common shares |
| Options / unvested equity | None disclosed | N/A | No options or unvested director equity disclosed |
| Pledged shares | Not disclosed | N/A | No pledging disclosure in proxy for directors |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status, audit committee financial expert designation, and 100% board meeting attendance support board effectiveness and investor confidence . Regular executive sessions via Audit/Governance chairs provide oversight without management present .
- Alignment: Director pay is modest and meeting-based ($1,800 per board meeting; $3,600 total in 2024 for Ms. Allen), limiting pay inflation risk; however, personal share ownership is small (653 shares, 0.01% of the class), offering limited “skin-in-the-game” alignment .
- Conflicts/Red Flags: Proxy discloses no material related-party transactions involving independent directors and no legal proceedings; independent directors do not own interests in the Adviser—low conflict exposure; no equity award repricing or tax gross-ups disclosed .
- Governance context: The Fund shifted to annual director terms in 2024 (from staggered), increasing accountability; Ms. Allen was appointed June 6, 2024 and has been fully engaged across core committees in 2024 .