James H. Simmons, III
About James H. Simmons, III
James H. Simmons, III (age 58) has served as an independent director of Regency Centers Corporation since 2021; he is Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner of Asland Capital Partners and holds degrees from Princeton University (A.B.), Virginia Tech (M.S.), and Northwestern University (MBA) . His background spans senior investment roles at Ares Management (Partner, 2013–2018) and Apollo Real Estate Advisors (Partner, 2002–2013), plus prior service as CEO/CIO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, providing deep real estate, capital markets, and leadership experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ares Management Corporation | Partner | 2013–2018 | Alternative investment leadership; real estate investing |
| Apollo Real Estate Advisors L.P. | Partner | 2002–2013 | Real estate transactions and operations |
| Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Dev. Corp. | CEO & CIO | Prior to Apollo (years not disclosed) | Economic development leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Asset Backed Credit Company LLC (NYSE: APO) | Director | Current | Public company board service |
| Apollo Strategic Growth Capital (NYSE: APSG) | Director | Prior | SPAC board service |
| Princeton University National Annual Giving Committee | Member | Current | Alumni leadership |
| Princeton University President’s Advisory Council | Member | Current | University advisory role |
| Real Estate Executive Council | Chair | Current | Industry leadership |
| Greater Jamaica Development Corporation | Director | Prior | Community development |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent director (all nominees except Executive Chairman and CEO determined independent) |
| Director since | 2021 |
| Committees | Audit (member); Investment (member) |
| Committee chair roles | None disclosed for Simmons |
| Audit financial expert | Board determined all Audit Committee members qualify as “financial experts” (includes Simmons) |
| Board meeting cadence | Board met 6 times in 2024 |
| Committee meeting cadence | Audit: 4; Investment: 5 (2024) |
| Attendance | All directors attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings in 2024 |
| Executive sessions / lead director | Lead Independent Director framework in place (Blankenship) with executive sessions at each Board meeting |
Fixed Compensation
| Element (2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $75,000 |
| Audit Committee member fee | $15,000 |
| Investment Committee member fee | $15,000 |
| Actual cash fees earned (Simmons) | $102,079 |
Notes:
- Directors may elect to receive fees in stock; in 2024 only Blankenship, Klein, and Linneman elected shares in lieu of cash (Simmons not listed) .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual restricted stock award (policy) | $125,000 grant; vests 100% on first anniversary |
| Grant date & fair value basis (2024) | May 1, 2024 grant; $59.11 per share used for ASC 718 fair value |
| Actual stock award (Simmons, 2024) | $125,018 aggregate grant date fair value |
| Deferral | Directors may defer retainers and annual restricted stock under the non-qualified deferred compensation plan |
No performance metrics are tied to non-employee director equity grants; awards are time-vested per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Finding |
|---|---|
| Compensation Committee interlocks | None; disclosure states no committee interlocks or insider participation that required Item 404 disclosure in the last fiscal year |
| Related party transactions | None required to be disclosed for 2024; board uses written related-party review/approval policies |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Real estate development, transactions, operations, and capital markets; strategy and leadership credentials from Asland, Ares, Apollo, and public boards .
- Audit Committee financial expert designation alongside other audit members; oversight spans financial reporting, internal controls, REIT/tax compliance, derivatives, insurance, cybersecurity, and AI risk .
- Academic credentials: Princeton (A.B.), Virginia Tech (M.S.), Northwestern (MBA) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Shares owned (beneficial) | 4,042 |
| Right to acquire within 60 days | 2,179 |
| Percent of shares outstanding | <1% |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None; no directors/officers pledged shares |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibits hedging, short sales, options trading, margin accounts, and pledging company stock |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors subject to stock ownership targets (multiple of annual retainer), 5-year compliance period; must retain 25% of shares received while in role |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; dual service on Audit and Investment Committees; Audit Committee financial expert designation; ≥75% attendance in 2024; equity grants with time-based vesting support long-term alignment; robust anti-hedging/anti-pledging and stock ownership policy .
- Compensation alignment: 2024 mix includes $102,079 cash fees and $125,018 equity award, consistent with program design; standard retainers/committee fees applied for Audit and Investment memberships .
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: Board-maintained related-party review policies; no related-party transactions reported for 2024; no compensation committee interlocks disclosed; no pledging, and hedging prohibited. Monitor potential information-flow interlocks from Apollo-affiliated directorships, though no adverse disclosures in 2024 .
- Risk indicators: No attendance shortfalls; no related-party transactions; stringent hedging/pledging restrictions; Audit Committee oversight includes cybersecurity and AI-risk governance—a positive for board effectiveness .