Tamara R. Fountain
About Tamara R. Fountain
Tamara R. Fountain, M.D., age 62, is a Class III independent director at RxSight, serving since January 2022; her current term runs through the 2027 annual meeting. She is a practicing ophthalmologist with long-standing leadership in ophthalmic organizations, and serves on RxSight’s Audit Committee. Dr. Fountain holds a BA in Human Biology from Stanford (1984), an MD from Harvard Medical School (1988), and completed residency at Johns Hopkins’ Wilmer Eye Institute in 1992 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Academy of Ophthalmology | President | 2021 | Returned to Academy service as Secretary for Global Relations in 2025 |
| Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) | Director; Chair of the Board; Chair of Audit Committee | 15-year board service; Chair Jan 2014–Dec 2015 | Led board and audit oversight; OMIC is the largest professional liability insurer of ophthalmologists by market share |
| Illinois Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons | President | Jan 2002–Dec 2005 | State society leadership |
| Harvard Medical School | Chair, Alumni Fund Giving | Jan 2016–Jun 2019 | Fundraising leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sight Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGHT) | Director | Since Jul 2022 | Nominating-Governing; Audit |
| American Board of Ophthalmology | Director | Since Jan 2022 | Finance; Credentialing |
| Rush University Medical Center | Professor of Ophthalmology; Section Chair Emeritus (Oculoplastics) | Since May 1998 | Academic leadership |
| Ophthalmology Partners, Ltd. | Private practice ophthalmologist | Since Dec 2000 | Practice management |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Julie B. Andrews (Chair), Juliet Tammenoms Bakker, Tamara R. Fountain .
- Independence: Board determined Dr. Fountain is independent under Nasdaq rules and meets additional Rule 10A-3 audit committee independence requirements .
- Attendance: The Board held five meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings .
- Board leadership: Chair (Corley) and CEO (Kurtz) roles are separated, with the Chair not an officer of the company .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $50,000 | Policy increased to $50,000 effective Jan 1, 2024 |
| Audit Committee member fee | $10,000 | Annual fee for Audit Committee members |
| Total 2024 cash (Fountain) | $60,000 | As reported in Director Compensation table |
| Meeting fees policy | $1,500 per meeting above 8/year | Applies if Board or a committee exceeds 8 meetings per year |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | 2024 Grant Value | Vesting Schedule | Change-in-Control / Death/Disability Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (non-employee directors) | $150,000 (fair value $149,945 for Fountain) | Vests in full on earlier of 1-year anniversary or next Annual Meeting, subject to service | |
| Policy update (effective Dec 19, 2024) | Annual RSU value increased to $170,000; Initial RSU grant value raised to $277,500 | Initial RSUs vest 1/3 annually over 3 years, subject to service | |
| Acceleration provisions | Full vesting of outstanding director equity upon change in control; full vesting upon death or disability | Applies to Initial and Annual Awards per Outside Director Compensation Policy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Public? | Sector | Potential Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sight Sciences, Inc. (SGHT) | Yes | Ophthalmic medtech | Same sector as RxSight; Dr. Fountain serves on SGHT’s Audit and Nominating-Governing Committees (monitor for competitive conflicts; no related-party transactions disclosed for her at RxSight) |
| American Board of Ophthalmology | No | Professional certification | Finance and Credentialing Committee roles |
| Rush University Medical Center | No | Academic medicine | Long-tenured faculty leadership |
| Ophthalmology Partners, Ltd. | No | Private medical practice | Independent clinical practice |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Practicing ophthalmologist; former AAO President and OMIC Board Chair; extensive governance in ophthalmology organizations .
- Audit committee experience (OMIC; RxSight Audit Committee member) and financial oversight exposure .
- Academic and clinical leadership at Rush University Medical Center .
- Education: Stanford BA (1984), Harvard MD (1988), Johns Hopkins residency (1992) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (Fountain) | 24,793 shares; less than 1% | 22,239 shares held + 2,554 RSUs vesting within 60 days of Apr 8, 2025; percent per table marked “*” <1% |
| Shares outstanding (record date) | 40,620,239 | As of Apr 8, 2025 |
| RSUs outstanding (12/31/2024) | 8,953 shares | Time-based RSUs outstanding at FY-end for Fountain |
| Director ownership guidelines | 3x annual cash retainer; deadline the later of Jan 1, 2028 or five-year anniversary of appointment | Must retain 50% of net shares from equity awards until guidelines met if below threshold |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by Insider Trading Policy | Policy applies to directors, officers, employees, consultants, etc. |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with domain expertise; Audit Committee membership supports financial oversight; met minimum attendance; board structure separates Chair/CEO; strict insider trading/hedging policies; strong say-on-pay support (95.3% in 2024), indicating shareholder confidence in governance and compensation frameworks .
- Pay alignment: Director cash of $60,000 and standard annual RSUs ($149,945 fair value for 2024) align with policy; ownership guidelines enforce “skin in the game” over time .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Single-trigger full acceleration of director equity upon change in control can be viewed unfavorably by some investors; note explicit policy terms .
- Sector interlock: Board seat at SGHT (ophthalmic medtech) warrants monitoring for competitive sensitivities; RxSight discloses no related-party transactions for Dr. Fountain and affirms independence .
- No specific related-party transactions, hedging, pledging, or legal proceedings disclosed for Dr. Fountain in the proxy .