Christopher D. Reece
About Christopher D. Reece
Christopher D. Reece (age 59) joined Skyline Bankshares’ board in September 2024. He is an Appalachian State University graduate and a 36-year community banker who led Johnson County Bank as CEO from 2002–2024 and served on its board from 1996–2024; he also served on the Tennessee Bankers Association board from 2023–2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County Bank | Chief Executive Officer | 2002–2024 | Led bank operations; background spans operations, lending, compliance |
| Johnson County Bank | Director | 1996–2024 | Board member during growth and pre-merger period |
| Johnson County Bank | Various banking roles (operations, lending, compliance) | Began 1988 | 36 years of community banking experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Bankers Association | Board Member | 2023–2025 | Industry leadership role |
Board Governance
- Independence status: The board determined 12 of 15 directors were independent; Mr. Reece was not included on the independence list due to a consulting agreement entered into in connection with the Johnson County Bank merger (one-year term post-closing with non-solicit and non-compete for one year after the term) .
- Committee structure and assignments:
- Standing committees: Audit and Compensation; no standing Nominating Committee (the full board handles nominations) .
- Audit Committee members: Frank A. Stewart (Chair), A. Melissa Gentry (Vice Chair), T. Mauyer Gallimore, Theresa S. Lazo, John Michael Turman; Mr. Reece is not listed as a member .
- Compensation Committee members: Dr. J. Howard Conduff, Jr. (Chair), Bryan L. Edwards (Vice Chair), Jacky K. Anderson, Thomas M. Jackson, Jr., Frank A. Stewart; Mr. Reece is not listed as a member .
- The company has not designated an “audit committee financial expert” .
- Director election support (2025 annual meeting): Mr. Reece received 2,984,545 votes “For,” 97,583 “Withhold,” and 891,988 broker non-votes .
Committee Activity (2024)
| Committee | Meetings in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Audit | 5 |
| Compensation | 3 |
2025 Director Election Results (Selected)
| Nominee | For | Withhold | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher D. Reece | 2,984,545 | 97,583 | 891,988 |
Employment & Contracts (Potential Conflicts)
- Consulting agreement: In connection with the Johnson County Bank merger, Mr. Reece entered a one-year consulting agreement post-closing to provide general advisory and integration support to the bank; includes a one-year non-solicitation and non-compete after the consulting term .
- Governance impact: The agreement was specifically considered in the board’s independence determinations and is the stated reason Mr. Reece is not treated as independent in 2025 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: “No director is or has been a director during the preceding five years of any company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act.” This implies Mr. Reece holds no other U.S. public company directorships in the last five years .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Core expertise: Community banking leadership across operations, lending, compliance; long-tenured bank CEO experience (2002–2024) .
- Education: Appalachian State University .
- Industry involvement: Tennessee Bankers Association board (2023–2025) .
Related-Party/Conflict Review
- The board evaluated Mr. Reece’s consulting agreement (merger-related) for independence and related-party considerations; the agreement’s limited term and restrictive covenants were disclosed, but Mr. Reece was not deemed independent during this period .
Governance Assessment
- Positives:
- Deep, directly relevant community banking leadership and regulatory familiarity from 36 years at Johnson County Bank, including 22 years as CEO .
- Strong shareholder support in 2025 director election (2.98M “For” vs. 97.6k “Withhold”) provides a near-term investor-confidence signal .
- Risks / RED FLAGS:
- Non‑independent status in 2025 tied to a merger-related consulting agreement (ongoing during and shortly after his appointment), a potential conflict that could influence integration oversight; board explicitly flagged this in independence analysis .
- No designation of an audit committee financial expert at the company level, a governance weakness relevant to financial oversight in a banking institution .
- Mr. Reece is not assigned to the Audit or Compensation Committees per the 2025 proxy rosters, limiting immediate visibility into his committee-level oversight contributions .
Note: The 2025 proxy provides biographies, independence determinations, committee rosters, and meeting counts; it does not present per-director attendance rates, director compensation tables, or beneficial ownership details for Mr. Reece in the cited sections.