Daniel L. Jones
About Daniel L. Jones
Daniel L. Jones (age 60) is a Certified Public Accountant and founder, former Chairman and CEO of FortuneBank, acquired by Southern Missouri Bancorp in February 2022. He began his career at KPMG’s community bank audit practice, later served as legal director for Eagle Bank & Trust Co. and Midwest Bank Centre, and owns DLJ Properties, Inc. (commercial real estate development). He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University and has been a director of Southern Missouri Bancorp and Southern Bank since 2022; he also serves as Market Chairman for Southern Bank’s St. Louis market .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| FortuneBank | Founder; Chairman & CEO until acquisition by SMBC | 2004–Feb 2022 | Built a community-minded bank; leadership through acquisition |
| KPMG (Community bank audit practice) | Audit professional | — | Banking audit expertise |
| Public accounting firm (Arnold, MO) | Owner (acquired firm) | — | Led accounting practice |
| Eagle Bank & Trust Co. | Legal Director | — | Banking/legal oversight |
| Midwest Bank Centre | Legal Director | — | Banking/legal oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLJ Properties, Inc. | Owner; develops, constructs, owns and manages commercial real estate | — | Real estate development and management |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Not listed as a member of the standing Audit, Compensation, or Nominating Committees in FY2025 .
- Independence: The Board determined a majority of directors are independent (Bagby, Schalk, Brooks, Love, Robison, Tooley, Hensley, McClain, and nominees Bower and McCoy). Daniel L. Jones is not included in the independent directors list .
- Attendance: The Board held 12 regular and 6 special meetings in FY2025; no director attended fewer than 75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the last annual meeting except the CEO due to extenuating circumstances .
- Lead Independent Director: Board combined CEO/Chair role in July 2022 and designated Vice-Chairman L. Douglas Bagby as lead director to preside over executive sessions .
- Hedging/Pledging Policy: Hedging by directors/officers is prohibited and has not been permitted; pledging is discouraged and only allowed by exception with demonstrated capacity to repay without resort to pledged shares .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (FY2025) | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $30,000 | Monthly fees for Company and Bank boards ($1,250 each per month) |
| Stock Awards | $24,168 | Restricted stock grant of 400 shares on Feb 18, 2025 under 2024 Omnibus Plan; vesting in equal 20% annual installments |
| Option Awards | — | No director option award in FY2025 table |
| All Other Compensation | — | None in director compensation table |
| Total (Director Compensation) | $54,168 | Sum of cash and stock awards |
Additional SMBC-related compensation (outside director fees):
- Market Chairman (Southern Bank, St. Louis): $148,000 in FY2025 .
- Related-party: $89,000 total paid to an entity affiliated with Mr. Jones tied to a site lease with Southern Bank and maintenance services for properties acquired in the Fortune Financial merger .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Date | Shares | Vesting Schedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock (Director) | Feb 18, 2025 | 400 | 20% annually on Feb 9, 2026–Feb 9, 2030 (80 shares per year) | Time-based vesting; no performance metric disclosed |
| Stock Options (Director award from prior period) | Jul 19, 2022 | 7,500 | 4,500 currently exercisable (within 60 days of Aug 29, 2025) | Strike price not disclosed in proxy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| FortuneBank | Bank (acquired) | Founder; Chairman & CEO | Prior leadership of acquired entity |
| Affiliated entity (unnamed) | Services/Real estate | Affiliate receiving site lease and maintenance payments | $89,000 paid by Southern Bank; related-party exposure |
Expertise & Qualifications
- CPA; banking, finance, management, lending, legal, real estate, construction experience per Board skills matrix .
- Market Chairman with on-the-ground banking leadership; long tenure in community banking .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership | 286,324 shares (2.53% of common stock outstanding) |
| Options Exercisable (within 60 days of Aug 29, 2025) | 4,500 shares included in beneficial ownership |
| Shares Outstanding (Record Date) | 11,290,667 shares (for % calculation context) |
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Voting Signals
| Proposal | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advisory “Say on Pay” (Oct 20, 2025) | 7,379,508 | 392,516 | 312,453 | 908,774 |
| Director Election – Daniel L. Jones (Term to 2028) | 6,822,556 | 987,846 | 274,075 | 908,774 |
Governance Assessment
- Independence risk: Not identified as independent by the Board; also holds a paid operating role as Market Chairman, which can impair objectivity in oversight of management .
- Related-party transactions: Affiliate received $89,000 for a site lease and maintenance services tied to Fortune merger properties; requires vigilant Audit Committee oversight for arm’s-length terms (red flag for potential conflict) .
- Committee engagement: Not serving on Audit, Compensation, or Nominating in FY2025; reduces direct influence on key governance levers (committee oversight) .
- Attendance/engagement: Met minimum attendance thresholds; Board met frequently (12 regular, 6 special), and directors generally attended the annual meeting .
- Ownership alignment: Material beneficial stake (2.53%) and outstanding options may align interests with shareholders; hedging prohibited and pledging discouraged by policy .
- Shareholder support: Received majority support in director election; company’s Say-on-Pay passed by a wide margin, indicating general investor confidence in compensation practices .
Overall, Mr. Jones brings deep community banking, accounting, and real estate expertise, but dual roles and related-party payments present governance conflicts that warrant ongoing monitoring and clear recusal protocols on any matters touching his operating remit or affiliated transactions .