Maria T. Kuha
About Maria T. Kuha
Maria T. Kuha is Vice President, Manufacturing Operations, Procurement & Logistics at Sono-Tek, appointed in September 2022; she joined the company in 2007 after roles in high-tech manufacturing focused on purchasing and operations, and holds an AAS in business from Dutchess County Community College . Company performance context during her tenure shows net income of $635,905 (FY 2023), $1,441,463 (FY 2024), and $1,273,414 (FY 2025), with cumulative TSR measured at $4.85 for FY 2023 and reported as zero for FY 2024 and FY 2025 under SEC methodology .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sono-Tek Corporation | Operations Director; Purchasing Manager; Procurement roles | 2007–2022 | Provided extensive expertise across vital areas of operations, strengthening procurement and manufacturing processes |
External Roles
No external directorships or outside roles are disclosed for Maria T. Kuha in the company’s proxy filings .
Fixed Compensation
- Maria is not a named executive officer (NEO) in the Summary Compensation Table; her base salary, target bonus, and actual bonus are not itemized in the proxy .
- Company-wide, executive pay is structured with base salary and incentive compensation tied to achievement of operating objectives; compensation levels are set to be competitive for similar qualifications and responsibilities .
Performance Compensation
- Equity incentives are delivered under the 2023 Stock Incentive Plan (and legacy 2013 Plan). Key provisions that govern vesting and exercise, which apply across officers and employees:
- Exercise price at least 100% of fair market value on grant date; options priced at NASDAQ closing price on grant date .
- Vesting: no option exercises permitted within one year of grant; remaining portions vest in cumulative installments over a three-year period (standard terms unless otherwise specified) .
- Term: options expire ten years from grant date .
- Outstanding options as of the 2025 proxy date: 210,770 under the 2013 Plan (no new grants after June 2023), and 220,367 under the 2023 Plan .
- Annual cash incentive metrics and weightings by role are not detailed for Maria; the proxy notes bonuses are based on operating objectives without publishing specific metric targets (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR) for non-NEOs .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Shares owned | 600 | 683 |
| Options currently exercisable | 2,536 | 4,274 |
- No disclosures of pledged shares; Insider Trading Policy prohibits trading in derivatives (puts/calls/short sales) and entering into hedging or monetization transactions relating to Company securities, reducing misalignment risk from hedging/pledging practices .
- Stock ownership guidelines and compliance status for Maria are not disclosed in the proxy .
Employment Terms
| Provision | Term | Applies to Maria? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment start date | Joined Sono-Tek in 2007 | Yes | |
| Current role tenure | Appointed VP, Manufacturing Operations, Procurement & Logistics in September 2022 | Yes | |
| Change-of-control severance | For CEO, CFO, Executive Chairman, and COO: 2 years of prior-year base, commissions, and bonus upon CoC followed by qualifying termination | Not disclosed for Maria | |
| Severance (non-cause termination) | For CEO, CFO, Executive Chairman, and COO: 2 weeks of compensation per full year of service | Not disclosed for Maria | |
| Clawback policy | Recovery of incentive compensation for restatements, fraud, or intentional/willful/gross misconduct; applies to all corporate officers | Yes (corporate officers covered) | |
| Insider Trading Policy | Prohibits trading on material nonpublic info, derivatives, hedging/monetization transactions | Yes | |
| Non-compete / non-solicit | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Performance & Track Record
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income ($) | 635,905 | 1,441,463 | 1,273,414 |
| Cumulative TSR (Initial $100 Investment) | 4.85 | 0 | 0 |
- Governance backdrop: Independent Compensation Committee (Chair Carol O’Donnell in 2025) met four times in FY 2025 and did not use external consultants; Board sets compensation for executives other than the CEO based on the Committee’s recommendations .
- 2025 Say-on-Pay support: For 6,793,102; Against 201,778; Abstained 240,689; Broker non-votes 5,153,415 .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and execution: Long, internally developed career path across procurement and manufacturing operations (joined 2007; VP since Sept 2022) suggests deep process knowledge and continuity in cost control and supply chain execution for scaling programs .
- Equity exposure: Maria’s currently exercisable options increased from 2,536 to 4,274 YoY (FY 2024 to FY 2025), modestly improving alignment while keeping absolute ownership small; potential staged selling windows are shaped by the 1-year cliff and 3-year vesting cadence in the 2023 Plan .
- Selling pressure risk: Hedging and monetization are prohibited, reducing synthetic de-risking; any incremental selling would likely concentrate around post-vesting periods if options are in-the-money, but policy limits hedging-related pressure .
- Retention economics: Absence of disclosed personal severance/CoC terms (applicable to CEO, CFO, Executive Chairman, and COO only) suggests limited contractual retention levers at her level, with retention more reliant on equity incentives and career progression .
- Governance signal: Independent Compensation Committee with no external consultants and strong say-on-pay support indicates shareholder acceptance of pay structures; this reduces governance overhang risk around compensation practices impacting operating leadership .
Related party and red flags: The proxy reports no related party transactions and affirms timely Section 16 filings; combined with hedging/monetization prohibitions and a clawback policy, governance risk appears contained from an alignment perspective .