Kathleen Blatz
About Kathleen Blatz
Independent Director of Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth Fund, Inc. (STK); born 1954; Director since October 2009 with current term 2024–2027 . Background includes Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court (1998–2006), arbitration/mediation attorney since 2006, and interim President & CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in 2018 and 2021 . Oversees 172 funds within the Columbia Funds Complex .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Supreme Court | Chief Justice | 1998–2006 | Led state judiciary; prior Associate Justice (1996–1998) |
| Hennepin County | Fourth Judicial District Court Judge | 1994–1996 | Judicial service |
| Minnesota House of Representatives | State Representative | 1979–1993 | Served on Tax and Financial Institutions & Insurance Committees |
| Private practice/public service | Attorney | 1984–1993 | Legal practice |
| Arbitration/Mediation | Attorney | Since 2006 | Arbitrator in business-to-business disputes, including shareholder rights |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota | Interim President & CEO | Feb–Jul 2018; Apr–Oct 2021 | Crisis leadership |
| Fortune 500 Boards (Special Litigation Committees) | Appointee | Not disclosed | Investigations on cyber-security and stock options |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota | Trustee (former) | 2009–2021 | Non-profit; chaired Business Development (2014–2017) and Governance (2017–2019) |
| Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority | Member/Interim Chair (former) | Jan–Jul 2017 | Public authority |
| Robina Foundation | Director (former, Chair 2014–2020) | 2009–2020 | Foundation/non-profit |
| Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation | Director | Since 2021 | Foundation/non-profit |
| Gerald Rauenhorst 1982 Trusts | Trustee (former) | 2020–2024 | Trust governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: Classified as Independent Director; Board and all committees chaired by Independent Directors .
- Committee Assignments: Compliance Committee, Contracts Committee, Investment Review Committee .
- Attendance: Each incumbent Director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings during 2024; Board met 5 times in 2024 .
- Committee Activity (2024): Board Governance (6), Compliance (4), Contracts (5), Investment Review (4), Audit (6) meetings .
- Board Chair: Pamela G. Carlton (Independent), since January 2023 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from STK (Fund-level) | $3,619 | FY 2024 | Director fees paid by STK |
| Total Compensation from Columbia Funds Complex | $433,000 | FY 2024 | Includes attendance, retainer, committee fees across complex; may include deferred amounts |
| Annual Fee from Closed-End Funds (Independent Directors) | $10,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2025 | Paid by STK and one other closed-end fund |
| Complex Retainer (Independent Directors, excl. Chair) | $275,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2025 | Columbia funds (excluding closed-end funds) |
| Committee Chair Retainer | $25,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2025 | Additional annual retainer |
| Sub-Committee Chair Retainer | $15,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2025 | Additional annual retainer |
| Meeting Fees (In-person Board) | $6,000/day | Effective Jan 1, 2025 | |
| Meeting Fees (In-person Committee) | $3,000/day | Effective Jan 1, 2025 | If not same day as Board meeting |
| Special Virtual Meetings | $3,000/meeting | Effective Jan 1, 2025 |
Deferred Compensation Plan available; directors may elect to defer up to 100% of compensation; treated as if invested in eligible Columbia funds; distributions lump sum or over years; unfunded for tax purposes .
Performance Compensation
| Feature | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-linked metrics (revenue, EBITDA, TSR, ESG) | Not disclosed for directors | No performance targets tied to director compensation; compensation structured as cash retainers/fees with optional deferral |
| Deferred Compensation Plan linkage | Investment-tracking only | Deferred amounts notionally track selected fund performance; not tied to STK operating/stock performance metrics |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Public Company? | Role | Tenure | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota | No | Trustee; Interim President & CEO | 2009–2021; 2018; 2021 | No STK manager/supplier/customer interlock disclosed |
| Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority | No | Member/Interim Chair | 2017 | None disclosed |
| Robina Foundation | No | Director; Chair | 2009–2020 | None disclosed |
| Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation | No | Director | Since 2021 | None disclosed |
| Gerald Rauenhorst 1982 Trusts | No | Trustee | 2020–2024 | None disclosed |
No other public company directorships for Blatz are listed in the past five years in the proxy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal and judicial expertise: Former Chief Justice of Minnesota Supreme Court; extensive arbitration in business disputes and shareholder rights .
- Corporate investigations: Appointed to special litigation committees by Fortune 500 boards on cyber-security and stock options matters .
- Public policy and financial oversight: Legislative service with tax and financial institutions/insurance committee experience .
- Healthcare leadership: Interim CEO experience at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Dollar Range of STK Equity Owned | $1–$10,000 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Aggregate Dollar Range Owned Across Columbia Funds Complex | Over $100,000 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Directors/Officers Group Ownership of STK | <1% of Common Stock | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
Ownership guideline policy not disclosed; no pledging or hedging disclosures specific to Blatz in the proxy .
Insider Trades
| Person | Date Range | Form 4 Transactions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Blatz | 2024-01-01 to 2025-11-20 | None found | Queried insider-trades skill; no records returned for STK in period (Form 4) [Insider-trades skill result] |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; service on Compliance, Contracts, and Investment Review committees aligns with legal/regulatory expertise and contract oversight . Board and committee independence structure and active committee cadence support oversight; Board met 5 times in 2024; Audit Committee met 6 times . Attendance threshold (≥75%) met in 2024 .
- Alignment considerations: Direct STK ownership dollar range is modest ($1–$10,000) and directors/officers as a group own <1%, which may limit direct economic alignment typical for operating companies, though fund complex compensation and deferred plan can create broader fund exposure .
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: Proxy does not disclose related-party transactions involving Blatz. Manager is Columbia Management (Ameriprise subsidiary); Audit Committee pre-approves PwC services to fund and certain manager affiliates and reviewed auditor independence; no Blatz-specific conflict flagged .
- RED FLAGS: None explicitly disclosed for Blatz (no pledging, loans, or related-party transactions identified in proxy). Note the relatively low direct STK ownership as a potential alignment flag for some investors .