Tony Scavuzzo
About Tony Scavuzzo
Independent director of Third Coast Bancshares, Inc. since 2022; age 43. Managing Principal at Castle Creek®, focused on community banking; CFA charterholder with an MBA from University of Chicago Booth and BBA in Finance from University of Iowa. Prior roles include operating work for the CEO of MB Financial Bank (M&A evaluation, capital strategy, asset/liability, treasury, wealth management, and credit analysis) . His board experience includes service on governance, compensation, risk, and ALCO committees across companies .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Creek® | Managing Principal; Investment Committee member for Castle Creek funds and Launchpad Fund I | Since 2009 | Fund governance; investment oversight; fintech-community banking focus |
| MB Financial Bank | Operating role for CEO; evaluated M&A and capital strategy; roles in treasury, ALM, wealth, credit | — | Broad operating and analytical experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Bankshares | Director | — | Board work; committee experience (governance, compensation, risk, ALCO) |
| Pathfinder Bancorp | Director | — | Board work; committee experience (governance, compensation, risk, ALCO) |
| Texas Community Bancshares | Director | — | Board work; committee experience (governance, compensation, risk, ALCO) |
| McGregor Bancshares | Director | — | Board work |
| Central Payments LLC | Director | — | Board work |
| Dallas Police and Fire Pension System | Board of Trustees | — | Fiduciary oversight |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirms Scavuzzo is independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules; only Dennis Bonnen, Greg Bonnen, and Bart O. Caraway are non-independent .
- Committee assignments: Member – Compensation Committee; Chair is Troy A. Glander .
- Attendance: In 2024, each director attended at least 75% of board and assigned committee meetings; nine directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board structure: CEO serves as Chair; a Lead Independent Director (Dr. Martin Basaldua) presides over executive sessions and assists with agendas and risk oversight .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Director fees earned/paid in cash ($) | $59,704 | $64,226 |
| Stock awards ($) | $0 | $0 |
| All other compensation ($) | $0 | $0 |
| Total ($) | $59,704 | $64,226 |
| Fee Schedule (2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Company board meeting fee (per meeting) | $333 |
| Bank board meeting fee (per meeting) | $333 |
| TCCC board meeting fee (per meeting) | $333 |
| Company quarterly director stipend | $5,000 |
| Bank quarterly director stipend | $5,000 |
| Committee fees (per meeting): Audit | $400 |
| Committee fees (per meeting): Compensation | $250 |
| Committee fees (per meeting): Corporate Governance & Nominating | $300 |
| Committee fees (per meeting): ALCO | $300 |
| Committee fees (per meeting): Risk | $300 |
| Committee fees (per meeting): Directors’ Loan | $300 |
| Committee fees (per meeting): Director IT | $300 |
| Chair stipends (quarterly): Audit | $1,375 |
| Chair stipends (quarterly): Compensation | $1,375 |
| Chair stipends (quarterly): Corporate Governance & Nominating | $1,375 |
| Chair stipends (quarterly): ALCO | $938 |
| Chair stipends (quarterly): Risk | $750 |
| Chair stipends (quarterly): Directors’ Loan | $1,000 |
| Chair stipends (quarterly): Director IT | $750 |
Performance Compensation
- TCBX grants annual restricted stock to non-executive directors except Scavuzzo; he received no equity awards in 2023 or 2024 . | Performance Metrics | Disclosure | |---|---| | Director equity tied to performance (RSUs/PSUs) | Not applicable; Scavuzzo excluded from director restricted stock grants |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: Blue Ridge Bankshares; Pathfinder Bancorp; Texas Community Bancshares .
- Prior public boards: Enterprise Financial Services Corp; Guaranty Federal Bancshares .
- Interlocks: Appointed to TCBX board as Castle Creek’s representative under a Letter Agreement granting board representative/observer rights and preemptive rights while Castle Creek and affiliates own ≥4.9% (as-converted) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CFA charterholder; MBA (Chicago Booth); BBA in Finance (University of Iowa) .
- Deep banking operating expertise (M&A, capital strategy, ALM, treasury, wealth, credit) .
- Extensive board committee experience (governance, compensation, risk, ALCO) .
Equity Ownership
| Date (Record) | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| March 27, 2023 | — (none disclosed) | — |
| April 1, 2024 | — (none disclosed) | — |
| March 24, 2025 | — (none disclosed) | — |
- Hedging/pledging: Directors are prohibited from hedging; pledging is limited to pre-approved exceptions with demonstrated repayment capacity .
- Castle Creek holdings: Castle Creek (funds) invested $35.75M in Series A Convertible Non‑Cumulative Preferred and received 119,000 common stock warrants at $22.50; Scavuzzo, as Managing Principal, disclaims beneficial ownership except to extent of pecuniary interest .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director with significant banking and committee experience; on TCBX Compensation Committee .
- Board-level attendance thresholds met across 2024; structured independent leadership via Lead Independent Director .
- Robust related‑party policy and clear hedging/pledging restrictions .
-
Alignment and risk signals:
- No personal common equity ownership disclosed (2023–2025), and no director equity grants to Scavuzzo, reducing direct “skin-in-the-game” alignment versus peers who receive restricted stock .
- Castle Creek’s board representative/observer and preemptive rights create potential conflicts between fund objectives and broader shareholder interests; monitor committee decisions and transactions for related‑party considerations .
- Concentrated cross-bank directorships (multiple bank boards) increase information-flow interlocks; ensure rigorous recusals where counterparties/competitors intersect .
-
RED FLAGS
- Fund-appointed director with continuing investor rights (board seat/observer, preemptive rights) tied to ownership thresholds .
- Zero disclosed personal share ownership and exclusion from director restricted stock grants .
- Multiple bank board roles that may introduce perceived conflicts in strategic or partnership decisions .