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Richard J. Shagley

Director at FIRST FINANCIAL CORP /IN/
Board

About Richard J. Shagley

Independent director since 2020 with 54+ years in legal practice, admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1971 and to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; age 78 as disclosed. Expertise spans pension plans, ERISA funds, trust funds, and real estate; he has a record of public service including the Indiana State University Board of Trustees and other civic organizations. Education: B.S. from Indiana State University; J.D. from Indiana University .

Past Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureCommittees/Impact
Legal practice (Indiana Bar)AttorneyAdmitted 1971 (ongoing)Experience includes pension plans, ERISA funds, trust funds, real estate; admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court .

External Roles

OrganizationRoleTenureNotes
Indiana State UniversityBoard of TrusteesNot statedLegacy of public service; also served on other civic organizations (not specified) .

Board Governance

  • Independence: Board determined that all current members are independent except Norman L. Lowery, Norman D. Lowery, and Richard J. Shagley; therefore Shagley is not independent under NASDAQ Global Select Market standards .
  • Committees and roles:
    • Corporation: Directors’ Enterprise Risk Management; Enterprise Risk Management .
    • Bank: Directors’ Enterprise Risk Management; Enterprise Risk Management; Investment; Loan; Trust and Asset Management .
    • Directors’ ERM Committee composition includes Shagley; mandate covers enterprise risk coordination and policy effectiveness (meets at least quarterly) .
  • Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 17 times; each director attended more than 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings held while serving. All directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
  • Executive sessions: Independent Directors met four times in 2024; Lead Independent Director is Ronald K. Rich .

Fixed Compensation

ComponentAmountNotes
Corporation annual retainer (non-employee director)$40,0002024 policy .
Bank annual retainer (non-employee director)$5,0002024 policy .
Board meeting fee (Corp. & Bank)$750 per meeting2024 policy .
Committee fees (Corp.)$1,000 per meeting (Audit; Compensation & Employee Benefits; Governance & Nominating)2024 policy .
Bank Loan Committee fee$500 per meeting2024 policy .
2024 cash fees earned – Shagley$74,000Total reported for 2024 .
  • Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan: Closed to new participants since 2011; no directors deferred amounts in 2024; payments in 2024 only to Brighton, Dinkel, Voges under legacy elections (no payments disclosed for Shagley) .

Performance Compensation

Incentive ComponentStatusDetails
Equity grants to directorsNot disclosed/none indicatedDirector compensation section lists cash retainers/fees; no director equity awards disclosed .
Performance-based pay (directors)Not disclosed/none indicatedNo STIP/LTIP metrics apply to directors; program described for NEOs only .
Clawback/hedgingApplicable policiesCompany-wide clawback policy; anti-hedging and anti-pledging provisions apply to directors .

Other Directorships & Interlocks

Company/OrganizationTypeRoleNotes
Indiana State UniversityAcademic/non-profitTrusteeDisclosed; no public company boards listed for Shagley .

Expertise & Qualifications

  • Legal/Regulatory depth: ERISA, pensions, trusts, real estate; admitted before U.S. Supreme Court .
  • Risk oversight: Active member of Directors’ Enterprise Risk Management and Enterprise Risk Management Committees (Board and Bank) .
  • Community and governance: History of civic leadership via ISU Trustees and other organizations .

Equity Ownership

HolderBeneficial Shares% of OutstandingNotes
Richard J. Shagley12,008<1%As of Feb 28, 2025; 11,853,489 shares outstanding .
Ownership PolicyRequirementCompliance
Director Stock Ownership Guidelines3× annual Corporation retainer valueAll non-employee directors met guidelines except Ms. Jensen; implies Shagley in compliance .
  • Anti-hedging/pledging policy prohibits directors from hedging or pledging company securities, enhancing alignment and lowering collateral risk .

Governance Assessment

  • Independence red flag: Shagley is classified as not independent; investors should assess rationale (not disclosed) and potential proximity to management given legal background and historic affiliations of the board’s leadership with a law firm including “Shagley” surname; company does not provide a specific reason in the proxy .
  • Risk oversight strength: Heavy involvement in Directors’ ERM committees supports board-level attention to credit, liquidity, compliance, technology, strategic and reputation risks (quarterly cadence) .
  • Attendance/engagement: Board met 17 times; all directors exceeded 75% attendance and attended the Annual Meeting, indicating baseline engagement .
  • Compensation alignment: Director pay structure is modest, cash-based, and fee-for-service (no equity grants disclosed), with ownership guidelines requiring 3× retainer and anti-hedging/pledging prohibitions—positive for alignment, but absence of equity grants may slightly reduce long-term alignment relative to peers that use DSUs/RSUs .
  • Related-party exposure: Company discloses ordinary-course loans to directors/executives on market terms and subject to banking regulations; no Shagley-specific transactions disclosed. Board has policies covering conflicts, approval processes, and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics oversight .
  • Broader signals: 2024 say‑on‑pay approval at ~94% suggests shareholder support for compensation governance; continued refresh of governance policies (Code of Conduct, Insider Trading, Clawback) is positive .

RED FLAGS

  • Not independent under NASDAQ rules; investors should monitor any relationships that could impair objective oversight, especially given heavy committee involvement in risk oversight .
  • Family relationships on the board/executive team (Lowery family) are disclosed broadly; while not tied to Shagley, they can increase governance complexity; compensate with robust lead independent director structure and executive sessions .

Positives

  • Strong ERM committee participation and structured risk oversight .
  • Ownership guidelines compliance and anti‑hedging/pledging policy .
  • Consistent attendance and Annual Meeting participation .