Derrick Dockery
About Derrick D. Dockery
Independent director of Telos Corporation since January 19, 2022; age 44; serves on the Management Development & Compensation Committee and the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. Current role: U.S. Government Affairs at TikTok (since June 2020); Co-Founder of Yellow Ribbons United (since 2013). Education: B.S. in Education with a minor in Communications (University of Texas at Austin) and MBA (George Washington University) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. House of Representatives | Business & Intergovernmental Coalition Director (Speaker Paul Ryan); Communications & Coalitions Coordinator (Chairman Jason Chaffetz, House Oversight); Communications Press Assistant (Chairman Paul Ryan, House Budget Committee) | 2013–2019 | Congressional policy/coalitions experience; business community relationships |
| NFL (Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills) | Offensive Lineman | 2003–2013 | Team leadership, discipline; public profile |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | U.S. Government Affairs | Since June 2020 | Government affairs role; public policy engagement |
| Yellow Ribbons United (non-profit) | Co-Founder | Since 2013 | Supports military families; leverages sports platforms |
Board Governance
| Body/Committee | Role | Meetings in 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Directors | Director | 5 | Each director attended at least 75% of combined board/committee meetings; Dockery attended the 2024 Annual Meeting (all directors except Ms. Carroll) |
| Management Development & Compensation | Member | 7 | All members independent; Schaufeld is Chair. Committee terminated Lockton and engaged Zayla Partners as independent compensation consultant in Sep-2024; Compensation Committee determined no consultant conflicts |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member | 2 | All members independent; Borland is Chair. Committee oversees ESG since 2022; Corporate Governance Guidelines approved Mar 13, 2024 and published |
- Independence: Listed as “Independent Director” .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee handles cybersecurity; CISO reports to Audit; Board has two directors with cybersecurity-related experience (context for board oversight, not Dockery-specific) .
- Hedging: Company Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging/monetization for directors .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Cash Compensation ($) | $22,500 | $60,000 |
| Cash pay framework (board-wide) | Retainer $35,000 + $5,000 per committee assignment; chair NSO grants (Audit +10k, Comp +8k, Nominating +2k) | Retainer $40,000 + $5,000 per committee assignment; chairpersons receive additional $10,000 cash |
- Dockery is not shown as a committee chair; his 2024 cash total reflects retainer/committee fees under the revised structure .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| RSU grant (units) | 55,555 | 40,323 |
| RSU grant date | May 8, 2023 | May 21, 2024 |
| RSU grant fair value ($) | $100,000 | $150,000 |
| RSU vest date | May 8, 2024 (time-based) | May 21, 2026 (time-based) |
| Change-of-control vesting | Not specified for 2023 RSUs | RSUs vest earlier upon change of control |
| Stock option grant (number) | 50,000 NSOs (+ additional NSOs for chairs; not applicable to Dockery) | No new option grants disclosed for directors |
| Option strike price | $1.80 per share | — |
| Option vest date | May 8, 2024 | — |
| Option expiration | 10 years from grant (May 8, 2033) | — |
- Director perquisites: None; Company made no charitable donations under directors’ names .
Equity Ownership
| As of Record Date | Shares/Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 134,579 | 0.2% of class (as of March 17, 2025) |
| Vested shares (included above) | 84,579 | Vested shares component |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 50,000 | From 2023 NSO grant |
- Ownership policy: Hedging prohibited for directors under Insider Trading Policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Government affairs, congressional coalition-building, and public policy experience; relationships in the business community .
- Community leadership via Yellow Ribbons United; prior professional sports career indicating teamwork and resilience .
- Education includes UT Austin (B.S.) and George Washington University (MBA) .
Governance Assessment
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Committee engagement: Active on Compensation and Nominating committees; both committees are fully independent; Nominating oversees ESG and advanced governance guidelines; Compensation engaged a new independent consultant (Zayla) in 2024 with no conflict identified .
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Attendance: Met board/committee attendance threshold (≥75%) and attended the 2024 Annual Meeting, supporting engagement expectations .
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Pay mix and alignment: 2024 compensation mix emphasizes equity via time-based RSUs ($150,000) alongside cash ($60,000), with options from 2023 already vested—suggests retention-oriented alignment rather than performance metrics-based equity; RSUs accelerate on change of control .
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Independence and policies: Listed as independent; hedging prohibited; no director perquisites disclosed—supportive of alignment and governance hygiene .
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RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Dockery in the proxy regarding attendance shortfalls, hedging/pledging, or related-party transactions; Compensation consultant engagement explicitly reviewed for conflicts and found none .