Maria Alonso
About Maria C. Alonso
Maria C. Alonso, age 61, has served as an independent director of USCB Financial Holdings, Inc. and U.S. Century Bank since March 2022, bringing deep leadership experience in the Miami market and the nonprofit sector . She is the Chief Executive Officer and Regional Dean of Northeastern University, Miami (since October 2022), and previously was President & CEO of United Way Miami (2017–2021) . Alonso holds an MBA from Florida International University and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering (cum laude) from the University of Miami . All directors, including Alonso, attended the 2024 Annual Meeting; during 2024, no director fell below 75% attendance across Board and committee meetings .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Way Miami | President & CEO | 2017–2021 | Managed ~$40M budget and 250+ staff; led region’s largest health/human services funder |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University, Miami | CEO & Regional Dean | Education (University) | Since Oct 2022; leads Miami campus strategy and operations |
| Money Management International | Director | Nonprofit | Focused on economic empowerment and mobility pathways |
| Grameen America | Director | Nonprofit | Focused on economic empowerment and mobility pathways |
| Axxes Capital, Inc. | Director | Private company | Provides retail investors access to private investment opportunities |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined that all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules; Alonso is independent .
- Committees (2024):
- Audit & Risk Committee: Member; committee met 15 times in 2024; Chair: Ramon A. Rodriguez; Alonso designated as independent and financially literate under Nasdaq/Exchange Act standards .
- Compensation Committee: Member; committee met 7 times in 2024; Chair: W. Kirk Wycoff; all members independent .
- Board activity and attendance: Board held 10 meetings in 2024; no director attended fewer than 75% of the Board/committee meetings on which they served; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Leadership structure: Combined Chair/CEO; Lead Independent Director is W. Kirk Wycoff (since January 2023) .
Committee Assignments and Activity (2024)
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit & Risk | Member | 15 | Chair: R. A. Rodriguez; all members independent and financially literate; one member designated “financial expert” (Rodriguez) |
| Compensation | Member | 7 | Chair: W. K. Wycoff; all members independent and non‑employees under Rule 16b‑3 |
Fixed Compensation
- Structure (2024): Non-employee directors received a $90,000 annual retainer; up to 100% could be paid in restricted stock; committee chair fees: $10,000 (except Audit & Risk Chair: $15,000); Board Chair fee $28,000 only if an independent director serves as Chair . For 2025, the standard annual cash retainer increased to $110,000; chair fees unchanged .
- Alonso (2024): Received $90,000 in cash fees; no stock awards or option awards granted in 2024 .
| Year | Fees Earned (Cash) | Stock Awards | Option Awards | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $90,000 | $0 | $0 | $90,000 |
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee director compensation is not performance-based; directors may elect to receive up to 100% of the retainer in restricted stock, but no performance metrics apply to director equity . In 2024, two directors received restricted stock awards that fully vested by April 30, 2024; Alonso did not receive a stock award in 2024 .
| Component | Detail | Performance Metrics | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electable annual director equity (RSAs) | Up to 100% of retainer may be paid in restricted stock in lieu of cash | None disclosed for directors (no performance conditions) | 2024 director RSAs (where granted) vested fully by Apr 30, 2024 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Public/Private/Nonprofit | Role | Potential Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axxes Capital, Inc. | Private | Director | Investment platform for retail access to private investments |
| Money Management International | Nonprofit | Director | No USCB-related conflicts disclosed |
| Grameen America | Nonprofit | Director | No USCB-related conflicts disclosed |
- Compensation committee interlocks: None during 2024 (no executive officer of USCB served on another entity’s board/compensation committee where that entity’s executive served on USCB’s compensation committee) .
- Board representation rights: Significant shareholders Patriot and Priam retain board/committee designation and matching rights via side letter; governance influence to monitor (applies at board level, not specific to Alonso) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: MBA, Florida International University; B.S. Industrial Engineering (cum laude), University of Miami .
- Domain experience: Miami metropolitan market knowledge; leadership of major nonprofit; current senior leadership in higher education .
- Financial literacy: Audit & Risk Committee determined all members can read/understand financial statements; designated “financial expert” is Rodriguez (not Alonso) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 9,157 |
| Ownership (% of 20,048,385 shares outstanding) | <1% (≈0.046% = 9,157 / 20,048,385) |
| Options outstanding (exercisable) | 5,000 |
| Estimated shares owned excluding options | 4,157 (9,157 – 5,000) |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Prohibited by policy; none disclosed |
| Insider filing compliance (2024) | No delinquent Section 16 reports noted for Alonso; two other directors had one late Form 4 each |
Notes:
- Options for non-employee directors are fully vested; Alonso’s 5,000 options are exercisable .
- USCB prohibits director hedging/short sales/pledging; trades require pre-clearance or 10b5‑1 plan compliance .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director serving on both Audit & Risk and Compensation committees, which met 15 and 7 times respectively in 2024—evidence of active oversight; all directors other than the CEO determined independent .
- Attendance and engagement indicators are solid (all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting; no director under 75% attendance) .
- Strong insider trading policy (pre-clearance, 10b5‑1 constraints; hedging/pledging prohibited), supporting alignment and risk control .
- No related-party indebtedness to USCB for directors/executives as of year-end 2024; reduces direct conflict exposure .
- Watch items:
- For 2024, Alonso’s director pay was 100% cash despite ability to elect stock; while permitted, this reduces direct equity alignment relative to peers opting for stock retainers .
- Board-level related-party transactions exist with entities tied to other directors (e.g., Auxilior; other banks with shared fund ownership/directorships), underscoring the importance of robust independent oversight by Audit & Risk and independent directors like Alonso .
- Concentrated ownership and governance rights retained by Priam and Patriot, including board/committee designation and matching rights, can influence board dynamics; ongoing monitoring of independent director influence is warranted .