Jane F. Dasher
About Jane F. Dasher
Independent Trustee (born 1949) of Western Asset Inflation-Linked Income Fund (WIA); on the Board since 1999. Career finance executive and director at Long Light Capital, LLC (a family investment company), with prior CFO experience; serves across the Franklin Templeton/Western Asset fund complex overseeing 49 portfolios. She is not an “interested person” and is a member of all four standing committees (Audit; Governance & Nominating; Executive & Contracts; Investment & Performance). WIA reports that Independent Trustees constitute more than 75% of the Board.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Light Capital, LLC (formerly Korsant Partners) | Director (current); formerly Chief Financial Officer | Director since 2022; CFO since 1997 | Family investment company; finance leadership background cited by WIA as a core qualification |
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Director (former) | 2018–2022 | External board experience (private company) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Light Capital, LLC | Director | Private | Since 2022 | Former CFO since 1997 |
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Director (former) | Private | 2018–2022 | No current public company directorships disclosed |
Board Governance
- Board structure and independence
- Independent Trustees >75% of Board; Chair of the Board (William E.B. Siart) is independent. Independent Trustees meet outside management; each standing committee is chaired by an Independent Trustee.
- Committee memberships and chairs (2025 proxy)
- Jane F. Dasher: Member—Audit; Governance & Nominating; Executive & Contracts; Investment & Performance.
- Committee chairs: Audit (Robert Abeles, Jr.); Governance & Nominating (Jaynie Miller Studenmund); Executive & Contracts (William E.B. Siart); Investment & Performance (Susan B. Kerley).
- Meetings and attendance (FY ended Nov 30, 2024)
- “Each Trustee attended at least 75%” of Board and committee meetings on which they served; Trustees did not attend the Fund’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting.
| FY2024 Meeting Counts | Number |
|---|---|
| Board meetings | 8 |
| Audit Committee | 6 |
| Governance Committee | 3 |
| Investment & Performance Committee | 5 |
| Executive & Contracts Committee | 2 |
Governance dynamics note: Governance & Nominating Committee chair changed from Anita L. DeFrantz (2024 proxy) to Jaynie Miller Studenmund (2025 proxy).
Fixed Compensation
Compensation structure: Independent Trustees receive an annual cash retainer plus meeting fees; additional compensation is paid for leadership roles (Board/committee chairs). No pension or retirement benefits accrue; expenses for meeting attendance are reimbursed.
| Period | Aggregate Compensation from WIA ($) | Pension/Retirement Benefits ($) | Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement ($) | Total Compensation from Fund Complex ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY ended Nov 30, 2024 (reported) | 2,124 | 0 | 0 | 350,000 |
| FY ended Nov 30, 2023 (reported) | 1,308 | 0 | 0 | 337,000 |
Performance Compensation
- Trustees are paid via cash retainers and meeting fees; WIA does not disclose any stock or option awards, performance-based incentives, or director-specific performance metrics for Trustees.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Ms. Dasher |
| Prior public company boards | None disclosed for Ms. Dasher |
| Other boards (private/non-profit) | Visual Kinematics, Inc. (Director, 2018–2022) |
| Notable interlocks/potential conflicts | None disclosed for Ms. Dasher; Board notes general relationships for other Trustees (e.g., Cascade/Gates for Michael Larson) but not for Ms. Dasher. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- WIA cites Ms. Dasher’s experience as a Chief Financial Officer of a private investment company among the Board’s skill mix (business/finance).
- She oversees 49 portfolios within the Franklin Templeton/Western Asset fund complex (indicating significant fund governance exposure).
Equity Ownership
| Holder | WIA Ownership | Family of Investment Companies (Aggregate $ Range) |
|---|---|---|
| Jane F. Dasher | None | Over $100,000 |
- Group ownership: all Trustees and officers as a group owned <1% of outstanding WIA shares as of Dec 31, 2024.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independence and breadth of oversight: Ms. Dasher serves on all standing committees, supporting comprehensive board oversight.
- Board structure: Independent chair; >75% independent Trustees; committees chaired by independent Trustees; independent sessions held.
- Engagement: WIA reports each Trustee met the ≥75% attendance threshold across Board/committee meetings in FY2024.
- Watch items / RED FLAGS
- Ownership alignment: Ms. Dasher reported no direct WIA share ownership; while not uncommon for CEF trustees, this may be perceived as weaker alignment compared with explicit fund-level holdings.
- Shareholder meeting attendance: Trustees (collectively) did not attend the 2024 annual shareholder meeting.
- Tenure: Very long service (since 1999) can, for some investors, raise questions about long-term independence; WIA affirms she is not an “interested person.”
Overall: Ms. Dasher brings deep CFO experience and full-committee participation in a highly independent board structure. Investors may monitor the lack of fund-level share ownership and shareholder-meeting non-attendance for alignment and engagement optics, while weighing the benefits of her long-tenured institutional knowledge.