Tamara L. Linde
Essential UtilitiesAbout Tamara L. Linde
Tamara L. Linde, age 60, has served as an independent director of Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) since 2024. She is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) (Sept 2024–Mar 2025), previously EVP & General Counsel (2014–Sept 2024), and earlier led regulatory and legal roles at PSEG dating back to 1990. She holds a B.A. in History (1986) and J.D. (1989) from Seton Hall University. Core credentials include over 30 years in energy, regulatory, legal, risk, environmental and governmental affairs, with board-noted skills in utility industry, regulatory, legal/government, leadership, M&A, financial, geographic diversity, and C‑suite experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) | Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer | Sept 2024–Mar 2025 | Responsible for legal and regulatory matters plus risk, compliance, claims, and procurement |
| PSEG | EVP & General Counsel | 2014–Sept 2024 | Led legal/regulatory functions |
| PSEG | Vice President, Regulatory | 2006–2014 | Regulatory oversight |
| PSEG | General Solicitor | 2000–2006 | Legal leadership |
| PSEG | Attorney | 1990–2000 | Legal counsel |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSEG Foundation | Board member | Current | Non-profit affiliate |
| AAA/ICDR Council | Member | Current | American Arbitration Association / International Centre for Dispute Resolution |
| Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Legal Committee | Chair | Prior | Legal leadership in utility industry |
| Community Foundation of New Jersey | Board member | Prior | Non-profit governance |
| NACD General Counsel Steering Committee | Member | Prior | Governance leadership |
| Energy Bar Association (EBA) | Northeast Chapter President; Chair, Electricity Regulation & Compliance Committee | Prior | Industry legal governance |
Board Governance
- Independence status: Independent (all directors except the CEO are independent) .
- Committee memberships: Corporate Governance; Risk Mitigation & Investment Policy .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 5 meetings in 2024; each director attended 100% of Board and applicable Committee meetings .
- Lead Independent Director: Daniel J. Hilferty (also chairs Executive Compensation) .
- Committee meeting cadence (2024): Audit (9), Executive Compensation (8), Risk Mitigation & Investment Policy (7), Corporate Governance (6) .
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director |
| Director since | 2024 |
| Board meetings (2024) | 5; 100% attendance by all directors |
| Committees | Corporate Governance; Risk Mitigation & Investment Policy |
| Chair roles | None (Corporate Governance chaired by E.B. Amato; Risk chaired by D.A. Ciesinski) |
| Lead Independent Director | Daniel J. Hilferty |
Fixed Compensation
| Program Element | 2024 | 2025 (Revised) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Non-Employee Director) | $105,000 | $110,000 |
| Annual equity grant (value) | $120,000 | $135,000 |
| Chair fees (Audit / Comp / Governance / Risk) | +$20,000 / +$15,000 / +$15,000 / +$15,000 | +$20,000 / +$15,000 / +$15,000 / +$15,000 |
| Lead Independent Director fee | +$30,000 | +$30,000 |
| Tamara L. Linde – Actual 2024 Director Compensation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees paid in cash | $78,750 |
| Stock awards (grant-date value) | $119,996 |
| Option awards | — (none) |
| Non-equity incentive comp | — |
| Total | $198,746 |
| 2024 equity grant details | Grant date June 20, 2024; grant-date fair value per share $36.82 |
Performance Compensation
- Directors do not receive performance-based bonuses or options under the director program; 2024 compensation consisted of fixed cash retainer and a time-based stock grant; option awards and non‑equity incentives show “—” for directors in 2024 .
- Anti‑hedging/pledging policy prohibits short sales, derivatives, or pledging; none of the directors engaged in hedging/pledging in 2024 .
- Company clawback policy adopted Feb 22, 2023; covers recoupment including time‑vesting equity awards upon restatement and misconduct per SEC/NYSE rules .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None |
| Potential interlocks | None disclosed with WTRG competitors/suppliers/customers; Corporate Governance Committee reviews/approves related person transactions; none in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills: Utility industry; Regulatory; Financial; Legal/Government; Leadership; M&A; Geographic diversity; C‑suite experience (as mapped by Board skills matrix) .
- Education: B.A. History (1986) and J.D. (1989), Seton Hall University .
- Experience: >30 years in energy regulatory/legal domains; senior leadership at PSEG .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Snapshot | Mar 10, 2025 | Jun 23, 2025 (post-grant) |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 3,259; <1% of class | 6,867 (after 3,608-share stock award at $37.42) |
| Shares pledged/hedged | None (policy prohibits; no hedging/pledging in 2024) | |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer; required 14,459 shares as of Dec 31, 2024 | |
| Compliance status | All directors compliant with guidelines (new directors have up to 5 years to attain) |
| Insider Filings (Tamara L. Linde) | Date | Type | Securities Transacted | Price | Post‑Txn Ownership | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form 3 (Initial Statement) | May 1, 2024 | Form 3 | — | — | 0 | |
| Form 4 (Stock award) | Jun 21, 2024 | Award (A) | 3,259 shares | $36.82 | 3,259 | |
| Form 4 (Stock award) | Jun 23, 2025 | Award (A) | 3,608 shares | $37.42 | 6,867 |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Linde strengthens regulatory and legal oversight; serves on Corporate Governance (reviews related party transactions, succession, board evaluations) and Risk Mitigation & Investment Policy (oversees ERM, cyber risk, and acquisitions) committees—both fully independent—with robust meeting cadence in 2024 . Attendance was exemplary (100%) .
- Alignment: Director equity grants and stringent stock ownership guidelines (5x retainer; 14,459 shares required as of 12/31/2024) support alignment; she is within the five‑year attainment window and increased holdings after the 2025 grant .
- Conflicts/related parties: No related person transactions in 2024; Corporate Governance Committee oversees and approves any such matters . No hedging or pledging by directors in 2024; clawback policy in place .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed. Watch items: share ownership below guideline level as of 3/10/2025 mitigated by five‑year compliance window and subsequent 2025 award; concurrent senior role at PSEG noted but no interlock/conflict disclosed with WTRG operations .