UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 


 

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 30, 2024 (September 27, 2024)

 


 

Tectonic Financial, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Texas
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)

001-38910

(Commission File Number)

82-0764846

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

16200 Dallas Parkway, Suite 190

Dallas, Texas 75248

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

(972) 720-9000

(Registrants telephone number, including area code)

 


 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

Trading symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Series B preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share

TECTP

The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company         ☑

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.         ☑

 

 

 

Item 5.02         Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

(b)         Departure of Patrick Howard as Director and Officer of the Company, TBI and the Bank

 

On September 27, 2024, Mr. Patrick Howard, a director and President of Tectonic Financial, Inc. (the “Company”), a director and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, T Bancshares, Inc. (“TBI”), and a director and President and Chief Executive Officer of TBI’s wholly owned subsidiary, T Bank, National Association (the “Bank”), notified the Boards of Directors of the Company, TBI and the Bank of his decision to retire from the Boards of Directors of the Company, TBI and the Bank, and as President of the Company, President and Chief Executive Officer of TBI, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank in 2025, at which time Mr. Howard will transition to an executive advisor role. On September 27, 2024, the Boards of Directors of the Company, TBI and the Bank voted to accept the resignation of Mr. Howard, subject to the execution and delivery of the Transition Services Agreement, dated September 27, 2024, by and among the Company, TBI, the Bank and Mr. Howard providing for the transition of his duties and responsibilities to Mr. A. Haag Sherman, effective in January 2025 or such other date as mutually determined by the Company, TBI, the Bank and Mr. Howard, but not later than July 31, 2025.

 

Mr. Howard’s forthcoming resignation was voluntary and does not relate to any disagreement on matters related to the Company’s operations, policies or practices or any other matter, and Mr. Howard was not aware of any deficiencies in financial or operating controls at the time of his resignation.

 

The Company, TBI and the Bank are deeply appreciative of Mr. Howard for his years of dedicated service and contributions to the Company, TBI and the Bank.

 

(c)         Appointment of A. Haag Sherman as President of the Company, Chief Executive Officer of TBI and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank

 

On September 27, 2024, the Boards of Directors of the Company, TBI and the Bank voted to appoint Mr. A. Haag Sherman to serve as President of the Company, Chief Executive Officer of TBI and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, effective upon the termination of employment of Mr. Howard from such positions or such other date as determined by the respective Boards of Directors of the Company, TBI and the Bank, with such appointment to occur in the manner set forth above.

 

Mr. Sherman, age 58, has been serving as a director of the Company since October 2016, as an executive Chairman and a director of TBI and the Bank since May 2017 and as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and its predecessor since February 2015. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Sherman co-founded Salient Partners, LP (a Houston-based investment firm) in 2002 and served in various executive positions, including Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, through October 2011. In addition, he previously served as an executive officer and partner of The Redstone Companies from 1998 to 2002 where he, among other things, managed a private equity portfolio (where he was responsible for two finance companies). Mr. Sherman has served as a director of Hilltop Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HTH) since its acquisition of PlainsCapital Corporation in November 2012 and as a director of CBIZ, Inc. (NYSE: CBZ) since August 2020. He previously served as a director of PlainsCapital from September 2009 to November 2012. He previously served as a member of the board of directors of several public companies and currently serves on the Executive Committee of Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas (on which he previously served as Chairman), the Governing Council of the Miller Center of Public Policy at the University of Virginia, the Episcopal Health Foundation and the investment committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Mr. Sherman has served as an adjunct professor of law at The University of Texas School of Law. Mr. Sherman previously practiced corporate law at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP from 1992 to 1996 and was an auditor at Price Waterhouse, a public accounting firm, from 1988 to 1989. Mr. Sherman has a Bachelor of Business Administration (cum laude), with majors in Accounting and Economics, from Baylor University and a Juris Doctorate (with honors) from The University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Sherman is a certified public accountant and a member of the State Bar of Texas.

 

There is no family relationship between Mr. Sherman and any other director or executive officer of the Company or any person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer. There are no transactions between the Company and Mr. Sherman that are reportable pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

 

 

 

(e)         Transition Services Agreement with Patrick Howard

 

On September 27, 2024, the Company, TBI and the Bank entered into a Transition Services Agreement with Mr. Howard in connection with his resignation as President of the Company, President and Chief Executive Officer of TBI, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, effective no earlier than January 1, 2025 and no later than July 31, 2025, as determined by Mr. Sherman (the “Transition Services Agreement”). The Transition Services Agreement replaces Mr. Howard’s prior Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with the Company, TBI, and the Bank, dated May 1, 2019 (the “Howard Employment Agreement”), and neither the Company, TBI, the Bank nor Mr. Howard are obligated under the terms of such Howard Employment Agreement, including any rights and benefits provided to Mr. Howard thereunder, except as set forth in the Transition Services Agreement. Under the terms of the Transition Services Agreement, Mr. Howard will continue to remain employed by the Company, TBI and the Bank to provide transition services as a common law employee of the Company, TBI and the Bank through January 15, 2026 (the “Termination Date”), at which time Mr. Howard will retire from employment with the Company, TBI and the Bank.

 

In consideration for his services rendered to the Company, TBI and the Bank, Mr. Howard will receive an annual base salary equal to his annual base salary in effect as of the date of the Transition Services Agreement, beginning January 1, 2025 through the Termination Date. Mr. Howard will continue to participate in all employee benefit arrangements sponsored by the Company, TBI and/or the Bank as though his service and positions with the Company, TBI and/or the Bank was never interrupted or severed, subject to the Company’s, TBI’s and/or the Bank’s discretion. Mr. Howard will also be paid an annual year-end bonus of $175,000 for each of the years ending December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2025, and an annual performance bonus of $250,000 for each of the years ending December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2025.

 

The Transition Services Agreement also provides that, within thirty (30) business days after the date of the Transition Services Agreement, the Company will cashout up to 100,000 options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock that were previously granted to Mr. Howard (the “Options”). In exchange for the termination and cancellation of the Options, the Company will pay Mr. Howard the difference between $18.80 per Option and the exercise price for each Option. Upon the cashout of the Options by the Company, each of the Options will be cancelled and terminated, and Mr. Howard will have no further right or interest under any of the Options.

 

The foregoing description of the Transition Services Agreement is a summary only, and accordingly, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety to the full text of the Transition Services Agreement, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

Statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are predictive in nature and are identified by the use of the terms “expected,” “will,” “look forward to,” “aim,” and similar words or phrases indicating possible future expectations, events or actions. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, assumptions and projections about our business and the Company, and are not guarantees of our future performance or outcomes. These statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict, which may cause actual events to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. The Company has provided additional information about the risks facing its business in its most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, filed by it with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth herein and in the filings with the SEC identified above, which you should read in their entirety before making any investment or other decision with respect to our securities. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

 

 

 

Item 9.01.         Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)                  The following exhibits are included with this Current Report on Form 8-K:       

 

  10.1: Transition Services Agreement, dated September 27, 2024, by and among Tectonic Financial, Inc., T Bancshares, Inc., T Bank, National Association, and Patrick Howard (schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K and will be provided to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission upon request).
     
  104: Cover Page Interactive Data File (imbedded within the Inline XBRL document). 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: September 30, 2024                             TECTONIC FINANCIAL, INC.

 

By:          /s/ A. Haag Sherman                           

Name:          A. Haag Sherman

Title:            Chief Executive Officer

 

 
false 0001766526 0001766526 2024-09-27 2024-09-27

Exhibit 10.1 

 

 

TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT

 

This Transition Services Agreement (this "Agreement") is entered into as of September 27, 2024 by and among Tectonic Financial, Inc., a Texas corporation (the "Parent"), T Bancshares, Inc., a Texas corporation (the "Company"), T Bank, National Association, a national banking association (the "Employer") and Patrick Howard, an employee of the Employer ("Employee"). The Parent, the Company, the Employer or Employee may each be referred to herein as a "Party" and collectively as the "Parties."

 

WHEREAS, Employee currently serves as President of the Parent, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Employer ("Executive Positions"); and

 

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to establish a succession strategy to continue to train and smooth the transition of A Haag Sherman, currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Parent, to assume the Executive Positions, thus helping to enhance the Parent’s, the Company’s and the Employer’s long-term profitable growth by transferring and retaining and having continued access to Employee’s know-how.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and premises contained herein, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

 

1.    Succession Planning. From the date hereof through the Effective Date (as defined below), Employee shall remain in the Executive Positions with no change in duties, responsibilities, compensation or benefits. In addition, Employee shall continue to train and otherwise assist Mr. Sherman in the assumption of the Executive Positions on the Effective Date. The "Effective Date" as referred to herein shall be a date on Mr. Sherman determines that he shall assume the Executive Positions, as set forth in written notice (email suffices) provided by Mr. Sherman to Employee hereto not less than twenty (20) calendar days prior to the date that Mr. Sherman shall assume the Executive Positions. It is anticipated that the Effective Date shall be January 1, 2025 and in the absence of notice, the Effective Date shall be January 1, 2025. The Effective Date shall not be later than July 31, 2025.

 

2.    Resignation of Executive Positions; Remain Employee. The Parties agree that Employee hereby resigns from all positions and titles he holds with the Parent, the Company and the Employer (including any positions as a member of the Board of Directors of the Parent, the Company and/or the Employer), effective as of the Effective Date, and that immediately thereafter Employee shall continue to remain employed with the Employer as a common law employee of the Employer through January 15, 2026 (the "Termination Date"), at which time Employee shall retire from employment with the Employer.

 

3.    Duties After Effective Date. After the Effective Date, Employee shall remain an employee of the Employer through the Termination Date with the compensation and benefits set forth in Section 4. For five calendar months after the Effective Date (the "Transition Period"), Employee shall be regularly scheduled to work in a manner consistent with his historical practices, but with a focus on underwriting, credit (including serving on Officers Loan Committee), closing

 

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and compliance, and shall report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Employer. Specifically, Employee shall assist with the SBA/USDA platform, dental and community bank lending and any compliance audits, particularly the Community Reinvestment Act audit, and fill, during the Transition Period, the Chief Credit Officer position should it become vacant during the Transition Period. The duties set forth in the preceding two sentences are referred to herein as the "Transition Duties." After the Transition Period, Employee may continue providing the Transition Duties; provided that either Employee or Sherman, may elect to terminate the arrangement for the Employee to provide Transition Duties, and instead, for the Employee to provide Consulting Services (hereafter defined), which shall be provided remotely and shall consist of providing Sherman and Employer with advice and counsel on the Employer, Company and Parent’s operations and insight into their policies, procedures and historical practices. Specifically, Employee acknowledges and agrees that his historical understanding of the Employer’s, Company’s and Parent’s operations are invaluable in any audit by a regulator, including the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, and agrees to assist in preparing for any such audit and participating in any such audit, whether with Employer’s personnel or meeting with any such regulators, through the Termination Date.

 

4.    Compensation.

 

(a)    Base Salary and Benefits. Employee shall be entitled to his annual base salary in effect as of the date of this Agreement through and including the Termination Date, payable in accordance with the Employer’s payroll practices. From the date hereof and through the Termination Date, Employee shall continue to participate in all employee benefit arrangements sponsored by the Parent, the Company and/or the Employer as though his service and positions with the Parent, the Company and/or the Employer was never interrupted or severed, and shall be entitled to all vacation, paid time off and other benefits provided to Employee under that certain Employment Agreement (as if such Employment Agreement was in full force and effect) from the date hereof through the Termination Date. For purposes of clarity and avoidance of doubt, the benefits provided to Employee under Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Section B ("Compensation") of the Employment Agreement shall continue to apply from the Effective Date through the Termination Date and are carried forward into this Agreement accordingly for the benefit of Employee.

 

(b)    Annual Bonus. For each of calendar year 2024 and 2025, Employee shall be entitled to his annual year-end bonus set forth in his Employment Agreement in the amount he received for the 2023 calendar year, paid by the Employer on or about the same day and month that his 2023 bonus was paid. For the avoidance of doubt, Employee shall be paid $175,000.00 on each of February 15, 2025 and February 15, 2026, respectively. No other compensation provided for in this Agreement shall be deemed a substitute for the Executive’s right to participate in such performance-based bonuses.

 

(c)    Annual Performance Bonus Payment. For each of calendar year 2024 and 2025, Employee shall be entitled to his annual year-end performance bonus, which is in addition to the annual bonus set forth in his Employment Agreement and provided for above, paid by the Employer on or about the same day and month that his 2023 performance bonus was paid. For the avoidance of doubt, Employee shall be paid $250,000.00 on each of January 15, 2025 and January 15, 2026, respectively. No other compensation provided for in this Agreement shall be deemed a substitute for the Executive’s right to participate in such performance-based bonuses.

 

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(d)    Cashout of Stock Options. In exchange for the termination and cancellation of 100,000 options to purchase shares of common stock of the Parent (the "Options"), Employee and the Parent hereby agree that the Parent shall compensate Employee with a cash lump sum payment equal to the difference between $18.80 per share of common stock covered by the Option and the exercise price of each such share subject to the Option, net of any and all required federal withholding tax relating to the termination and cancellation of the Options (the "Purchase Price"). The Purchase Price shall be due and payable within fifteen (15) business days after the date hereof. Upon the payment of the Purchase Price, the Options shall be cancelled and terminated, and Employee shall have no further right or interest under any of the Options.

 

(e)    Termination of the Employment Agreement. Except as set forth in this Agreement, the Parties agree that that certain Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, by and among the Parties, dated May 1, 2019 (the "Employment Agreement") is terminated as of the date hereof and shall be of no further force and effect; provided, however, that the following provisions of the Employment Agreement are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement and survive the termination of the Employment Agreement in accordance with its terms: Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Section B ("Compensation"); Paragraphs 7 and 8 of Section C ("Responsibilities"); Paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13(b), 13(c) and 14 of Section D ("Noninterference"); Section E ("Remedies"); Section I ("Severability"); Section K ("Successors and Assigns"); Section L ("Choice of Law"); Section N ("Indemnification"); Section O ("Arbitration"); Section Q ("Miscellaneous"); and Section R ("Notices"). In addition, Employee agrees, whether directly or through a future employer, not to hire any current employee of the Employer or solicit any customer or broker referral source of the Employer. The Parties agree that this Agreement and the actions contained herein (both as of the Effective Date and as of the Termination Date) shall not constitute (i) “without Cause,” (ii) “for Good Reason,” or (iii) “for Cause,” as such terms are used in Section F ("Termination") of the Employment Agreement.

 

5.    Miscellaneous.

 

(a)    Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement may not be modified, amended or waived in any manner, except by an instrument in writing signed by the Employer and Employee. The waiver by either party of compliance with any provision of this Agreement by the other party shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.

 

(b)    Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the agreements specifically incorporated herein are the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the matters covered herein and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous negotiations, commitments, agreements and writings with respect to the subject matter hereof, all such other negotiations, commitments, agreements and writings shall have no further force or effect, and the parties to any such other negotiation, commitment, agreement or writing shall have no further rights or obligations thereunder.

 

(c)    Waiver. The failure of a party to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered a waiver of such party’s rights or deprive such party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Agreement.

 

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(d)    Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

 

(e)    Successors and Assigns. No Party shall voluntarily or by operation of law assign, delegate, or otherwise transfer any of its rights, obligations, or other interest in this Agreement without the other Party’s prior written consent. Any such purported assignment or transfer in violation of this section is void. The Parties will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger or otherwise) to assume and to agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Parent, the Company or Employer would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place; provided, however, that no such assumption shall relieve the Parent, the Company or the Employer of its obligations hereunder; provided, further, that the failure of any such successor to assume this Agreement shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement.

 

(f)    Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto were upon the same instrument.

 

(g)    Termination. This Agreement, Employee’s employment with the Employer may be terminated by the Parties at any time, with or without notice, except that Section 4 and Section 5 of this Agreement shall survive any such termination in their entirety and accordance with their terms.

 

[SIGNATURES ON NEXT PAGE]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized officers effective as of the date first set forth above.

 

TECTONIC FINANCIAL, INC.

EMPLOYEE  
       
       

By: 

/s/ A. Haag Sherman

/s/ Patrick Howard

   

Patrick Howard

Its: 

Chief Executive Officer

   
   

Dated: 

September 27, 2024

Dated: 

September 27, 2024    
       

T BANCSHARES, INC.

   
       
       

By: 

/s/ A. Haag Sherman

   
       

Its: 

Chairman

   
       

Dated: 

September 27, 2024    
       

T BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

   
       
       

By: 

/s/ A. Haag Sherman

   
       

Its: 

Chairman

   
       

Dated: 

September 27, 2024    

 

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