JUVF Juniata Valley Financial Corp (QX)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.         )

Check the appropriate box:

Juniata Valley Financial Corp

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

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notice

218 Bridge Street, Post Office Box 66, Mifflintown, PA 17059  Telephone (855) 582-5101

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General Information

This proxy statement contains information about the 2021 Annual Meeting of shareholders of Juniata Valley Financial Corp. We refer to Juniata Valley Financial Corp. in this proxy statement as the “Company”, “Juniata”, “we,” “our” or “us.”  The Company is the holding company for The Juniata Valley Bank, which we refer to as the “Bank.”  We first mailed this proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card to shareholders on or about April 6, 2021.

Date, Time and Place of Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the shareholders of the Company will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 18, 2021.  The meeting will be held virtually, online – there will be no physical location at which shareholders may attend the meeting.  Shareholders will be able to log into the virtual annual meeting platform beginning at 10:15 a.m. on May 18, 2021 through the following website: www.meetingcenter.io/294116171 (the “Annual Meeting”). You will log onto the virtual annual meeting by entering the password JUVF2021 and the control number found on your proxy card or instructions accompanying your proxy materials. You may submit questions, either before the meeting or during the meeting, using the online platform.  If you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a bank or broker, you must register in advance to attend the Annual Meeting. You must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy) reflecting your Company shareholdings along with your name and email address to Computershare.  Requests for registration must be labeled as “Legal Proxy” and be received no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on May 13, 2021. You will receive a confirmation of your registration by email after we receive your registration request.  Requests for registration should be directed to us as follows:

Registered shareholders (i.e. shareholders who hold their shares directly through our transfer agent, Computershare), do not need to register to attend the Annual Meeting on the Internet.  Please follow the instructions on the Annual Meeting notice or proxy card that you received.

The rules that will govern the conduct of the virtual meeting are attached to this document at Exhibit A.

Purpose of the Meeting

The shareholders will be asked to consider and vote upon the following matters at the meeting:

Solicitation of Proxies

The enclosed proxy is being solicited by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) for use at the Annual Meeting. The Company will bear the entire cost of the solicitation of proxies, including the costs of preparing, printing and mailing the proxy statement and all related materials. Copies of solicitation material will be furnished to brokerage houses, fiduciaries and custodians to forward to beneficial owners of stock held in the names of such nominees. The Company will reimburse brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy and solicitation materials to the owners of the Company’s common stock. In addition to use of the mail, proxies may be solicited by directors, officers and other employees of the Company, without additional compensation, in person or by telephone. The Company does not plan to employ a professional solicitation firm with respect to items to be presented at the Annual Meeting.

The executive offices of the Company are located at 218 Bridge Street, Mifflintown, Pennsylvania 17059, where the telephone number is (855) 582-5101. The Company’s mailing address is P.O. Box 66, Mifflintown, PA  17059.

Voting Procedures

Who can vote?

Only holders of shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the “common stock”) as shown on the books of the Company at the close of business on February 19, 2021 (the “Record Date”) will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. A total of 5,018,695 shares of common stock were outstanding on the Record Date and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, the Trust Department of the Bank, as sole trustee, held 25,863 shares of the Company’s common stock, which is 0.52% of the total number of shares outstanding as of that date. Pursuant to the Bank’s policy, the Trust Department will vote these shares at the Annual Meeting in favor of each nominee for director named in this proxy statement, in favor of the non-binding “Say on Pay” proposal to approve the compensation of the named executive officers (“Say on Pay”) and, as to other matters, in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors, as long as voting authority is conferred on the Trust Department in the trust or account instrument. Each share of common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters to be voted upon. The enclosed proxy card shows the number of shares you may vote. The presence, virtually (by logging into the meeting) or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote is required to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.

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What vote is required?

The directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Because three directors are being elected at the 2021 Annual Meeting, the three nominees receiving the greatest number of votes will be elected.  Approval of the Say on Pay proposal requires the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal to exceed the number of votes cast against it. All other matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting must be approved by the holders of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting.

How are votes counted?

The judge of election will treat shares of Juniata Valley Financial Corp. common stock represented by a proxy that is signed and returned by any permitted method (i.e. online, telephone or by mail) as present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining a quorum, without regard to whether the proxy is marked as casting a vote or abstaining. Likewise, the judge of election will treat shares of common stock represented by “broker non-votes” (i.e., shares of common stock held in record name by brokers or nominees as to which (i) instructions have not been received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote, (ii) the broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power under applicable rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or the instrument under which it serves in such capacity, or (iii) the record holder has indicated on the proxy or otherwise notified Juniata Valley Financial Corp. that the record holder does not have authority to vote such shares on that matter) as present for purposes of determining a quorum if such shares have been voted at the meeting on any matter, other than a procedural motion. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not votes cast and will have no effect on the election of directors or approval of the Say on Pay proposal.

Can I change my vote after I have already voted?

If you grant a proxy, whether online, by telephone or by returning your proxy card by mail, you may revoke your proxy at any time until it is voted by:

Your last vote is the vote that will be counted. Unless revoked, any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation will be voted at the meeting in accordance with the instructions thereon. In the absence of instructions, all proxies will be voted FOR the election of the three nominees for director identified in this Proxy Statement and FOR the approval of the Say on Pay proposal. Although the Board of Directors knows of no other business to be presented, if any other matters are properly brought before the meeting, any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors of the Company. If you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a broker, please follow the voting instructions you received from that intermediary to understand how and when you can change your vote.

Can I vote during my attendance at the Annual Meeting?

Yes. You may log onto the Annual Meeting and cast a vote through the Internet meeting platform during the meeting, whether or not you have previously voted. If you have previously voted, your vote during the Annual Meeting before the chair of the meeting announces that the polls are closed will revoke your proxy vote. However, we encourage you to submit your proxy in advance of the Annual Meeting through one of the permitted means to ensure that your vote is counted: (1) electronically using the Internet at www.envisionreports.com/JUVF; (2) by phone using the phone number 1-800-652-8683; or (3) by mail. To vote electronically or by phone, you will need the control number appearing on your proxy card. You may also vote by completing the enclosed proxy and returning it to us in the enclosed prepaid envelope.  Using the Internet or your phone to submit a proxy is quick and easy, and we encourage your use of one of those two methods.  Instructions to submit your proxy by internet or phone is contained on your proxy card. If you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a broker, please follow the voting instructions you received from that intermediary.

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MANAGEMENT

DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY

General

With respect to directors, the Company’s bylaws provide that:

During 2020, the Board of Directors consisted of eight directors.

Director Qualifications

The process for identifying and evaluating any individual nominated for board membership, including those nominated by a shareholder, is described in the “Nominating Committee” section below. Specific information on the experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of the Company’s nominees and continuing directors is described in the summary biographies below.

The Company follows the NASDAQ listing standards for determining the independence of directors and committee members. The Board of Directors determined that seven (7) of the current eight (8) directors are independent, as defined in the applicable NASDAQ listing standards. Specifically, the Board of Directors found that Directors Buffington, Dreibelbis, Gingerich, Havice, Kelsey, Scanlon and Wagner met the definition of independent director in the NASDAQ listing standards and that each of these directors is free of any relationships that would interfere with his individual exercise of independent judgment. In addition, members of the Audit Committee and Personnel and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors meet the more stringent requirements for independence under the NASDAQ listing standards and the rules and regulations of the SEC for service on these committees. The Board of Directors considered the relationships and other arrangements, if any, of each director with the Company when independence was reviewed.

The biographical information, experience and qualifications set forth below represent each continuing director’s or nominee’s background, experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Nominating Committee to conclude that these persons should serve as directors.

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Dr. Scanlon’s professional background and history of community service provide a level of diversity to the Board, as the focus of his business is as a service provider. His perspective in the areas of customer and shareholder satisfaction relative to how each relates to organizational growth adds to his qualifications as a director. The Board has determined that Dr. Scanlon is independent under NASDAQ and SEC standards.

Michael A. Buffington. Mr. Buffington, age 46, is the founder and President of Buffington Property Management LLC, MAT Plaza LLC, Monument Square Center LLC and MAB Holdings LLC, a group of companies that own and manage commercial and residential properties in central Pennsylvania. He is also the founder and President of One-Stop Communications in Lewistown, PA, a retail provider of personal and business communication products and services. He serves on several community organizations in Mifflin County, including Downtown Lewistown Inc., the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Community Advisory Board of Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.

Mr. Buffington’s history of involvement in business and community development efforts within Juniata’s market areas as well as his affiliation with local business leaders allows him to provide a broad view of business-owners’ financial needs to the Board and assess risk during changing business environments. Mr. Buffington has been a director of the Company and the Bank since March 2017 and serves on the Nominating, Personnel/Compensation, Trust, and Loan Committees.  

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR ELECTION OF THE THREE NOMINEES IDENTIFIED ABOVE.

Directors to Continue in Office until the 2022 Annual Meeting (Class B)

Marcie A. Barber. Ms. Barber, age 62, has been the Chief Executive Officer and director of the Bank and the Company since 2010.  She had been Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Bank since June 2007. She was Senior Vice President and Community Office Division Manager since November 2006. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Barber was Senior Vice President of the First National Bank of Mifflintown, serving as Credit Services Division Manager for 8 years. Prior to her tenure with First National Bank of Mifflintown, Ms. Barber spent 16 years with Mellon Bank in Retail Bank Management and Commercial Lending.

Ms. Barber’s various management roles within a number of banks during her 34 years of service, including the 10 years she has served in an executive capacity of the Company, give her a broad understanding of the financial services industry, the Company’s operations, corporate governance matters and leadership experience, thereby qualifying her to serve on the Board of Directors. Ms. Barber has served as a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Community Depository Institution Advisory Council and of PA Bankers Service Corp. and served as a director of PA Bankers Association. She was an active board member of Downtown Lewistown, Inc. and currently serves on the board of the Mifflin County Industrial Development Corporation.

Timothy I. Havice. Mr. Havice, age 73, has been the owner and principal of T. I. Havice Development, a development company based in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, since 1975. He has been a director of the Bank and the Company since 1998 and is currently Chairman of the Board. He had served as Chairman previously from 2004 to 2007. Mr. Havice also served on the Board of Directors of Liverpool Community Bank, a bank in which Juniata owned 39.16% of the outstanding common stock, until acquisition of 100% of Liverpool by the Company on April 30, 2018. He formerly held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mutual Benefit Insurance Company where he served on the Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Havice is a past member of an advisory board for Mellon Bank, director of Lewistown Trust Company (a predecessor to Juniata Valley Financial Corp.) and director of Select Risk Insurance Company. Mr. Havice serves on the Nominating, Audit, Strategic Planning, Asset Liability Management, Loan and Personnel and Compensation Committees of the Company.

As a result of numerous years as a successful entrepreneur in a variety of business ventures, Mr. Havice provides the Company’s Board of Directors with a businessperson’s perspective of what is required for a business to be successful. His experience as director of other companies gives him insight into the importance and structure of corporate governance and risk assessment. In his capacity as Director of Mutual Benefit Insurance Company, he gained valuable experience in executive compensation issues. The Board has determined that Mr. Havice is independent under NASDAQ and SEC standards.

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Bradley J. Wagner. Mr. Wagner, age 47 earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Messiah University in 1995, and was employed as a CPA for Arthur Andersen, LLP from 1995 through 1999. He has been the part owner of Hoober Feeds LLC, located in Gordonville, PA, and President of Hegins Feed and Supply, Inc. located in Hegins, PA. These companies specialize in dairy service and nutrition and are manufacturers and retailers of livestock feed. In May 2019, L&K Feed Mill, which was partially owned by Mr. Wagner, was sold to the Wenger Group, Inc. along with a portion of Mr. Wagner’s interest in Hoober Feeds LLC. At that time, Mr. Wagner was named Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Manufacturing of Wenger Feeds, LLC. His duties entail oversight of feed production at all Wenger Feeds feed production facilities as well as Customer Service and Logistics. In September 2020, Mr. Wagner sold his remaining interest in Hoober Feeds, LLC to the Wenger Group. Wenger Feeds, LLC is a regional feed mill that has 10 feed mills and a soybean processing plant. Mr. Wagner has served as a board member and treasurer of Penn Ag Association and Penn Ag Industries. Penn Ag is a trade association representing the Pennsylvania agricultural industry. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Mutual Benefit Insurance Company and participates on their Audit Committee. He also has served as chairman of the board of his church and has previously led the Stewardship Committee, whose responsibilities include budget preparation and monitoring, fund raising and compliance with non-profit regulations.

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Mr. Wagner was first elected to the Board in June of 2014. With a background as a Certified Public Accountant who has audited SEC reporting bank holding companies and with financial and business expertise and experience in the agricultural arena, he brings a unique and valuable perspective to the Company’s Board of Directors. The Board has determined that he is independent under NASDAQ and SEC standards. The board has further determined that he meets both the NASDAQ and SEC requirements to be designated as a “financial expert” for the Company and, accordingly serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. In addition, Mr. Wagner serves on the Asset Liability Management and Loan Committees.

Directors to Continue in Office until the 2023 Annual Meeting (Class C)

Philip E. Gingerich, Jr. Mr. Gingerich, age 62, has been the President of Central Insurers Group, Inc., an insurance agency based in State College, Pennsylvania, since 1994 and owner of East Side Storage, a mini-storage warehouse company based in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, since 2001. He also is a partner in Central Real Estate Partnership. Mr. Gingerich holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University. Formerly, he has been Chairman of the Boards of Lewistown Trust Company and the NuVision Center. He has been a director of the Company and the Bank since 1998 and is the current Vice Chairman of the Board. He had served as Chairman previously from 2010 to 2013. He serves as Chairman of the Asset/Liability Management Committee as well as the Personnel and Compensation Committee, and is a member of the Strategic Planning, Loan and Nominating Committees.

As the owner and president of successful businesses, Mr. Gingerich brings valuable knowledge and experience in risk assessment and financial operations. His long tenure as a board member, with experience serving on each of the key committees that are essential to the oversight of the board, has qualified him to serve as the current Vice Chairman of the Board. His experience as an employer gives him broad knowledge of employment issues and compensation matters and qualifies him to serve on the Company’s Personnel and Compensation Committee. The Board has determined that Mr. Gingerich is independent under NASDAQ and SEC standards.

Gary E. Kelsey. Mr. Kelsey, age 58, is a lifetime resident of Potter County, where he held the elected position of Potter County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds from January 4, 1988 thru January 1, 2020. Mr. Kelsey retired in 2020 after serving over 32 years of public service. He also was the co-owner, President and CEO of Appalachian Basin Land Resources LLC, an abstract title company operating in the northern Pennsylvania region. Mr. Kelsey has a degree in criminal justice and studied at Jamestown Community College and Mansfield University. He resides in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. Mr. Kelsey was a director of FNBPA Bancorp, Inc. from 1996 until November 30, 2015, when FNBPA was acquired by the Company, and was elected to our Board of Directors.

Mr. Kelsey’s combined 25 year tenure as a director at FNBPA and Juniata makes him a valuable member of our board. He possesses valuable institutional knowledge as to the former FNBPA, now referred to as our Northern Tier region, and an understanding of the banking industry. His long-time residency and community involvement in our Northern Tier region provide insight as we identify business opportunities and challenges in the area. While serving as an FNBPA director, Gary was a member of the Compensation, Trust, Audit and Business Relations committees. Mr. Kelsey currently serves on the Loan, Trust and Strategic Planning Committees for the Company. The Board has determined that Mr. Kelsey is independent under NASDAQ and SEC standards.

Executive Officers of the Company

In addition to Ms. Barber, the following individual serves as an executive officer of the Company.  The executive officers will hold office until their successors are appointed.

JoAnn N. McMinn. Ms. McMinn, age 68, is the Executive Vice President of the Company, and has been Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company since 2005 and Secretary to the Board of Directors since 2017. Ms. McMinn’s experience in banking exceeds 45 years. She had served as Corporate Controller and Director of Investor Relations for Omega Financial Corporation (diversified financial services) from 2003 to 2005; she had served as Corporate Controller of that organization from 1988 to 2005. Her responsibilities included preparation and coordination of annual reports to shareholders and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, management of bank and holding company accounting division, regulatory reporting and serving as director of non-bank subsidiaries. She formerly held positions as Data Processing Manager, Productivity Manager and Controller at one of Omega’s predecessor companies. Ms. McMinn served on the Board of Directors of Liverpool Community Bank (“LCB”), a bank in which Juniata owned 39.16% of the outstanding common stock until April 30, 2018, when 100% of LCB was acquired by the Company. Ms. McMinn previously served on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s Member Advisory Board.

Corporate Governance and Board Matters

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Board has established a procedure whereby shareholders are able to communicate directly with the Board by addressing communications either to the Audit Committee Chair or, in the case of recommendations for Board candidates, the Secretary, c/o Juniata Valley Financial Corp., 218 Bridge Street, Post Office Box 66, Mifflintown, Pennsylvania 17059.  Every communication directed to the Audit Committee Chair will be delivered directly to the Audit Committee Chair, who will in turn forward the communication to the appropriate member(s)/committee of the Board and to the Board as a whole. All communications regarding nominations that are sent to the Secretary will be forwarded to the Chair of the Nominating Committee.

Risk Oversight

Oversight of material risks facing the Company is a major area of emphasis for the Board of Directors. The Board, upon recommendations from appropriate committees, annually approves all operating policies. The Audit Committee reviews results of all regulatory examinations and audits, both internal and external, and monitors responses from management to recommendations for procedural changes. All members of the Audit, Nominating and Personnel and Compensation Committees are independent directors and meet regularly with management. Each committee requires

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proof of adherence to all applicable policies which they oversee. The Loan Committee is comprised entirely of directors who rotate attendance at weekly meetings with management. The Board is informed routinely of new regulations, current issues of importance, key examination points, industry news and peer and competition activity by management at monthly Board meetings and periodic committee meetings.

Board Leadership Structure

It is the policy of the Company to separate its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer positions. We believe that having an independent Chairman increases the effectiveness of risk oversight and management evaluation, and separate positions serve to eliminate the appearance of a conflict between personal and shareholders’ interests. For example, if one individual serves as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and that person is responsible for setting corporate goals, that situation could create the appearance of a conflict of interest. In his or her role as Chairman, the individual would have an interest in setting higher benchmarks in order to motivate corporate officers to improve the performance of the Company and thereby increase the shareholders’ return on their investment. On the other hand, in his or her role as Chief Executive Officer, that individual could arguably have an interest in setting a lower benchmark since the attainment of corporate goals is a factor in evaluating the performance of the Chief Executive Officer. The Board believes that separating the positions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer eliminates issues such as these.

Related Party Transactions

During 2020, the Bank had, and expects to continue to have, banking transactions in the ordinary course of business with our directors and executive officers on the same terms, including interest rates and collateral on loans, as those prevailing at the time for comparable loans with persons not related to the Bank. Management believes that these loans present no more than the normal risk of collectability and do not present other unfavorable features. The Company’s Code of Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) requires all directors, officers and employees to avoid situations that may create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. The Code contains specific prohibitions on financial or other interests in customers, borrowers, suppliers or other companies dealing with the Company and requires prior approval by the Senior Vice President/Human Resources Director in order to enter into any such arrangements. In addition, the purchase, lease or sale of assets to or from the Company by employees or directors also requires the prior approval of the Senior Vice President/Human Resources Director except in certain limited circumstances, such as a public sale.

Board and Committee Meeting Attendance

The Board of Directors of the Company met 12 times in 2020. No director attended fewer than 75% of the total number of meetings of the Board and the committee(s) on which he or she served. The Board has standing Audit, Nominating and Compensation Committees, in addition to other committees that are more specifically related to the banking business. The Board has adopted a policy requiring the attendance of all directors at the Annual Meeting, absent extenuating circumstances. All members of the Board attended the 2020 Annual Meeting.

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Audit Committee

Members, Number of Meetings, Function, Charter and Audit Committee Financial Expert

The members of the Audit Committee are Bradley Wagner (Chairman), Philip Gingerich, Jr., Timothy Havice and Richard Scanlon. Each member is an independent director and qualified to serve on the Audit Committee based on the heightened qualifications for enhanced independence and financial literacy established by NASDAQ and applicable SEC regulations. The Board of Directors has determined that Bradley Wagner meets the SEC requirements to qualify as a financial expert. The Audit Committee met four times in 2020. The Committee’s responsibilities include monitoring the integrity of the Company’s financial reporting process and systems of internal controls regarding finance, accounting and regulatory compliance, monitoring the independence and performance of the Company’s independent registered public accountants and internal auditing department and providing an avenue of communication among the independent registered public accountants, management, the internal auditing department and the Board of Directors. The Committee, along with the Board of Directors, has formally adopted an Audit Committee charter setting forth the Committee’s responsibilities. The charter is available on the Company’s website, at jvbonline.com, under the Investor Relations tab.

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In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Committee recommended to the Board of Directors (and the Board has approved) that the audited financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

By: Bradley Wagner, Chairman, Philip Gingerich, Jr., Timothy Havice and Richard Scanlon

Nominating Committee

Members, Meetings, Function and Charter

The members of the Nominating Committee are Martin Dreibelbis (Chairman), Philip Gingerich, Jr., Michael Buffington and Timothy Havice. Each member is an independent director, meeting the qualifications for independence established by NASDAQ. The function of the Committee is to identify and recommend qualified candidates for election to the Board of Directors and to nominate candidates to fill vacancies that occur between shareholder meetings. A current copy of the Committee’s charter is posted on the Company’s website at jvbonline.com, under the Investor Relations tab. The Nominating Committee met once in 2020. The Committee considers potential candidate skill sets and background, current board skill sets and backgrounds, diversity of the Board and the ability of a person to devote the necessary time to serve as a Director when assessing a candidate’s qualifications. Candidates for director are selected for their character, judgment, business experience, expertise and acumen. The Company’s Bylaws state that no person shall be eligible to be elected as a Director if he or she shall have attained the age of seventy-five years on or prior to the date of his or her election.

Process for Identifying and Evaluating Nominees for Director

The Committee utilizes current Board members, management and other appropriate sources to identify potential nominees. The Committee conducts any appropriate and necessary inquiries into the backgrounds and qualifications of possible candidates after considering the function and needs of the Board of Directors, and recommends nominees for approval by the Board of Directors and shareholders. In nominating candidates, the Committee may take into consideration such factors as it deems appropriate, including personal qualities and characteristics, experience, accomplishments and reputation in the business community and current knowledge and contacts in the communities in which the Company does business. The Company does not have a separate written policy on how diversity is to be considered in the director nominating process, however diversities in viewpoints, backgrounds, and experience are informally considered, as well as ability and willingness to commit adequate time to Board and committee matters. The Committee assesses the fit of the individual’s skills and personality with those of other directors and potential directors in creating a Board that is effective and responsive to its duties and responsibilities and has the right composition to perform its oversight functions effectively.

The Nominating Committee will receive and consider nominee recommendations that shareholders address to the Secretary of the Company at the address listed on the first page of this proxy statement. If a shareholder wishes to nominate candidates for election at the Annual Meeting, the shareholder must comply with the procedures contained in the Company’s Bylaws, which include a requirement that the shareholder deliver or mail a notice to the Secretary of the Company not less than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding Annual Meeting stating his or her name, residence address and the number of shares of the Company owned. The notice must also contain the following information on each proposed nominee:

The same process is used to evaluate both Board nominees and shareholder nominees. The Chairman of the meeting will disregard any nomination made at the Annual Meeting that does not comply with the required procedure, and the judges of election will disregard any votes cast for such nominees.

Personnel and Compensation Committee

The Personnel and Compensation Committee makes recommendations to the Board regarding executive compensation. The committee, along with the Board of Directors, has formally adopted a Personnel and Compensation Committee charter setting forth its responsibilities. The charter is available on the Company’s website, at jvbonline.com, under the Investor Relations tab. Members are Philip Gingerich, Jr. (Chairman), Martin Dreibelbis, Timothy Havice, and Michael Buffington. Each member of the Personnel and Compensation Committee was independent, and continues to be independent, based on the heightened requirements for independence established by NASDAQ and the SEC. The Personnel and Compensation Committee meets as often as is necessary but must meet at least three times each year. The Committee met three times in 2020. None of the members of the Personnel and Compensation Committee has been an officer or employee of the Company or the Bank at any time.

Role of the Personnel and Compensation Committee

The Personnel and Compensation Committee is established to provide oversight of the Company’s human resource function and to make recommendations to the Board of Directors as deemed appropriate. The Committee is responsible for development of all proposals regarding executive compensation and for review of all active plans involving short or long-term compensation. The Committee does not have final authority on

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compensation proposals but must approve all compensation-related proposals (including all plan revisions) before those proposals are presented to the Board for final approval. Some of the specific responsibilities of the Committee include the following:

Committee Advisors/Consultants

In 2020, the Committee continued to engage Mosteller & Associates, a human resource consulting firm, to provide analysis and advice on executive compensation-related matters (including assessment of peer groups, competitive market data, and pay mix and compensation design). The Committee considered the independence of Mosteller & Associates in light of SEC rules and NASDAQ listing standards. The Committee concluded that the work performed by Mosteller & Associates did not raise any conflict of interest and concluded that Mosteller & Associates continues to be an independent committee consultant. The Company does not have a policy that limits the other services that an executive compensation consultant can perform. Mosteller & Associates did not provide additional services in 2020 with associated fees in excess of the $120,000 SEC disclosure threshold for a consultant. During 2020, the Committee requested Mosteller & Associates to provide:

In addition, as part of the benchmarking process, data from two published surveys was used to provide a broader view of compensation practices. The market study provides for comparison of annual base rates of pay and bonus payouts on a position-by-position basis.

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For both the short-term and long-term incentive plans, designated performance goals:

Additionally, the Company offers retirement benefits to all its employees through a defined contribution 401(k) plan with a 3% employer safe harbor contribution and an employer matching contribution. The matching contribution is designed so that all employees could receive employer contributions of up to an additional 4% of salary, based on individual salary deferral levels. We believe that this benefit is attractive to both executives and other employees. In addition, executive officers participate in a salary continuation plan and a split-dollar life insurance benefit and are parties to a change of control severance agreement. These benefits were designed and selected to be appealing to potential and existing key employees, in comparison to those benefits offered by other banks in our general competitive geographic area.

In determining the amount of each element of executive compensation, the following key items are considered:

The Committee believes that the Company’s compensation policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. Internal controls and risk oversight provided by the Audit and Asset/Liability Management Committees, as well as internal policies and compliance standards, are designed so that no one individual can implement new products or pricing strategies, enter into material contracts or commit to investment vehicles outside established guidelines. Additionally, the ratio of variable incentive-based compensation to base salary is relatively low.

Elements of Executive Compensation

Executive pay policies are generally in line with Company policies for all employees, including the existence of a salary range, an annual base salary review process, including consideration for merit pay adjustments and, as appropriate, inclusion of both short-term and long-term incentive compensation opportunities that focus executives on Company performance and success. The Company’s success is dependent upon its ability to attract and retain highly qualified and motivated executives. The Company endorses the philosophy that executive compensation should reflect Company performance and the contribution of such officers to that performance. Our executive compensation program is designed to support our Company’s core values and strategic objectives. Moreover, our compensation philosophy is intended to align the interests of management with those of our shareholders. The principal components of total compensation for our named executive officers are base salary, annual incentive bonus and equity-based incentives. Salary and bonus are inherently short-term compensation elements, while equity-based incentives are inherently long-term. The Committee acknowledged the shareholders’ endorsement of the Company’s executive compensation practices by their approval of the non-binding Say on Pay proposal at the 2020 Annual Meeting.

Base Salary. The Chief Executive Officer’s base pay range is established, reviewed and updated periodically by the Board, as recommended by the Personnel and Compensation Committee. Guidance is received through compensation surveys of like-positions in similarly sized community financial services organizations within the established peer group provided by the Committee’s human resources consultant. Pay adjustments for the Chief Executive Officer are determined annually by the Board using this data. While no mathematical weighting formula exists, the Committee considers all other factors which it deems relevant, including the Company’s financial results, the Company’s performance relative to its peer group, the duties and responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Executive Officer’s individual performance relative to written objectives established at the beginning of each year and current compensation levels, as well as the benchmark information. The Company targets salaries at the mid-range base pay of similar positions within the peer group and the market analysis. Base salary for the Chief Financial Officer is determined in the same way as the Chief Executive Officer position. The Committee generally establishes salary guidelines at levels that approximate the mid-range of the peer group. Additionally, in determining base salaries, the Committee considers the executive’s qualifications and experience, scope of responsibilities and future potential, the goals and objectives established for the executive, the executive’s past performance, competitive salary practices at companies in the peer group and internal pay equity.

Annual Incentive (Short-term). The EAIP is designed to motivate executives to achieve favorable operating results. Awards are primarily based on overall financial performance utilizing measures such as earnings per share, return on average assets, return on average equity, asset quality and revenue growth, either individually or combined, depending on annual business objectives. Each year, the Company performance measures are established for all participants in line with budgeted expectations. Threshold, target and optimum or maximum performance measures are determined at the beginning of each year and based upon acceptable performance (threshold), budgeted performance (target) and a “stretch” performance goal (optimum or maximum).

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The Personnel and Compensation Committee established performance criteria and factors for the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, as well as other participants in the EAIP for 2020. The awards schedule was designed to include threshold, target and optimum performance criteria. Earnings per Share (EPS) (weighted at 75%) and Return on Average Equity (ROAE) (weighted at 25%) were designated as measures of performance for both categories for 2020. Both the Chief Executive Officer’s performance and the Chief Financial Officer’s performance are measured by these two performance factors. In addition, if the performance target thresholds are met, individual performance is further considered for upward or downward adjustment of the bonus amount. The threshold, target, and optimum levels of performance measures for 2020 were consistent with competitive industry performance objectives, and the Company believed the performance criteria were set at a level that created a likelihood of meeting, at minimum, the threshold levels during 2020. The target performance measures were each set at levels established in the Company’s annual budget for 2020 (EPS of $1.06 and ROAE of 7.40%), with threshold measures set at 95% of budget (EPS of $1.01 and ROAE of 7.03%) and optimum criteria (EPS of $1.17 and ROAE of 8.14%) set to reward performance significantly favorable to budget, up to 110% of target. For 2020, the Chief Executive Officer could receive an award of between 12% and 30% of base salary, subject to adjustment (+/– 10%) based on the executive’s individual performance. For the Chief Financial Officer in 2020, incentive awards could range from 10.0% to 24% of base salary, subject to adjustment (+/– 10%), based upon the executive’s individual performance. Awards are determined and paid annually after the financial results for the year have been determined. The Company’s target range for performance was met in 2020, and personal goals relating to strategic objectives were achieved. As a result, payouts were made to the CEO and the CFO according to the established formulas.

Long-Term Incentive Program (LTIP). The Long-Term Incentive Program is designed to reward contribution to the long-term appreciation in the value of the Company. The Committee strongly supports share ownership by its executives. We believe that the ownership of shares of our stock by our management team properly aligns their financial interests with the interests of our shareholders. The potential for awards is reviewed annually, although shares will not necessarily be awarded each year, depending upon the Company’s financial performance. For a participant to receive a grant through the program, he or she must have at least a satisfactory job performance review for the year. Stock awards are considered at the regularly scheduled board meeting in February or March of each year, and if awarded, the grant date is established as the date of board approval. The LTIP allows for stock grants of various types. Since 2016, only restricted stock awards have been used to reward executive officers. The restricted stock awarded vests three years from the date of the grant, provided that the executive officer remains employed on the vesting date. During the vesting period, the executives receive the dividends earned on the stock. Ms. Barber and Ms. McMinn received 2,600 and 1,600 restricted shares, respectively, on February 18, 2020, with a fair market value of $19.25 per share on the date of the award.

Executive Benefits. Supplemental executive benefits may include a salary continuation plan, a group-term life carve-out plan and employment and/or change of control agreements, which are described below.

Tax and Accounting Impact. Although the Company considers deductibility of compensation, tax deductibility is not a primary objective of its compensation programs. Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code disallows the deductibility by the Company of any compensation over $1 million per year paid to certain members of executive management. None of the Company’s officers is compensated in an amount that would limit the deductibility by the Company of their compensation under Section 162(m).

Post-Employment Benefits

Change of Control Severance Agreement. We believe that companies should provide reasonable severance benefits to executives. These severance arrangements are intended to provide an executive with a sense of security in making the commitment to dedicate his or her professional career to the success of our Company. With respect to executive management, these severance benefits should reflect the fact that it may be difficult for them to find comparable employment within a short period of time. Such arrangements also should disentangle the Company from the former employee as soon as practicable. For instance, while it is possible to provide salary continuation to an employee during the job search process, which in some cases may be less expensive than a lump-sum severance payment, we prefer to make a lump-sum severance payment to more cleanly sever the relationship as soon as practicable.

Our executive management and other employees have built the Company into the successful enterprise that it is today, and we believe that it is important to protect them in the event of a change in control. Further, it is our belief that the interests of shareholders will be best served if the interests of our executive management are aligned with them, and providing change in control benefits should eliminate, or at least reduce, the reluctance of executive management to pursue potential change in control transactions that may be in the best interests of shareholders. Compared to the overall value of the Company, these potential change in control benefits are relatively modest. The cash components of any change in control benefits within the Change of Control Severance agreements are based upon the multiple of 2.95 times base salary.

Change of control arrangements for Ms. Barber and Ms. McMinn are set forth in each of their respective agreements. Ms. McMinn’s agreement was entered into on November 7, 2005 and continues as long as Ms. McMinn is the Chief Financial Officer or holds a higher position within the Company. Ms. Barber’s agreement was entered into on May 22, 2008 and continues as long as Ms. Barber holds the position of Chief Operating Officer or a higher position within the Company. For purposes of the Change of Control Severance Agreements, change of control occurs when one of the following events takes place:

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Specific conditions that would trigger payments pursuant to Ms. McMinn’s and Ms. Barber’s contracts following a change in control are as follows:

Under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, a “parachute payment” to a “disqualified individual” may result in adverse tax consequences. A “parachute payment” means any payment in the nature of compensation to (or for the benefit of) a “disqualified individual” if (i) the payment is contingent on a change in the ownership of the corporation, the effective control of the corporation or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the corporation’s assets and (ii) the aggregate present value of the payments in the nature of compensation which are contingent on such change of control equals or exceeds three (3) times the “base amount”. An “excess parachute payment” means an amount equal to the excess of any parachute payment over the base amount allocated to such payment. In general, “base amount” equals the disqualified individual’s average annualized compensation, which was includible as gross income (“annual includible compensation”), for the five years preceding the tax year at issue. The statute defines the term “disqualified individual” as an individual (1) who is an employee, independent contractor, or other person specified in regulations who performs personal services for any corporation, and (2) who is an officer, shareholder, or highly compensated individual of the corporation. If the provisions of Section 280G are triggered, the paying corporation is denied any deduction for employee compensation on any excess parachute payments, and the recipient is subject to a nondeductible 20% excise tax on such excess parachute payment (in addition to income taxes). These agreements do not prohibit the making of payments in excess of the Section 280G limits.

Salary Continuation Agreement, as amended. The Bank executed Salary Continuation Agreements with Ms. Barber and Ms. McMinn in order to encourage these individuals to remain employees of the Bank through normal retirement age which is defined, for the purposes of this plan, as age 65. The Bank will not make any payments under this plan that would be a prohibited golden parachute payment. In addition to retirement, the plan has provisions for payment in the events of change of control and disability. Change in control means a change in the ownership or effective control of the Bank or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Bank. Disability means the Executive: (i) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve months; or (ii) is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of at least twelve months. This plan allows for payments under these circumstances as described in the section below, entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control”.

Group Term Carve-out Plan – Bank-owned Life Insurance. The Bank has purchased life insurance policies which insure the lives of each of the Named Executive Officers. Under the Group Term Carve-Out Plan, each of the participating Named Executive Officers’ beneficiaries will receive benefits in the event of his or her death as follows:

The Bank is the sole owner and the direct beneficiary of death proceeds in excess of those allocated to each executive’s defined beneficiary. Any benefit qualifying as an excess parachute payment as defined in the Internal Revenue Code would be forfeited in the amount of the excess. Single-premium payments for this program were paid in 2007 in the amounts of $296,000 and $294,000, for the policies on the lives of Ms. Barber and Ms. McMinn, respectively.

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Executive Compensation Tables

The following tables and narratives apply to the Company’s named executive officers.

Changes in the salary continuation plan for Ms. McMinn were $0, $0 and $1,421 for the years 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Compensation described in the table above is paid according to the terms described in the preceding section entitled “Elements of Executive Compensation”.

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Vesting information for restricted stock awards in table above:

Ms. Barber

In 2018, Ms. Barber was awarded 1,600 restricted shares which fully vested on February 19, 2021. In 2019 and 2020, she was awarded 2,300 and 2,600 restricted shares, respectively, which will fully vest on February 18, 2022 and February 17, 2023, respectively.

Ms. McMinn

In 2018, Ms. McMinn was awarded 920 restricted shares which fully vested on February 19, 2021. In 2019 and 2020, she was awarded 1,400 and 1,600 restricted shares, respectively, which will fully vest on February 18, 2022 and February 17, 2023, respectively.

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(1) Salary Continuation Agreement

Ms. Barber’s Salary Continuation Agreement was executed in 2007 providing for an annual retirement benefit of $20,000 for a period of 15 years if vesting requirements are met. In the event of pre-retirement death, vesting would immediately occur, and her beneficiary would receive the full $20,000 annual benefit over 15 years. Pre-retirement benefits payable in the events of disability, early retirement, termination and change in control increase each year, until Ms. Barber reaches age 65 up to a percentage of the accrued account value and would be paid in the form of equal annual payments over 15 years. Ms. Barber has reached the age of 62 as of December 31, 2020 and has become partially vested in each of these scenarios, for the annual amounts listed for each.

Ms. McMinn’s Salary Continuation Agreement was executed in 2007, providing for an annual retirement benefit of $16,000 for a period of 15 years if vesting requirements are met. Ms. McMinn has reached the age of 65 and as such has become fully vested in the benefit under all scenarios.

(2) Group Term Carve-out Plan

Ms. Barber’s Group Term Carve-out Plan became effective in 2007. Ms. Barber’s beneficiary would be entitled to a death benefit of three times base salary, up to a maximum of $603,000 in the hypothetical case of her death at December 31, 2020. Other scenarios of retirement, disability, termination and change of control reduce the death benefit to two times her salary, with the maximum amount receivable being $603,000.

Ms. McMinn’s Group Term Carve-out Plan became effective in 2007. Ms. McMinn’s beneficiary would be entitled to a death benefit of three times base salary, up to a maximum of $453,000.  In the hypothetical case of her death at December 31, 2020, her beneficiary would have received $453,000, which is the maximum amount receivable. In the case of all other terminations, except termination by the Company with cause, the death benefit would have been $424,320, or two times her salary.

(3) Value of Options and Awards

Ms. Barber is fully vested in all her outstanding incentive and non-qualified stock options, a total of 31,733 shares, however as of December 31, 2020, none of her options were “in-the-money”, so there was no value to the options under any scenario. Unvested restricted shares would immediately vest upon a change of control but would require Board of Directors approval for the release of the restriction in any other case. The value of restricted shares in the table above is computed using the market value of the Company’s stock as of December 31, 2020, as of which date the closing price was $17.70.

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Ms. McMinn is fully vested in all her outstanding incentive and non-qualified stock options, a total of 24,700 shares, however as of December 31, 2020, none of her options were “in-the-money”, so there was no value to the options under any scenario. Unvested restricted shares would immediately vest upon a change of control but would require Board of Directors approval for the release of the restriction in any other case. The value of restricted shares in the table above is computed using the market value of the Company’s stock as of December 31, 2020, as of which date the closing price was $17.70.

(4) Change of Control Severance Agreement

A severance payment is triggered by Ms. Barber’s Change of Control Severance Agreement only in the event of a change of control. If the Company had terminated Ms. Barber’s employment as a result of a change of control, she would have been entitled to receive a severance amount calculated in accordance with the terms of the contract. The amount, when reduced to its present value (using a discount rate of 1.63%) is equal to 2.95 times her average compensation for the most recent 5 years. The payment would have been payable in a lump sum within 30 days of her termination date. Restrictive covenants within the Change of Control Severance Agreement include non-competition and non-solicitation provisions. Upon termination of employment that results in the payment of severance compensation, Ms. Barber is not permitted to become engaged in the banking business for a period of two years after termination within a 40 mile radius of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania; nor is she permitted to solicit employees or customers for a period of one year after termination.

A severance payment is triggered by Ms. McMinn’s Change of Control Severance Agreement only in the event of a change of control. If the Company had terminated Ms. McMinn’s employment as a result of a change of control, she would have been entitled to receive a severance amount calculated in accordance with the terms of the contract. The amount, when reduced to its present value (using a discount rate of 1.63%) is equal to 2.95 times her average compensation for the most recent 5 years. The payment would have been payable in a lump sum within 30 days of her termination date. Restrictive covenants within the Change of Control Severance Agreement include non-competition and non-solicitation provisions. Upon termination of employment that results in the payment of severance compensation, Ms. McMinn is not permitted to become engaged in the banking business for a period of two years after termination within a 40 mile radius of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania; nor is she permitted to solicit employees or customers for a period of one year after termination.

(5) Retirement

Ms. Barber qualifies for early retirement under the provision for the Salary Continuation Agreement and the Group Term Carve-out Plan.

Ms. McMinn qualifies for retirement as defined in each of the benefit plans included in the table.

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of service until he reaches age 65 or completes 10 years of credited service.  Lesser benefits are payable in the event of the director’s death, disability, or other termination (except terminations caused by the director’s fraud or dishonesty). Of the directors that served during 2020, participants in the plan were Messrs. Dreibelbis, Gingerich and Havice and Dr. Scanlon.

Split Dollar Life Insurance. In 2001, the Bank purchased split-dollar life insurance policies on each of the then-current directors. Participants who remain on the Board until age 65 or later will be eligible to retain $25,000 of life insurance coverage for the rest of their lives. The eligible directors are not required to pay premiums on the life insurance policy but will have the imputed value of the insurance coverage included in their taxable income.

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Company’s directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10 percent of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file reports of ownership and change in ownership with the SEC. Directors, executive officers, and other 10 percent shareholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

Based solely on its review of the copies of such forms or filings of such forms on Edgar or on written representations from certain reporting persons that no Form 5’s were required for those persons, the Company believes that during 2020 all filing requirements under Section 16(a) applicable to its directors and executive officers were met in a timely manner.

*       Indicates ownership of less than 1% of the outstanding common stock.

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Exhibit A

RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE 2021 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING OF JUNIATA VALLEY FINANCIAL CORP. (Juniata)

Shareholders may participate in the 2021 annual meeting online by accessing the Internet at www.meetingcenter.io/294116171 and logging in using the password JUVF2021 and the instructions that accompany these proxy materials. In fairness to all Juniata shareholders participating in the meeting, and in the interest of an orderly meeting, we require that you honor the following rules of conduct:

exhibit

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