Velarion · Company Intelligence
Compensation Brief
Fiscal year 2024 · Filings through 2026-04-21

Guaranty Bancshares (GNTY)

Fiscal year 2024 executive and director compensation, incentive-plan design, equity activity, and governance — every figure in this brief is traceable to its exact location in the company’s SEC filing — the document, the section, the page, and the table, linked directly.

$1,347,196
Tyson Abston total, FY2024
CEO pay percentile vs peers
26:1
CEO-to-median pay ratio
91.36%
Say-on-pay support, latest vote
Companies that benchmark against GNTY
5 companies name GNTY as a compensation peer

Each company listed discloses GNTY in its own benchmarking peer group, as disclosed in each company's most recent proxy statement within the last two proxy seasons. Two companies are therefore absent by design: one that named GNTY in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.

01

Summary Compensation Table — fiscal year 2024

Named executive officerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension / NQDCAll otherTotal
Tyson Abston$688,953$0$0$0$493,335$134,519$30,390$1,347,196
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Kirk Lee394,350000224,89689,15623,587731,989
President
Harold Lower326,158010,153143,65095,21310,44728,668614,289
Senior Executive Vice President
W. Travis Brown298,50809,787091,7048,54517,978426,522
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer
Shalene Jacobson259,77707,866091,7007,30322,696389,342
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

A dash means the company reported no figure in that column; 0 means it reported zero. Figures are as printed in the filing, without adjustment.

Three-year trend — total compensation per named executive

Named executive officerFY2024 totalFY2023 totalFY2022 totalΔ FY20232024
Tyson Abston$1,347,196
Kirk Lee731,989
Harold Lower614,289
W. Travis Brown426,522
Shalene Jacobson389,342

Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.

02

Equity transactions since the proxy statement was filed

No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.

03

Grants of plan-based awards — fiscal year 2024

ExecutiveAwardGrant dateThresholdTargetGrantedMaximumGrant-date fair value
Harold LowerOPTION2024-04-305,000$143,650
03b

Vehicle mix — grant-date fair value by award type

Named executive officerTime-vested (RSU)Performance-vested (PSU)Options / SARs% performance-vested
Harold Lower$0$0$143,6500.0%

% performance-vested = PSU grant-date fair value ÷ (RSU + PSU + Options), a computed value with the derivation shown in the register.

04

Outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end 2024

ExecutiveAwardShares unvestedExercise priceMarket value unvested
BrownRSU700$24,220
Harold LowerRSU33311,522
BrownRSU32111,107
Shalene JacobsonSAR1,10023.03
BrownSAR2,40028.87
BrownSAR2,00033.09
Harold LowerSAR2,40028.87
Shalene JacobsonRSU2,00069,200
Shalene JacobsonRSU77026,642
Shalene JacobsonSAR4,00030.5
Harold LowerSAR5,00028.73
Shalene JacobsonRSU2588,927
BrownRSU1605,536
Harold LowerRSU77026,642
05

Incentive-plan design — the Compensation Discussion & Analysis

The Company has an executive compensation program designed to offer competitive cash and equity compensation and benefits that will attract, motivate and retain highly qualified and talented executives who will help maximize the Company s financial performance and earnings growth.

CEO STI target (% of salary)
CEO LTI target (% of salary)
Independent consultantPearl Meyer & Partners
Clawback policytrue
Anti-hedgingtrue
Anti-pledgingfalse
06

Say-on-pay — recent advisory votes

Meeting yearMeeting dateForAgainstAbstainSupportOutcome
20242024-05-155,841,004552,06668,14891.36%Passed
20232023-05-176,881,94519,906147,05399.71%Passed

Rows are labeled by annual-meeting year, with the meeting date beside each; the vote held in a given year acts on the prior fiscal year's compensation.

Say-on-pay — history, company's computation

Meeting yearMeeting dateApproval — company's computation
20242024-05-1591.36%a
20232023-05-1799.71%b

a. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “A broker non-vote or a withholding of authority to vote with respect to one or more nominees for director will not have the effect of a vote against such nominee or nominees because broker non-votes and abstentions are counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum, but are not counted as votes cast at the annual meeting.”.

b. Approved under the standard stated in the filing — “A broker non-vote or a withholding of authority to vote with respect to one or more nominees for director will not have the effect of a vote against such nominee or nominees because broker non-votes and abstentions are counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum, but are not counted as votes cast at the annual meeting.”.

Approval percentages are the company's own reported computations under its own stated standard, not recomputed by Velarion. Where a company does not state a standard, none is assumed.

07

CEO pay ratio

Ratio (CEO : median employee)26 : 1
CEO total compensation$1,347,196
Median employee compensation$50,908
08

Director compensation — fiscal year 2024

DirectorCash feesStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveAll otherTotal
Christopher B. ElliottIndependent · Corporate Governance and Nominating (Chair) · Audit (Chair) · KSOP · Compensation$56,474$0$0$0$44,145$100,619
Jeffrey W. BrownIndependent · Audit · KSOP · Newly elected51,92400046,62098,544
Carl Johnson, JrIndependent · KSOP (Chair) · Audit · Corporate Governance and Nominating52,67400045,12097,794
James S. BunchIndependent · Compensation (Chair) · Corporate Governance and Nominating · Audit53,47400042,64596,119
James M. Nolan, JrIndependent · Audit · Compensation · Corporate Governance and Nominating52,37400042,27094,644
Richard W. BakerIndependent · Compensation · Corporate Governance and Nominating47,57400046,62094,194
Bradley K. DrakeIndependent · Compensation · Corporate Governance and Nominating · Audit · KSOP54,02400029,89583,919
Kirk L. LeeEmployee director00000
Tyson T. AbstonEmployee director00000
09

Board fee structure and ownership guideline

Annual cash retainer$21,000
Annual equity retainer$0
Per board meeting fee$650
Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov)750 / 400 / 400
Stock ownership guideline
09b

Total cost of the board

ComponentFY2024
Cash retainers and fees$368,518
Equity awards (grant-date value)$0
All other compensation$297,315
Total cost of the board$665,833

Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.

10

Disclosed peer group — fiscal year 2024

The compensation peer group as the company disclosed it in its own proxy — the reference set behind the percentile above.

10a

Peer reciprocity

Of the companies Guaranty Bancshares names as compensation peers, which name it back in their own disclosed peer groups. A peer set the market reciprocates reads differently from one selected in a single direction.

Reciprocity shown where the peer's own current proxy has been read — each mark is cited in the register to that peer's filing. A dash means the peer's current proxy was read and names no reciprocal group including Guaranty Bancshares.

10b

Chief executive pay against the peer group

Most recent fiscal-year chief executive compensation at each disclosed peer, taken from that company's own proxy statement.

RankCompanyFYChief executiveSalaryStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentiveTotal
1Equity Bancshares, Inc.2025Brad Elliott$857,995$663,156$281,500$854,427$3,073,975
2Civista Bancshares, Inc.2025Dennis Shaffer573,657166,2460258,1462,894,036
3Stellar Bancorp, Inc.2024Robert Franklin, Jr785,0001,088,1060763,1512,678,922
4Business First Bancshares, Inc.2025David Melville, III801,500864,5060666,5822,582,764
5Third Coast Bancshares, Inc.2025Bart Caraway654,231385,457002,503,561
6Bank7 Corp.2025Thomas Travis788,461825,001002,375,029
7SmartFinancial, Inc.2025William Carroll, Jr.657,297476,7570509,4331,717,633
8Investar Holding Corporation2025John D'Angelo647,689381,1840408,5001,484,431
9Guaranty Bancshares2024Tyson Abston688,95300493,3351,347,196
10Southside Bancshares, Inc.2025Keith Donahoe580,000252,0320220,1211,224,314
11Red River Bancshares, Inc.2025R. Blake Chatelain571,00626,00501,132,306
12Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.2025Lars Eller519,841109,1480283,573969,335
13Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.2025Greg A. Steffens461,00037,76340,5900690,774
14First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.2025Michael Mineer413,333000464,421

Each peer's compensation is from its most recently filed proxy; fiscal years differ by company. Each peer's figures come from its own filings; the subject company is highlighted. Peers whose chief executive compensation is outside our coverage universe are stated as such, never left blank.

10c

Incentive design against the same peers

CompanyAnnual incentive payoutLong-term vehicle mixPSU measures include TSRCompensation consultant
Guaranty Bancsharesnot disclosednot disclosednot disclosedPearl Meyer & Partners
Bank7 Corp.not disclosedRSU 100Yes — TSR > 50% of peersThe Hunt Financial Group
Business First Bancshares, Inc.123.93%RSU 50 · PSU 50NoAon's Human Capital Solutions practice (McLagan)
Civista Bancshares, Inc.74%RSU 100not disclosedBlanchard Consulting Group
Equity Bancshares, Inc.132.1%RSU 50 · PSU 50Yes — Total Stockholder Return (TSR)Blanchard Consulting Group
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.not disclosedStock Awards 100not disclosednot disclosed
First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.not disclosednot disclosednot disclosednot disclosed
Investar Holding Corporationnot disclosedRSU 100not disclosedBlanchard Consulting Group
Red River Bancshares, Inc.not disclosedRSU 100not disclosedBlanchard Consulting Group
SmartFinancial, Inc.127.3%RSU 100NoBlanchard Consulting Group
Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.16.7%not disclosednot disclosednot disclosed
Southside Bancshares, Inc.not disclosednot disclosednot disclosedMeridian Compensation Partners, LLC
Stellar Bancorp, Inc.102.33%PSU 60 · RSU 40NoAon Human Capital Solutions
Third Coast Bancshares, Inc.not disclosednot disclosednot disclosedHFG

Read from each company's Compensation Discussion and Analysis: annual incentive payout as a percentage of target, the disclosed long-term vehicle mix, whether performance-share measures include a total shareholder return component, and the retained compensation consultant. “Not disclosed” appears only where the company's filing does not state the item.

11

Source register

Each figure's location is given both for the eye (section · page · table · row · column) and for a script (table/row/column index and exact character span in the filed document). Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.

#SupportsDocumentFiledAccessionLocation in document
1Section 01, Tyson AbstonDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 31. As printed: 1,347,196. Filing ↗machine: t17 · r2 · c29 · span 620930–620939
2Section 01, Kirk LeeDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 31. As printed: 731,989. Filing ↗machine: t17 · r10 · c29 · span 691509–691516
3Section 01, Harold LowerDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 31. As printed: 614,289. Filing ↗machine: t17 · r14 · c29 · span 727743–727750
4Section 01, W. Travis BrownDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 31. As printed: 426,522. Filing ↗machine: t17 · r18 · c29 · span 764118–764125
5Section 01, Shalene JacobsonDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Summary Compensation Table” · page 31. As printed: 389,342. Filing ↗machine: t17 · r6 · c29 · span 657325–657332
6Section 03, Harold Lower OPTIONDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t17 · r14 · c13 · span 722852–722859
7Section 07, pay ratioDEF 14A0000950170-25-047789Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 26 : 1.machine: span 1422559–1422566
8Section 08, Christopher B. ElliottDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 100,619. Filing ↗machine: t27 · r7 · c11 · span 1559567–1559574
9Section 08, Jeffrey W. BrownDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 98,544. Filing ↗machine: t27 · r4 · c11 · span 1547383–1547389
10Section 08, Carl Johnson, JrDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 97,794. Filing ↗machine: t27 · r8 · c11 · span 1563629–1563635
11Section 08, James S. BunchDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 96,119. Filing ↗machine: t27 · r5 · c11 · span 1551441–1551447
12Section 08, James M. Nolan, JrDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 94,644. Filing ↗machine: t27 · r9 · c11 · span 1567692–1567698
13Section 08, Richard W. BakerDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 94,194. Filing ↗machine: t27 · r3 · c11 · span 1543323–1543329
14Section 08, Bradley K. DrakeDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 83,919. Filing ↗machine: t27 · r6 · c11 · span 1555501–1555507
15Section 08, Kirk L. LeeDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗
16Section 08, Tyson T. AbstonDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗
17Section 06, 2024 voteForm 8-K2024-05-160000950170-24-061056Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 91.36% (votes for as printed: 5,841,004). Filing ↗
18Section 06, 2023 voteForm 8-K2023-05-180000950170-23-022935Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.71% (votes for as printed: 6,881,945). Filing ↗
19Section 03b vehicle mix (computed)ComputedcomputedRSU / PSU / Options grant-date fair values summed per officer from the grants table; % performance-vested = PSU ÷ (RSU+PSU+Options).machine: formula: sums + PSU ratio
20Section 09b board cost (computed)ComputedcomputedCash 368,518 + equity 0 + all other 297,315 = 665,833, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 665,833
21Equity Bancshares, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-03-120001193125-26-103215CEO total compensation as printed in Equity Bancshares, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 3,073,975. Filing ↗machine: t185 · r2 · c31 · span 655068–655077
22Civista Bancshares, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-070001193125-26-145510CEO total compensation as printed in Civista Bancshares, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 2,894,036. Filing ↗machine: span 535149–535158
23Stellar Bancorp, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2025-04-100001104659-25-033748CEO total compensation as printed in Stellar Bancorp, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 2,678,922. Filing ↗machine: t25 · r1 · c47 · span 884964–884973
24Business First Bancshares, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-080001437749-26-011695CEO total compensation as printed in Business First Bancshares, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 2,582,764. Filing ↗machine: t162 · r8 · c22 · span 576719–576728
25Third Coast Bancshares, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-160001193125-26-159039CEO total compensation as printed in Third Coast Bancshares, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 2,503,561. Filing ↗machine: r2 · c27 · span 240742–240751
26Bank7 Corp., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-030001140361-26-013116CEO total compensation as printed in Bank7 Corp.'s own proxy. As printed: 2,375,029. Filing ↗machine: t96 · r4 · c18 · span 260736–260745
27SmartFinancial, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-070001104659-26-040440CEO total compensation as printed in SmartFinancial, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 1,717,633. Filing ↗machine: t125 · r5 · c14 · span 980764–980773
28Investar Holding Corporation, Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-080001437749-26-011771CEO total compensation as printed in Investar Holding Corporation's own proxy. As printed: 1,484,431. Filing ↗machine: t121 · r2 · c25 · span 746704–746713
29Guaranty Bancshares (subject), Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2025-03-310000950170-25-047789CEO total compensation as printed in Guaranty Bancshares's own proxy. As printed: 1,347,196. Filing ↗machine: t17 · r2 · c29 · span 620930–620939
30Southside Bancshares, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-03-250000705432-26-000069CEO total compensation as printed in Southside Bancshares, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 1,224,314. Filing ↗machine: r8 · c48 · span 587992–588001
31Red River Bancshares, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-03-130001071236-26-000028CEO total compensation as printed in Red River Bancshares, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 1,132,306. Filing ↗machine: t19 · r2 · c19 · span 367929–367938
32Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-03-240001140361-26-010915CEO total compensation as printed in Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 969,335. Filing ↗machine: r2 · c21 · span 457783–457790
33Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2025-09-190001104659-25-091709CEO total compensation as printed in Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 690,774. Filing ↗machine: t45 · r6 · c26 · span 506049–506056
34First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc., Section 10b CEO totalDEF 14A2026-04-210001408534-26-000024CEO total compensation as printed in First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.'s own proxy. As printed: 464,421. Filing ↗machine: t7 · r2 · c10 · span 148583–148591
35Section 10a, Red River Bancshares, Inc. reciprocityDEF 14A0001071236-26-000028Red River Bancshares, Inc. names Guaranty Bancshares in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). Filing ↗
36Section 10a, Investar Holding Corporation reciprocityDEF 14A0001437749-26-011771Investar Holding Corporation's most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Guaranty Bancshares. Filing ↗
37Section 10a, Business First Bancshares, Inc. reciprocityDEF 14A0001437749-26-011695Business First Bancshares, Inc. names Guaranty Bancshares in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). Filing ↗
38Section 10a, Civista Bancshares, Inc. reciprocityDEF 14A0001193125-26-145510Civista Bancshares, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Guaranty Bancshares. Filing ↗
39Section 10a, Southside Bancshares, Inc. reciprocityDEF 14A0000705432-26-000069Southside Bancshares, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Guaranty Bancshares. Filing ↗
40Section 10a, Stellar Bancorp, Inc. reciprocityDEF 14A0001104659-25-033748Stellar Bancorp, Inc.'s most recent proxy was read; its disclosed peer group does not include Guaranty Bancshares. Filing ↗
41Section 10a, Equity Bancshares, Inc. reciprocityDEF 14A0001193125-26-103215Equity Bancshares, Inc. names Guaranty Bancshares in its own disclosed peer group (read from its most recent proxy). Filing ↗