Business First Bancshares (BFST) executive compensation, 2026 proxy

David R. Melville, III, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, was paid $2.6M in 2025, down 17% from $3.1M the year before. The CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio was 33:1, on median employee pay of $77,409.

Filed
April 8, 2026
Annual meeting
May 21, 2026
Pay year
2025
Named executives
5
CEO total pay
$2.6M-17% vs prior year
CEO to median employee
33:1median $77,409
CEO pay in equity
33%$864,506 in awards
Prior say-on-pay support
92%of votes cast
CEO Total Compensation
$2,582,764Decreased from prior year
CEO to Median Pay Ratio
33:1Based on median pay of $77,409
Say-on-Pay Support
92%Approval from previous advisory vote
Stock Repurchase
$3.7MRepurchased 150,504 shares

How III was paid

$2.6M in total for 2025, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table. Equity awards are valued at grant, not at what they turned out to be worth.

Salary31%Stock awards33%Non-equity incentive26%Pension and deferred comp8%All other compensation2%

Named executive officers

ExecutiveTotal
David R. Melville, IIIChairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer$2,582,764
Gregory RobertsonExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer$1,047,067
Philip JordanExecutive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer$1,038,770
Keith MansfieldExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer$1,028,636
Norman "Jerry" VascocuPresident of the Bank$1,409,246

What changed and why

  • $2.6MChief executive officer total compensation decreased to $2,582,764 in 2025 compared to $3,116,949 in 2024.
  • 92%Advisory shareholder vote on executive compensation received over 92% support at the prior annual meeting.
  • $208.1MTotal loans held for investment increased $208.1 million or 3.48% during the fiscal year 2025.
  • 1.06%Core return on average assets was 1.06% and core return on common equity was 10.7% for 2025.

About this page

Figures are automated and can be wrong; check the filing for the exact numbers. Totals follow SEC rules, which value stock and option awards at grant. Read the DEF 14A proxy statement for footnotes and the compensation committee's full reasoning.