Executive compensation at Great Southern drops in 2018

Joe Turner remains the highest-paid executive at Great Southern.

Total compensation for all but one of Great Southern Bancorp Inc.’s (Nasdaq: GSBC) top five executives dropped in 2018, according to the company’s annual proxy filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

President and CEO Joe Turner, the highest-paid executive, reported total compensation of $1.1 million, an 8.3 percent decrease from $1.25 million in 2017, according to the SEC filing.

While annual salaries for the executives were either higher or flat, compensation decreased in other areas, such as option awards and pension values.

Below are the five executives, ranked by total 2018 compensation:
• Joe Turner, $1.1 million, down 8.3 percent from 2017;
• William Turner, board chairman, $544,270, down 12 percent;
• Rex Copeland, chief financial officer, $447,837, down 17 percent;
• John Bugh, chief lending officer, $432,274, up 5.2 percent; and
• Kevin Baker, chief credit officer, $400,380, down 12.3 percent.

The operator of Great Southern Bank posted 2018 earnings of $67.1 million, a roughly 30 percent increase.

GSBC shares were trading at $53.44 as of 12:41 p.m., compared with a 52-week range of $43.30 to $61.65.