[ by Melanie Gretchen ]

When FINRA holds its annual meeting in mid-August, one order of business will be the election of 2 Governors to serve on its Board - one for Small Firms, one for Large Firms. 

• Petitions for candidacy must be submitted no later than 6/24/13.

• The precise date and location of the annual meeting will be announced on or about 7/9. 

Small Firm Governor Seat.   As of 5/9/13, there were nearly 3,900 FINRA small firms.  The Nominating Committee decided not to nominate a candidate for election in 2013.  Instead, any eligible candidates who obtain the requisite number of petitions will be included on the ballot.   Among other things, to be eligible, a candidate must, within 45 days after the date of this Election Notice - i.e., by 6/25/13 - obtain and present to the Secretary of FINRA petitions in support of his/her nomination that:

• have been duly executed by at least 3% of eligible FINRA member firms;
• if, however, a candidate’s name appears on a petition in support of more than one nominee, the petition must be endorsed by 10% of eligible FINRA member firms.

Large Firm Governor Seat.   As of 5/9/13, there were 170 large firms.  The FINRA Nominating Committee has nominated as Large Firm Governor, James Weddle, Managing Partner, Edward Jones.   See Mr. Weddle's profile, below.

FINRA Staff Contacts.   Direct questions to:  Marcia Asquith, SVP & Corp. Sec'y -- (202) 728-8949; or Jennifer Piorko Mitchell, Asst Corp. Sec'y -- (202) 728-8415.

For further details, go to [FINRA Election Notice, 5/10/13].

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Profile of James D. Weddle.

Managing partner of Edward Jones, was earning his MBA at Washington University when he was hired in 1976 as a part-time intern in the firm’s Research department. After completing his MBA, Weddle left Research to become a financial advisor in Connersville, Indiana.

He opened the firm’s 200th branch. In 1984, Weddle was named a principal in the firm and was invited back to the St. Louis headquarters where he assumed a series of responsibilities, initially in new Financial Advisor Training, then for one of the firm’s largest areas, Mutual Fund Sales and Marketing. Weddle then led the implementation of a new sales management structure for the firm, taking responsibility for developing the firm’s growth across the entire East Coast and for coordinating the efforts for all of the United States.

While he led the East Coast, the firm expanded from 250 offices to over 1,000. Weddle assumed responsibility for managing all of the firm’s branch offices in late 1997. His responsibilities included not only the facilities themselves, but also financial advisors’ compensation and financial advisor leadership development. Weddle has been a member of the firm’s Management Committee since 1987 and in January 2006, he succeeded Douglas E. Hill as Edward Jones’ fifth managing partner.

A native of Illinois and a graduate of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, Weddle also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School’s Securities Industry Institute in 1988.

He served  as a trustee of the institute from 1989 until 1993, and served on the Continuing Education Committee of the Securities Industry Association from 1994 through 1996. Weddle is on the Executive Committee for Webster University Board of Trustees; Chairman of the Board of The United Way of Greater St. Louis; a past board member of the Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association (SIFMA); a member of the Board of Commissioners for the St. Louis Science Center; a member of Washington University’s Olin School of Business National Council; and a member of the University of Missouri–St. Louis Chancellor’s Council.

Weddle has served on the FINRA Board of Governors since 2009 and has chaired the Finance, Operations and Technology Committee since 2011.