DANETTE GARZA, J.D., CPA - Corporate Board Profile

Finward Bancorp

Filing Date	Source Excerpt
2019-03-11	Danette Garza, J.D., CPA, served as Probate Commissioner for the Lake County Superior Court from 2013 to 2017. In 2015 she took ownership of Jack Gray Transport, Inc. and Lakes and Rivers Logistics, Inc., a bulk and break bulk hauler and stevedore operation located in Gary, Indiana. She is a certified public accountant as well as a licensed attorney specializing in corporate, estate planning, and elder law. She brings to the Board financial expertise and strong business acumen. The Board draws on her professional strengths and civic involvement as resources to help with the Bancorp’s strategic direction and capitalize on strategic opportunities of the Bancorp. She is Chairwoman of the Wealth Management Committee, a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, the Risk Management Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
2020-04-03	Danette Garza, J.D., CPA, served as Probate Commissioner for the Lake County Superior Court from 2013 to 2017. In 2015, she took ownership of Jack Gray Transport Logistics Network, Inc., a bulk and break bulk hauler and stevedore operation located in Gary, Indiana. She is a certified public accountant as well as a licensed attorney specializing in corporate, estate planning, and elder law. She brings to the Board financial expertise and strong business acumen. The Board draws on her professional strengths and civic involvement as resources to help with the Bancorp’s strategic direction and capitalize on strategic opportunities of the Bancorp. She is a member of the Wealth Management Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Risk Management Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
2021-03-31	Danette Garza is a member of the Wealth Management Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Risk Management and Audit Committee, and the Credit Committee. Director Compensation Table for 2020 shows total compensation of $34,179.
2022-03-30	Danette Garza, J.D., CPA, served as Probate Commissioner for the Lake County Superior Court... She is a member of the Wealth Management Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Risk Management and Audit Committee, and the Credit Committee.
2023-03-30	Danette Garza, J.D., CPA, served as Probate Commissioner for the Lake County Superior Court from 2013 to 2017. She is a certified public accountant as well as a licensed attorney specializing in corporate, estate planning, and elder law. She serves as the Chair of the Risk Management and Audit Committee, and as a member of the Wealth Management Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the Credit Committee. For 2022, Danette Garza's total compensation was $42,025.
2025-04-01	Danette Garza, J.D., M.B.A., C.P.A., is a certified public accountant as well as a licensed attorney specializing in corporate, estate planning, and elder law. She continues to practice as an attorney at the firm of Austgen, Kuiper, Jasaitis, P.C., in Crown Point, Indiana. The Board draws on her professional strengths and civic involvement as resources to help with the Bancorp’s strategic direction and capitalize on strategic opportunities of the Bancorp. Ms. Garza serves as a member of the Risk Management and Compliance Committee, the Audit Committee and the Compensation & Benefits Committee. From 2015 through 2023, she held ownership of Jack Gray Transport, Inc. and affiliates, a bulk and break bulk hauler and stevedore operation located in Gary, Indiana. In May 2023, petitions for involuntary bankruptcy were filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division, against Jack Gray Transport, Inc. and various affiliated entities in three separate actions under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The three bankruptcy cases were dismissed by the bankruptcy court, with prejudice, in June 2023. Ms. Garza served as Probate Commissioner for the Lake County Superior Court from 2013 to 2017 hearing probate, guardianship and trust cases.