Thalia M. Meehan was appointed Director of the Company on July 3, 2017 and has served as the Independent Lead Director since 2022. Ms. Meehan has also been appointed to serve as a member of the Investment and Compensation Committees. Ms. Meehan, a Chartered Financial Analyst, has over 30 years of experience in the investment sector. Ms. Meehan retired from Putnam Investments in 2016 with 27 years of experience and most recently served as a Team Leader and Portfolio Manager at Putnam Investments. Ms. Meehan currently serves on the Advisory Committees for both the Board of Boston Women in Public Finance and the Huntington Theatre Company. Previously, she was a board member at Cambridge Bancorp, where she served on the Trust and Risk Committees. She also was a member of the Nominating and Governance Committees for the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. Ms. Meehan s leadership skills and vast experience in the investment sector enable her to provide valuable insight and advice regarding investment decisions and other matter of import to the Company, which we believe well qualify her to serve on our Board.