WILLAMETTE VALLEY VINEYARDS INC 8-K

What Happened
Willamette Valley Vineyards, Inc. (WVVI) filed an 8-K on May 20, 2026 announcing that its board appointed John Hazlett as Chief Financial Officer effective May 20, 2026. Mr. Hazlett, age 51, most recently founded Trailwise Advisory Services (fractional CFO services) in January 2025 and previously served as CFO of RENA Technologies North America (Dec 2021–Dec 2024) and Climax Portable Machine Tools (Mar 2018–Mar 2020). He holds an MBA from Baldwin Wallace University, a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Bowling Green State University, and an active CPA license in Ohio. Mr. Hazlett replaces John Ferry, who announced his intention to retire on February 12, 2026 and will remain with the company during a transition period.

Key Details

• Effective date: May 20, 2026 (appointment announced in 8-K filed May 20, 2026).
• Compensation: base salary $216,000 per year and eligible for an annual performance-based incentive up to $24,000; performance goals set annually by the Company’s President.
• No related-party issues: appointment not part of any arrangement with others; no family relationships or reportable transactions under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
• Predecessor: John Ferry announced retirement Feb 12, 2026 and will assist during transition.

Why It Matters
A CFO change is a material leadership update investors watch because the CFO oversees financial reporting, controls and strategy execution. The filing provides concrete compensation terms and confirms no related-party concerns. Investors should note the effective date and the unspecified length of the transition period with the outgoing CFO; the company filed the employment agreement as Exhibit 10.1 for full details.