BAR HARBOR BANKSHARES
For the period ended May 7, 2026. Filed Mar 19, 2026.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.
May 7, 2026 · Filed Mar 19, 2026
Use the contents to explore the available documents and sections.
Contents
Cover page
Show cover page
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
| | |
|---|---|
| Filed by the Registrant ☒ | |
| Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐ | |
| Check the appropriate box: | |
| ☐ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
| ☐ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
| ☒ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
| ☐ | Definitive Additional Materials |
| ☐ | Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12 |
BAR HARBOR BANKSHARES
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
| | |
|---|---|
| | |
| (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) | |
| | |
| Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): | |
| ☒ | No fee required. |
| ☐ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
| ☐ | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a6(i)(1) and 0-11 |
Letter From the President and CEO
| | Dear Bar Harbor Bankshares Shareholders:I invite you to join me, the Board of Directors of Bar Harbor Bankshares (the “Company”), our Senior Management Team, and your fellow shareholders at our 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at the Bar Harbor Club located at 111 West Street in Bar Harbor, Maine. Our Notice of Annual Meeting, Proxy Statement and Proxy Card are enclosed along with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for year ended December 31, 2025.A BANK THAT CONTINUES TO NAVIGATE CHANGE WHILE BALANCING GROWTH WITH EARNINGSWe have navigated change throughout our 138-year history. In the most recent year, we continued to navigate change as economic and geopolitical winds created yet more change, if not outright uncertainty. We nonetheless expanded our core businesses by effectively directing that which was in our control and managing that which is not. Continued execution of base growth was aided by further expanding our footprint, brand, and profitability with the acquisition of Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, a like-minded partner. We welcomed a new region of customers and colleagues with the acquisition and are unlocking further potential there. This continues to prove our ability to acquire established, longstanding franchises, preserve their feel, while improving offerings and efficiency. While we underscore consistency as the hallmark of our bank, regardless of environment, these opportunities help demonstrate that, when properly managed, an acquisitive element of our strategy can accelerate growth and earnings without absorbing unacceptable risk. Our high-touch services model, particularly in rural markets, multiple earnings levers, and commitment to risk management have enabled us to continue to advance our strategy in 2025. We have assembled the right teams in the right communities all united through a culture that strives to be a positive earnings outlier throughout Northern New England. With recent combinations in our markets, we are seeing some level of talent shift that had been previously unwilling to seek new opportunity due to life’s uncertainties. Our reputation and stated interest in growth positions us to continue to selectively attract catalyst recruits. I remain confident that the Company, led by an experienced Board of Directors and a management team with a proven track record, has the right elements to meet varying environments with great confidence and agility. YOUR ATTENTION IS REQUIREDYour vote is important and your prompt attention to these materials is greatly appreciated. Regardless of whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, we hope you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote by telephone or Internet, or by completing, signing, dating, and returning the enclosed Proxy Card or Voting Instruction Card if you requested and received printed proxy materials. Shareholders who attend the Annual Meeting may withdraw their proxy and vote at the Annual Meeting if they wish to do so. You may submit Internet, telephone, and email votes up until 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2026, for shares held directly and by 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 4, 2026, for shares held in the Company’s 401(k) Plan. Please have your proxy card in hand when utilizing these alternate forms of voting.Finally, I would like to thank Kenneth Smith for his service and commitment as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company for more than 20 years. He will retire after his current board term expires at the Annual Meeting. We value his insights shared and will miss his contributions. On behalf of your Board of Directors, we thank you for trusting us to oversee your investment in the Company.Sincerely,CURTIS C. SIMARDPresident and CEO |
|---|---|
| CURTIS C. SIMARDPresident andChief Executive Officer | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Harbor Bankshares | | | 82 Main Street | | | Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 |
| | | | | | | |
About Us
We foster sustainable communities through responsible financial commitments.
As a community bank, we recognize that we and our investors are successful when our customers prosper. We make significant investments in technology, our people, and branches. Our more than 60 branches are staffed by friendly, knowledgeable bankers who are driven by their desire to help their customers achieve their goals.
| | Maine●22 full-service branches in Downeast, Midcoast and Central Maine.●Primary market areas: Hancock, Knox, Washington, Kennebec and Sagadahoc counties.New Hampshire●29 full-service branches and two stand-alone drive-up windows in New Hampshire.●Primary market areas: Nashua, Manchester, Concord, Littleton, and Upper Valley, including Lebanon, Hanover, New London and Newport.Vermont●10 full service-branches and one stand-alone drive-up window in Vermont.●Primary market areas: Central Vermont within the counties of Rutland, Windsor and Orange. |
|---|
Information provided as of December 31, 2025To learn more about our Environmental, Social and Governance practices, please visit our dedicated webpage at: www.barharbor.bank/about-us/esg or scan the QR code provided. The information on our website, including the information regarding our Environmental, Social and Governance practices, is not incorporated by reference or otherwise made a part of this proxy statement.
Notice of Annual Meeting ofShareholders
| | ||
|---|---|---|
| WHEN:10:00 a.m., EDT,Thursday, May 7, 2026 | Where:Bar Harbor Club111 West StreetBar Harbor, Maine | Record Date:March 2, 2026 |
ITEMS OF BUSINESS:
This 2026 annual meeting of shareholders or any adjournments or postponements thereof (the “Annual Meeting”) of Bar Harbor Bankshares (the “Company”) is being held for the following purposes:
| PROPOSAL NUMBER · BOARD RECOMMENDATION · PAGEREFERENCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | To elect 10 persons named in the proxy statement to serve as directors for a term of one year and until their successors are duly elected and qualified | Vote FOR ALL | 10 |
| 2 | To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers | Vote FOR | 39 |
| 3 | To ratify the appointment of Crowe LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 | Vote FOR | 62 |
To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting. The Board at present knows of no other business to be brought before the Annual Meeting.
PROXY VOTING:
Your vote is important. You may vote your shares:
| | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | |
| Over the Internet at www.proxyvote.com | By telephone at 1-800-690-6903 | At the Annual Meeting, in person | |||
| By email to bhb@allianceadvisors.com with your full name and shares owned (for non-institutional investors only) | By mailing your completed proxy card to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717 | ||||
We urge you to promptly vote your shares. Submitting a proxy card will not prevent you from participating in the Annual Meeting and voting in person.
ANNUAL MEETING ADMISSION:
For security reasons, a picture ID will be required if you attend the Annual Meeting in person. If your shares are not registered in your name, appropriate documentation from the shareholder of record is required to vote at the Annual Meeting. Examples include a broker’s statement, letter or other document that confirms your beneficial ownership of the shares. If shares are held by your broker, bank or another party as a nominee or agent, you should follow the instructions provided by that party. We may refuse admission to anyone who is not a Company shareholder or does not comply with these requirements.
A list of shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for inspection by any shareholder of the Company on or before March 18, 2026 and will remain available for inspection throughout the Annual Meeting.
| By Order of the Board of DirectorsKirstie A. Carter, Corporate ClerkMarch 16, 2026 | The deadline for transmitting Internet, telephone, and email voting is 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2026 for shares held directly and by 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 4, 2026 for shares held in the Company’s 401(k) Plan. Please have your proxy card in hand when utilizing these alternate forms of voting. |
|---|
The Notice of Annual Meeting, proxy statement and proxy card will be mailed to our shareholders on or about March 16, 2026.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.