clbk-20220616

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): June 16, 2022

Columbia Financial, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


Delaware	001-38456	22-3504946
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission	(IRS Employer
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification Number)

19-01 Route 208 North, Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410

(Address of principal executive offices)

(800) 522-4167

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:


Title of each class	Trading symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, $0.01 par value per share	CLBK	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01 Other Events

On June 16, 2022, Columbia Financial, Inc. (the "Company"), the holding Company for Columbia Bank and Freehold Bank, issued a press release announcing that Jenifer Walden has been appointed as Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer for Columbia Bank. Ms. Walden, who will succeed Geri Kelly upon her retirement in September 2022, will be responsible for Human Resources and Learning and Development, following Ms. Kelly's retirement. A copy of the Company's press release is included as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits


Exhibit Number						Description
99.1						Press release dated June 16, 2022
104						Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunder duly authorized.

Date:

June 16, 2022

/s/Dennis E. Gibney

Dennis E. Gibney

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Columbia Bank Hires Jenifer Walden,

New Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer

FAIR LAWN, NJ JUNE 16, 2022 — Columbia Bank is pleased to welcome, Jenifer Walden, the new Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, effective immediately. Ms. Walden, who will succeed Geri Kelly upon her retirement in September 2022, will be responsible for Human Resources and Learning and Development, following Ms. Kelly’s retirement.

Ms. Walden has spent more than two decades at Fortune 50 financial services institutions, including Ernst & Young and Prudential, and more recently at three smaller entities including a mid-cap bank, a technology start-up, and a global manufacturing company. She has enjoyed repeated success serving as a trusted business partner and change agent in the development and delivery of Human Resources strategies, along with organizational development initiatives, that build confidence and capability of leaders, strengthen employee relations, and drive sustainable results.

Very active in the community, Ms. Walden, a lifetime Girl Scout, serves as the executive Board Chair of the Our Chalet Foundation, in Adelboden, Switzerland, and member of the Friends of Our Chalet Committee in New York City, both integral to the first and oldest Girl Guide and Girl Scout World Center. She also is an Advisory Board Member of St. Joseph’s University’s Erivan K. Haub School of Business, and is an alumni volunteer for her alma mater, St. Lawrence University.

A doctoral candidate in strategic leadership at Liberty University, Ms. Walden holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from St. Joseph’s University, and a Bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University. She is an Executive Coach with BetterUp, and has several certifications including Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Society of HR Managers-Senior Certified Professional (SCP) and HRCI-Senior HR Professional (SPHR). Ms. Walden currently resides in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey with her fiancé and their blended family of six children.

About Columbia Bank

Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Fair Lawn, NJ, Columbia Bank has 66 full-service branch networks spanning the state of New Jersey, an asset base of approximately $9.1 billion. Columbia Bank offers a full suite of consumer and commercial products, including online and mobile banking, localized lending centers as well as title, investment and wealth management services. For more information about Columbia Bank’s complete line of products and services, visit www.ColumbiaBankOnline.com. Follow Columbia Bank on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube & Linked In.