{"schema_version":"secwatch.filing_event.v1","accession":"0001171843-26-006713","form_type":"8-K","ticker":"CLFD","cik":"0000796505","company_name":"Clearfield, Inc.","filed_at":"2026-10-20T16:00:14+00:00","discovered_at":"2026-10-20T16:01:00.161938+00:00","generated_at":"2026-10-20T16:01:05.390725+00:00","sec_items":["5.02","7.01","9.01"],"event_type":"leadership","sentiment":"neutral","materiality_score":0.6,"calibrated_materiality_score":0.6,"confidence":"high","headline":"Clearfield CEO Cheri Beranek to retire March 31, 2027; board begins successor search","bullets":["Beranek remains President and CEO until the earlier of a successor's appointment or March 31, 2027, then becomes President and CEO Emeritus in a non-executive, non-director role.","Transition agreement dated Oct. 15, 2026 keeps her base salary at $483,000 and benefits unchanged; no future equity awards; 2027 incentive bonus set at 100% of salary and not prorated.","March 31, 2027 departure will be treated as termination without Cause, subject to a general release, preserving severance benefits under her 2008 employment agreement.","Board Chair Catherine T. Kelly said the board will consider external and internal candidates and will use a nationally recognized search firm.","Clearfield expects fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter and full-year results in line with guidance given Aug. 5, 2026; results are due after market close on Nov. 10, 2026."],"urls":{"canonical":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001171843-26-006713","json":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001171843-26-006713.json","markdown":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001171843-26-006713.md","text":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001171843-26-006713.txt","edgar_index":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/796505/000117184326006713/0001171843-26-006713-index.htm","edgar_primary_document":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/796505/000117184326006713/f8k_102026.htm"},"model":{"generated_by":"deepseek-v4.1-flash:cloud@v2","generated_at":"2026-10-20T16:01:05.390725+00:00"},"review":{"review_status":"machine_generated","human_reviewed":false,"corrected":false,"correction_note":null,"correction_timestamp":null,"superseded_by":null,"related_filings":[]},"source_grounded_claims":[{"claim_id":"8c7cc2f688","claim":"Cheryl Beranek departed as President and Chief Executive Officer at Clearfield, Inc..","evidence_excerpt":"On October 15, 2026, Clearfield, Inc. (the “Company”) and Cheryl Beranek, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, entered into a transition agreement (the “Transition Agreement”), to facilitate Ms. Beranek’s retirement on March 31, 2027 and the smooth transition to a successor President and Chief Executive Officer.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.02","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/796505/000117184326006713/0001171843-26-006713-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Executive change","details":[{"label":"Action","value":"retirement"},{"label":"Role","value":"President and Chief Executive Officer"}],"fact_type":"executive_change"}],"license":"Source filings: public domain (SEC EDGAR). Summaries (headline + bullets): CC-BY-4.0; attribute https://secwatch.observer"}