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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
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Date and Time:
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| |
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time
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Venue:
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| |
KVH Industries, Inc.
50 Enterprise Center
Middletown, Rhode Island 02842
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Items of Business:
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| |
Proposal 1: To elect one Class II director to a three-year term expiring in 2025;
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| | | |
Proposal 2: To approve the KVH Industries, Inc. Amended and Restated 2016 Equity and Incentive Plan, which increases the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan;
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| | | |
Proposal 3: To approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation of our named executive officers in 2021;
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| | | |
Proposal 4: To ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2022; and
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| | | |
To transact such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.
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Record Date:
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| |
Our Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on Monday, April 18, 2022, as the record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the annual meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the meeting. Only stockholders of record on April 18, 2022 are entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.
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Voting:
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| |
Your vote is very important. Regardless of whether you plan to attend the annual meeting, we hope you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote your shares over the Internet or via a toll-free telephone number. If you received a paper copy of a proxy card or voting instruction form by mail, you may submit your proxy card or voting instruction form for the annual meeting by completing, signing, dating, and returning your proxy card or voting instruction form in the postage-paid envelope provided. For specific instructions on how to vote your shares, please refer to the section entitled “Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Voting” beginning on page 6 of the accompanying proxy statement. If you are the beneficial but not record owner of your shares (that is, you hold your shares in “street name” through an intermediary such as a broker), you will receive instructions from your broker as to how to vote your shares.
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YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
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Mail
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Telephone
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Internet
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In Person
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Please complete, date, sign and return the enclosed proxy card, whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting.
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Use the toll-free telephone number on your proxy card to vote by telephone.
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Visit the website noted on your proxy card to vote via the Internet.
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Vote by attending the meeting and casting a ballot in person. You must be a record holder or have a valid proxy from a record holder.
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| |
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials
for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be Held on June 8, 2022
This proxy statement and our 2021 annual report to stockholders are available on the Internet at
www.kvh.com/annual.
You can read, print, download and search these materials at that website.
The website does not use “cookies” or other tracking devices to identify visitors.
None of the information on our website or elsewhere on the Internet forms a part of this proxy statement or is
incorporated by reference into this proxy statement. |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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| Appendix A – KVH Industries, Inc. Amended and Restated 2016 Equity and Incentive Plan | | | |
| |
PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY
|
| |
|
Date and Time:
|
| | Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time | |
|
Venue:
|
| |
KVH Industries, Inc.
50 Enterprise Center Middletown, Rhode Island 02842 |
|
|
Record Date:
|
| | The close of business on April 18, 2022 | |
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Voting:
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| |
Each share of common stock outstanding on the record date will be entitled to cast one vote.
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|
Management Proposals
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Board Vote Recommendation
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Page
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1.
Election of Director
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FOR the Board’s Nominee
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8
|
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|
2.
Approval of the KVH Industries, Inc. Amended and Restated 2016 Equity and Incentive Plan
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FOR
|
| |
10
|
|
|
3.
Non-Binding “Say on Pay” Vote
|
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FOR
|
| |
19
|
|
|
4.
Ratification of Appointment of Independent Public Accounting Firm
|
| |
FOR
|
| |
22
|
|
|
Name
|
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Age
|
| |
Director Since
|
| |
Independent
|
| |
Committee Membership
|
|
|
Charles R. Trimble
|
| |
80
|
| |
1999
|
| |
Yes
|
| |
Audit Committee; Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee |
|
| |
✔
|
| |
Our directors are elected for three-year terms by majority voting in uncontested elections and by plurality voting in contested elections
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| |
✔
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| |
A majority of our directors are independent, and a majority of our directors are women. Currently, all of our directors are independent
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| |
✔
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| |
All of the members of our audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees are independent
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| |
✔
|
| | We have appointed an independent Chair of the Board | | |
| |
✔
|
| | Executive sessions of independent directors are held at each regularly scheduled Board meeting | | |
| |
✔
|
| | We rotated our independent registered public accounting firm in June 2014 | | |
| |
✔
|
| | We conduct annual stockholder votes to ratify the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm | | |
| |
✔
|
| | The majority of director compensation is in the form of KVH common stock | | |
| |
✔
|
| | We have a strong pay-for-performance executive compensation philosophy | | |
| |
✔
|
| | We conduct annual non-binding “say on pay” votes regarding our executive compensation program | | |
| |
✔
|
| |
We have a “double-trigger” requirement for executives to receive cash severance and equity vesting upon a change of control
|
| |
| |
✔
|
| | Our independent compensation consultant is hired by the compensation committee | | |
| |
✔
|
| | We conduct annual board and committee self-assessments | | |
| |
✔
|
| |
We prohibit short sales, transactions in derivatives, hedging, and pledging of KVH securities by our directors and named executive officers
|
| |
| |
What We Do
|
| |
What We Don’t Do
|
| |
| |
✔
Offer competitive compensation that attracts and retains executive talent
✔
Seek to align the interests of our named executive officers with those of our stockholders and reward the creation of long-term value for KVH stockholders through equity grants
✔
Emphasize variable performance-based compensation over fixed compensation
✔
Align payout of annual incentives to drivers of stockholder value, such as operating income
✔
Balance the importance of achieving long-term strategic priorities and critical short-term goals linked to long-term objectives
✔
Align individual performance goals with our business strategy
✔
Cap incentive payments
✔
Benchmark compensation against that of a broad group of companies
✔
Cash and equity awards under our 2016 Equity and Incentive Plan have clawback provisions
✔
Impose minimum vesting periods of one year, with minor exceptions
✔
Require a “double-trigger” for executives to receive cash severance and equity vesting upon a change of control
|
| |
✘
No tax gross-ups
✘
No guaranteed salary increases
✘
No evergreen provisions in our equity plan
✘
No “liberal share recycling” on restricted stock or other full-value awards under our equity plan
✘
No repricing of stock options or stock appreciation rights without stockholder approval
✘
No discounted stock options or stock appreciation rights
✘
No buyouts of stock options or stock appreciation rights without stockholder approval
✘
No “liberal” definition of change of control in our equity plan
|
| |
| |
For 2021, we had a non-equity incentive compensation plan intended to reward our named executive officers for achievement of corporate, mobile connectivity business unit, inertial navigation business unit and individual performance goals for that year, with each component representing 25% of the executives’ target bonus opportunity. In March 2022, after assessing our overall financial performance for 2021, our Compensation Committee determined to award non-equity incentive compensation to our named executive officers in accordance with our performance against corporate, business unit and individual performance goals for 2021, except that our Compensation Committee determined not to award any non-equity incentive compensation to our then-serving chief executive officer. The degree of achievement of our corporate, mobile connectivity business unit and inertial navigation business unit goals was 25%, 44% and 0%, respectively. Our Compensation Committee determined that our named executive officers, other than our former chief executive officer, achieved 100% of their individual performance goals. The aggregate incentive compensation actually received by our named executive officers, other than our former chief executive officer, ranged from approximately 22% to 25% of their respective base salaries, rather than the targeted range of 50% to 60% of their respective base salaries.
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| |
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND VOTING
|
| |
|
Proposal 1
|
| |
To elect one Class II director to a three-year term.
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|
|
Proposal 2
|
| |
To approve the KVH Industries, Inc. Amended and Restated 2016 Equity and Incentive Plan.
|
|
|
Proposal 3
|
| |
To approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation of our named executive officers.
|
|
|
Proposal 4
|
| |
To ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.
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PROPOSAL 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTOR
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| |
| |
Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the election of Charles R. Trimble as our Class II director.
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| |
PROPOSAL 2 – APPROVAL OF KVH INDUSTRIES, INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED 2016 EQUITY AND INCENTIVE PLAN
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| |
| |
Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the approval of the KVH Industries, Inc. Amended and Restated 2016 Equity and Incentive Plan, which increases the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan.
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|
Name and Position
|
| |
Number of Shares
|
|
|
Martin A. Kits van Heyningen
Former President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors |
| |
—
|
|
|
Brent C. Bruun(1)
Current Interim President and Chief Executive Officer; Chief Operating Officer |
| |
18,700
|
|
|
Roger A. Kuebel(1)
Chief Financial Officer |
| |
14,321
|
|
| All current executive officers, as a group(1) | | |
67,914
|
|
| All current directors who are not executive officers, as a group(2) | | |
53,813
|
|
| All current employees who are not executive officers, as a group(1) | | |
115,271
|
|
|
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PROPOSAL 3 – NON-BINDING “SAY ON PAY” VOTE
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| |
| |
Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers for 2021, as described in the executive compensation tables and the accompanying narrative disclosure set forth in this proxy statement.
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| |
PROPOSAL 4 – RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
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| |
Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the proposed ratification of the appointment by our Audit Committee of Grant Thornton LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2022.
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DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
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COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
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|
Name and Principal Position
|
| |
Year
|
| |
Salary
($) |
| |
Bonus
($)(1) |
| |
Stock
Awards ($)(2) |
| |
Option
Awards ($)(3) |
| |
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation ($)(4) |
| |
All Other
Compensation ($)(5) |
| |
Total
($) |
|
|
Martin A. Kits van Heyningen
Former President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board |
| |
2021
|
| |
530,374
|
| |
1,000
|
| |
343,590
|
| |
345,026
|
| |
—
|
| |
22,098
|
| |
1,242,088
|
|
|
2020
|
| |
502,725
|
| |
1,000
|
| |
529,773
|
| |
326,623
|
| |
102,815
|
| |
21,393
|
| |
1,484,329
|
| |||
|
Brent C. Bruun
Current Interim President and Chief Executive Officer; Chief Operating Officer |
| |
2021
|
| |
417,942
|
| |
1,000
|
| |
162,456
|
| |
163,128
|
| |
105,916
|
| |
23,700
|
| |
874,142
|
|
|
2020
|
| |
401,539
|
| |
1,000
|
| |
154,499
|
| |
154,431
|
| |
54,013
|
| |
22,834
|
| |
788,316
|
| |||
|
Roger A. Kuebel(6)
Chief Financial Officer |
| |
2021
|
| |
262,500
|
| |
820
|
| |
—
|
| |
352,725
|
| |
57,163
|
| |
16,563
|
| |
689,771
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
Option Awards
|
| |
Stock Awards
|
| |||||||||||||||
|
Name
|
| |
Number of
Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Exercisable (#) |
| |
Number of
Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Unexercisable (#)(1) |
| |
Option
Exercise Price ($) |
| |
Option
Expiration Date(2) |
| |
Grant Date
of Shares of Stock That Have Not Vested |
| |
Number of
Shares of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)(3) |
| |
Market
Value of Shares of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)(4) |
|
| Martin A. Kits van Heyningen | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
6/6/2018
|
| |
7,177
|
| |
65,957
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
6/5/2019
|
| |
17,624
|
| |
161,965
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
8/2/2020
|
| |
48,932
|
| |
449,685
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
3/31/2021
|
| |
27,097
|
| |
249,021
|
|
| | | |
117,843
|
| | | | |
7.85
|
| |
3/30/2022
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
64,262
|
| |
21,420
|
| |
11.30
|
| |
6/6/2023
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
54,102
|
| |
54,100
|
| |
9.33
|
| |
6/5/2024
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
28,366
|
| |
85,096
|
| |
8.12
|
| |
8/2/2025
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
73,363
|
| |
12.68
|
| |
3/31/2026
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| Brent C. Bruun | | |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
6/6/2018
|
| |
3,100
|
| |
28,489
|
|
| | | |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
6/5/2019
|
| |
8,090
|
| |
74,347
|
|
| | | |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
8/2/2020
|
| |
14,270
|
| |
131,141
|
|
| | | |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
3/31/2021
|
| |
12,812
|
| |
117,742
|
|
| | | |
38,603
|
| |
|
| |
7.85
|
| |
3/30/2022
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| | | |
27,761
|
| |
9,253
|
| |
11.30
|
| |
6/6/2023
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| | | |
24,835
|
| |
24,834
|
| |
9.33
|
| |
6/5/2024
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| | | |
13,412
|
| |
40,234
|
| |
8.12
|
| |
8/2/2025
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| | | |
|
| |
34,686
|
| |
12.68
|
| |
3/31/2026
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| Roger A. Kuebel | | | | | |
75,000
|
| |
12.68
|
| |
3/31/2026
|
| | | | | | | | | |
|
Position
|
| |
Annual Value of
Restricted Stock Awards ($) |
|
|
Non-Employee Chair of the Board
or Lead Independent Director |
| |
7,500
|
|
| Audit Committee Chair | | |
18,000
|
|
|
Audit Committee Member (other
than Chair) |
| |
9,000
|
|
| Compensation Committee Chair | | |
10,000
|
|
|
Compensation Committee Member
(other than Chair) |
| |
5,000
|
|
|
Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee Chair |
| |
10,000
|
|
|
Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee Member (other than Chair) |
| |
5,000
|
|
|
Name
|
| |
Fees Earned
or Paid in Cash ($) |
| |
Stock
Awards ($)(1) |
| |
Total
($)(2) |
|
| Danelle M. Barrett | | |
40,016
|
| |
55,000
|
| |
95,016
|
|
| James S. Dodez | | |
40,794
|
| |
110,000
|
| |
150,794
|
|
| Cielo Hernandez | | |
40,425
|
| |
165,000
|
| |
205,425
|
|
| Cathy-Ann Martine-Dolecki | | |
33,895
|
| |
110,000
|
| |
143,895
|
|
| Robert Tavares | | |
39,900
|
| |
110,000
|
| |
149,900
|
|
| Charles R. Trimble | | |
41,143
|
| |
110,000
|
| |
151,143
|
|
| Mark S. Ain(3) | | |
5,250
|
| |
—
|
| |
5,250
|
|
| Stanley K. Honey(3) | | |
5,250
|
| |
—
|
| |
5,250
|
|
| | | |
Stock Awards
|
| ||||||
|
Name
|
| |
Grant Date
of Shares of Stock That Have Not Vested |
| |
Number of
Shares of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) |
| |
Market
Value of Shares of Stock That Have Not Vested ($)(1) |
|
| Danelle M. Barrett | | |
8/3/2021
|
| |
3,750(2)
|
| |
34,463
|
|
| James S. Dodez | | |
8/3/2021
|
| |
7,500(2)
|
| |
68,925
|
|
| Cielo Hernandez | | |
8/3/2021
|
| |
11,250(2)
|
| |
103,388
|
|
| Cathy-Ann Martine-Dolecki | | |
8/3/2021
|
| |
7,500(2)
|
| |
68,925
|
|
| Robert Tavares | | |
8/3/2021
|
| |
7,500(2)
|
| |
68,925
|
|
| Charles R. Trimble | | |
8/3/2021
|
| |
7,500(2)
|
| |
68,925
|
|
|
| |
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
|
| |
|
Plan category
|
| |
Number of shares to be
issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (#) column (a) |
| |
Weighted-average
exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights ($) column (b) |
| |
Number of shares remaining
available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding shares reflected in column (a)(#)) column (c) |
|
|
Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders
|
| |
2,127,107(1)
|
| |
9.93
|
| |
1,279,117(2)
|
|
|
Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders
|
| |
—
|
| |
—
|
| |
—
|
|
| Total | | |
2,127,107(1)
|
| |
9.93
|
| |
1,279,117(2)
|
|
| |
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
|
| |
| | | |
Shares beneficially owned
|
| |||||||||
| | | |
Outstanding
|
| |
Right to
acquire |
| |
Total
|
| |
Percent
|
|
| 5% Stockholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C.(1)
2187 Atlantic Street, 9th Floor Stamford, CT 06902 |
| |
2,294,780
|
| |
—
|
| |
2,294,780
|
| |
12.1
|
|
|
Systematic Financial Management, L.P.(2)
300 Frank W. Burr Blvd., Glenpointe East, 7 Floor Teaneck, NJ 07666 |
| |
1,818,776
|
| |
—
|
| |
1,818,776
|
| |
9.6
|
|
|
BlackRock, Inc.(3)
55 East 52 Street New York, NY 10055 |
| |
1,110,735
|
| |
—
|
| |
1,110,735
|
| |
5.9
|
|
|
Needham Investment Management, L.L.C.(4)
250 Park Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10117-1099 |
| |
1,053,000
|
| |
—
|
| |
1,053,000
|
| |
5.6
|
|
|
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP(5)
Building One 6300 Bee Cave Road Austin, TX 78746 |
| |
974,049
|
| |
—
|
| |
974,049
|
| |
5.2
|
|
| Directors | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Charles R. Trimble
|
| |
142,000
|
| |
—
|
| |
142,000
|
| |
*
|
|
|
James S. Dodez
|
| |
62,381
|
| |
—
|
| |
62,381
|
| |
*
|
|
|
Cielo Hernandez
|
| |
15,000
|
| |
—
|
| |
15,000
|
| |
*
|
|
|
Danelle Barrett
|
| |
15,000
|
| |
—
|
| |
15,000
|
| |
*
|
|
|
Cathy-Ann Martine-Dolecki
|
| |
10,000
|
| |
—
|
| |
10,000
|
| |
*
|
|
| Other Named Executive Officers | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Martin A. Kits van Heyningen(6)
|
| |
921,484
|
| |
237,599
|
| |
1,159,083
|
| |
6.1
|
|
|
Brent C. Bruun
|
| |
139,495
|
| |
103,495
|
| |
242,567
|
| |
1.3
|
|
|
Roger Kuebel
|
| |
—
|
| |
18,750
|
| |
18,750
|
| |
*
|
|
|
All current directors and current executive officers as a group (11 persons)(7)
|
| |
657,066
|
| |
345,761
|
| |
1,002,827
|
| |
5.2
|
|
| |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
|
| |
| |
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT(1)
|
| |
| |
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
|
| |
| | | |
Fees
|
| |||
|
Fee category
|
| |
2021
|
| |
2020
|
|
| Audit fees(1) | | |
$715,354
|
| |
$868,218
|
|
| Audit-related fees(2) | | |
$5,132
|
| |
$18,218
|
|
| Tax fees(3) | | |
$2,723
|
| |
$20,488
|
|
| All other fees | | |
—
|
| |
—
|
|
| Total fees | | |
$723,209
|
| |
$906,924
|
|
|
| |
DELINQUENT SECTION 16(A) REPORTS
|
| |
| |
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
|
| |
| |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
|
| |