Who pays the cost of this proxy solicitation?
We will pay the cost of preparing, assembling and mailing the proxy materials. We have retained Broadridge to assist us in the distribution of proxy materials and the passive solicitation of proxies. We expect to pay Broadridge approximately $40,000 in the aggregate for services rendered, including passively soliciting proxies, reviewing of proxy materials, disseminating of brokers’ search cards, distributing proxy materials, operating online and phone voting systems, receiving executed proxies and tabulation of results. We will also request banks, brokers and other holders of record to send the proxy materials to, and obtain proxies from, beneficial owners and will reimburse them for their reasonable expenses in doing so. We may retain the services of a proxy solicitation firm if, in the Board of Directors’ view, it is deemed necessary or advisable. Although we do not currently expect to retain such a firm, we estimate that the fees of such firm could be up to $12,500, plus out-of-pocket expenses, all of which would be paid by us.
How do I submit a stockholder proposal for inclusion in the proxy materials for next year’s annual meeting, and what is the deadline for submitting a proposal?
Shareholder Proposals for Inclusion in 2025 Proxy Statement Pursuant to SEC Rule 14a-8. In order for a stockholder proposal to be properly submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act (“Rule 14a-8”) for presentation at our 2025 Annual Meeting and included in the proxy material for next year’s annual meeting, we must receive written notice of the proposal at our executive offices by November 29, 2024. A stockholder nomination of a person for election to our Board or a proposal for consideration at our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders not intended to be included in our proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 must be submitted in accordance with the advance notice procedures and other requirements set forth in our Bylaws.
Other Shareholder Proposals and Nominations. Pursuant to our Bylaws, we must receive timely notice of the nomination or other proposal in writing by not later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on November 29, 2024, nor earlier than October 30, 2024. However, in the event that the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the 2024 Annual Meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be received no earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of the meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of the meeting or the 10th day following the date of the first public announcement of the meeting.
In addition, to comply with the universal proxy rules, stockholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Company’s nominees must provide notice to the Secretary of the Company that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act no later than March 18, 2025.
Proposals should be sent via registered, certified or express mail to: 75 Columbia Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516, Attention: Secretary. For more information regarding stockholder proposals, see “Stockholder Proposals and Nominations” below.
If I share my residence with another stockholder, how many copies of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials should I receive?
We are sending only a single Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to any household at which two or more stockholders reside if they share the same last name or we reasonably believe they are members of the same family, unless we have received instructions to the contrary from any stockholder at that address. This practice is known as “householding” and is permitted by rules adopted by the SEC and Maryland law. This practice reduces the volume of duplicate information received at your household and helps us to reduce costs. Each stockholder will continue to receive a separate proxy card or voting instructions card. We will deliver promptly, upon written request or oral request, a separate copy of: (i) the Notice of 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, (ii) the Proxy Statement, with the accompanying annual letter, or (iii) the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Annual Report on Form 10-K”), as applicable, to a stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the documents was previously delivered. If you received a single set of these documents for your household for this year, but you would prefer to receive your own copy, you may direct requests for separate copies in the future to the following address: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. by telephone at 1-866-540-7095 or in writing at Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., Householding Department, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717. If you are a stockholder who receives multiple copies of our proxy materials, you may request householding by contacting us in the same manner and requesting a householding consent form.