EXHIBIT No. 10.3
CHEMICAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN FOR DIRECTORS
Adopted November 15, 1982, effective for calendar year 1983, and thereafter,
most recently amended October 20, 1997.
A. |
Introduction |
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This plan (the Plan) is a private unfunded non-qualified
deferred compensation arrangement for non-employee Directors of Chemical
Financial Corporation (the Company) or of wholly-owned subsidiaries of
the Company which have elected to participate in the Plan. The Plan will
permit Directors, on an individual election basis, to defer all or one-half
of the fees payable for services as a Director of the Company or of a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company until after their retirement from the Board. |
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B. |
Purpose |
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The purpose of the Plan is to provide Directors
with maximum opportunity and flexibility in the planning of their personal
financial resources. |
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C. |
Manner of Deferral of Compensation |
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Each Director of the Company or any of its participating
subsidiaries may elect on or before December 31 of each calendar year to
defer payment of all or one-half of all fees payable to him for his services
as a Director (including Board Committee fees) during the calendar year
following such election. Any person who shall become a Director during
any calendar year may elect to defer payment of all or one-half of such
fees for the remainder of such calendar year by making such election prior
to attending his first meeting of the Board of Directors or any committee
thereof. All elections shall be irrevocable during the calendar year to
which such election pertains, and all elections shall be in writing and
in form acceptable to the Company. |
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The compensation deferred will be credited on
the books of the Company to a Director's deferred compensation account
as of the date it would otherwise have been payable (the "Payment Date").
The Company shall have no obligation to fund such account. |
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Deferral of compensation shall have no effect
on compensation related benefits received by a Director, if any. |
D. |
Interest on Deferred Compensation Account |
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The Director's deferred compensation account
will be credited with interest at the rate paid by Chemical Bank and Trust
Company on its Chem Sweep Account. |
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E. |
Payment of Deferred Compensation |
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Payment of a Director's deferred compensation
may only be made after the Director's service on the Board has terminated
and, except as described below, will be made in ten (10) annual installments
in cash. |
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At the time of each election to defer Board
Compensation, a Director may irrevocably elect to have the deferred compensation
account covered by the election paid in less than ten (10) annual installments,
or in a single lump sum. Such installment payments shall commence, or such
lump sum payment shall be made, no later than January 31 of the calendar
year following the year in which such Director's service on the Board terminates,
or in such subsequent year as the director shall have elected. |
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The amount of the first installment shall be
a fraction of the total amount of the Director's deferred compensation,
together with all interest accrued thereon, as of the date that payments
are to commence. The numerator of such fraction shall be one (1), and the
denominator of such fraction shall be the total number of installments
which the Director elected to receive. |
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Each subsequent installment shall be calculated
in the same manner as of the same date of each subsequent year, except
that the denominator shall be reduced by the number of installments which
have been previously paid. |
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F. |
Assignability |
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No right to receive payment of the Directors'
deferred compensation under the Plan shall be transferable or assignable
by a Director except by will or under the laws of descent and distribution,
except that a Director may make a written designation of beneficiary in
form acceptable to the Company, which beneficiary shall succeed to the
Director's rights under the Plan in the event of the Director's death. |
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In the event of a Director's death prior to
receiving all deferred payments to which he is entitled, the balance of
the Director's deferred compensation, together with all interest credited
thereon to the date of the Director's death, shall be determined and paid
in single payment to the Director's estate or designated beneficiary as
soon as reasonably possible. |
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G. |
Amendment of Plan |
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This plan may be amended, suspended or terminated
at any time by the Board of Directors of the Company. |
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However, no amendment, suspension or termination
of the Plan may, without the consent of a Director, alter or impair any
of the rights previously granted under the Plan. |
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H. |
Acceleration of Payment for Hardship |
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Upon the written request of a Director to the
Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors, a Director
may be permitted to receive all or part of his deferred compensation under
the Plan, including interest credited thereon, if the Compensation Committee
determines that an unforeseeable emergency exists as the result of an extraordinary
and unforeseeable circumstance which would cause the Director severe financial
hardship. The decision as to whether to grant such a request shall rest
in the absolute discretion of the Compensation Committee. Any such distribution
for hardship shall be limited to the amount needed to meet such emergency. |
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I. |
Administration |
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The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation
Committee of the Company's Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee
shall have authority to adopt rules for carrying out the Plan, and all
interpretations of the Plan's provisions by the Compensation Committee
shall be final. |
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J. |
Unfunded Plan |
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The benefits payable under the Plan are unfunded.
Consequently, no assets shall be segregated for purposes of the Plan and
placed beyond the reach of the Company's general creditors. The right of
any participating Director to receive future installments under the provisions
of the Plan shall be an unsecured claim against the general assets of the
Company. |
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K. |
Business Days |
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In the event any date specified herein falls
on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, such date shall be deemed to refer
to the next business day thereafter. |
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L. |
Continuation of Deferred Payment Method |
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In order to facilitate the administration of
the Plan, participants who elect to participate in the Plan for more than
one year will be assumed to have selected the same method for payment of
the deferred compensation for subsequent years as was selected in the election
form for the first year of participation. This paragraph, however, shall
not be interpreted as an automatic election to participate in the program
for subsequent years. |
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