PROPOSAL ONE: ELECTION OF TRUSTEES
The Trustees recommend a vote for the election of the five individuals named below to serve until the next annual meeting of unit owners, or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. All of the nominees are presently serving as Trustees. The Trustees are informed that all nominees are willing to serve, but if any such person shall decline or shall become unable to serve as a Trustee for any reason, votes will be cast instead for a substitute nominee, if any, designated by the present Trustees, or, if none is so designated prior to election, said votes will be cast according to the judgment of the person or persons voting the proxy.
Nominees for Election as Trustees
The following sets forth certain information about the nominees for election as Trustees, including a description of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led to the conclusion that, given the nature and structure of the Trust, the named person should serve as a Trustee. For further information, see “--Governance and Nominations--Nominations” below. Other than the Trust itself, none of the corporations or organizations with which the nominees are affiliated is a parent, subsidiary or other affiliate of the Trust.
Robert P. Adelman, 91, has been retired from full-time employment for more than five years. Mr. Adelman has represented the Trust as a Trustee since 1987 and as Managing Trustee since 2006. He has also served as the primary representative of a parallel royalty owner, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock (“UUCSR”) since 1960. He has monitored and negotiated the royalty contracts and payments for both the Trust and UUCSR during that time. Mr. Adelman was responsible for interviewing on behalf of the Trustees and recommending to them the legal and accounting representatives and business consultant in Germany. Mr. Adelman is a director or trustee of various profit and non-profit companies. He holds a law degree, served as the chief financial officer of a major property holding and development corporation, as chairman and chief executive officer of a mining and road-building corporation, and as director of numerous other enterprises.
Ahron H. Haspel, 78, is an active investor and an Attorney and Certified Public Accountant specializing in the tax area. He retired from Jones Day in 2012 where he served as a partner specializing in the mergers and acquisition area. Prior to joining Jones Day, he was a senior partner at KPMG where he served on the firm’s board of directors, audit committee, and other leadership positions. Throughout his career, Mr. Haspel has worked extensively with oil and gas companies as well other natural resource companies. Mr. Haspel has been a Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee since November 2, 2017 and is presently a member of the board of directors of Hanover Bank Corp. where he serves as Chairman of the audit committee. He also serves on a number of philanthropic and community boards.
Lawrence A. Kobrin, 88, was a senior counsel with the law firm of Cahill Gordon & Reindel llp, a position he had held since January 1, 2007. Effective December 31, 2021, Mr. Kobrin has retired from this position and severed his ties to the law firm. Prior to January 1, 2007, Mr. Kobrin was a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel llp, a position he had held since 1984. Cahill Gordon & Reindel llp serves as counsel to the Trust. Mr. Kobrin has been a Trustee since 2006. Mr. Kobrin had served as a legal advisor to the Trust since its formation in 1975, both at Cahill Gordon & Reindel llp and at other law firms. Mr. Kobrin also had served as special counsel to UUCSR during this time. As a result, he has long and continuous experience with the Trust’s organizational model and operations, and with the royalty rights and their enforcement by the Trust. Additionally, Mr. Kobrin is familiar with the professional representatives and consultants in Germany. He has a law degree and has practiced law for over fifty years, focusing on various corporate, real property and non-profit organization matters.