UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant x
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ¨
Check the appropriate box:
¨ Preliminary Proxy Statement | ¨ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | |
x Definitive Proxy Statement | ||
¨ Definitive Additional Materials | ||
¨ Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-11(c) or § 240.14a-12 |
AMERICANWEST BANCORPORATION
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
x | No fee required. |
¨ | Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(I)(4) and 0-11. |
(1) | Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
(2) | Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
(3) | Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): |
(4) | Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
(5) | Total fee paid |
¨ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
¨ | Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
(1) | Amount Previously Paid: |
(2) | Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
(3) | Filing Party: |
(4) | Date Filed: |
AMERICANWEST BANCORPORATION
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TIME | 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23, 2002 | |
PLACE | Ramada Limited Suites | |
9601 N. Newport Highway | ||
Spokane, Washington | ||
ITEMS OF BUSINESS | 1. To elect seven directors to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders. | |
2. To take action on any other business that may properly be considered at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof. | ||
RECORD DATE | You may vote at the Meeting if you were a shareholder of record at the close of business on March 15, 2002. | |
VOTING BY PROXY | If you cannot attend the Meeting, you may vote your shares by completing and promptly returning the enclosed proxy card in the envelope provided. | |
ANNUAL REPORT | AmericanWest Bancorporation’s 2001 Annual Report, which is not part of the proxy soliciting material, is enclosed. |
By | Order of the Board of Directors, |
/s/ | Jacqueline A. Barnard |
Sec | retary |
This Notice of Meeting, Proxy Statement and accompanying proxy card
are being distributed on or about April 3, 2002.
AMERICANWEST BANCORPORATION
9506 North Newport Highway
Spokane, Washington 99218-1200
PROXY STATEMENT
Annual Meeting of Shareholders
April 23, 2002
We are providing these proxy materials in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of AmericanWest Bancorporation (the “Company”) of proxies to be voted at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 23, 2002, and at any adjournment of the meeting.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING
Who may vote at the meeting?
The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has set March 15, 2002, as the record date for the meeting. If you were the owner of Company common stock at the close of business on March 15, 2002, you may vote at the meeting. You are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock you held on the record date, including shares:
• | Held for you in an account with a broker, bank or other nominee (shares held in “street name”) or |
• | Credited to your account in the Company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the “ESOP”). |
Each share of your common stock has one vote on each matter to be voted on.
How many shares must be present to hold the meeting?
A majority of the Company’s outstanding common shares as of the record date must be present at the meeting in order to hold the meeting and conduct business. On the record date, there were 7,685,409 shares of Company common stock outstanding. Shares are counted as present at the meeting if you:
• | are present and vote in person at the meeting; or |
• | have properly submitted a proxy card. |
Shareholders of record who are present at the Annual Meeting in person or by proxy and who abstain, including brokers holding customers’ shares of record who cause abstentions to be recorded at the meeting, are considered shareholders who are present and entitled to vote, and will count toward the quorum.
What proposals will be voted on at the meeting?
There is one proposal scheduled to be voted on at the meeting:
• | Election of seven directors to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders. |
How many votes are required to approve each proposal?
If a quorum exists at the Annual Meeting, the proposal will be approved if the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal exceeds the number of votes cast against it. Consequently, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no impact on the proposal set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting.
1
How are votes counted?
You may either vote “FOR” or “WITHHOLD” authority to vote for each nominee for the Board of Directors. If you withhold authority to vote on the election of directors, your shares will not be considered entitled to vote on the election of directors. If you just sign and submit your proxy card without voting instructions, your shares will be voted “FOR” each director nominee.
If you hold your shares in street name and do not provide voting instructions to your broker, your shares will not be voted on any proposal on which your broker does not have discretionary authority to vote. In this situation, a “broker non-vote” occurs. Shares that constitute broker non-votes are not considered as entitled to vote on the proposal in question, thus effectively reducing the number of shares needed to approve the proposal.
How does the Board recommend that I vote?
The Board recommends that you vote your shares “FOR” each of the director nominees (Proposal 1).
How do I vote my shares without attending the meeting?
Without attending the meeting, you may vote:
• | By Mail—You may vote by mail by marking your selections on the proxy card, signing and dating your proxy card and mailing it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope by April 16, 2002. You should sign your name exactly as it appears on the proxy card. If you are signing in a representative capacity (for example as guardian, executor, trustee, custodian, attorney or officer of a corporation), you should indicate your name and title or capacity. |
For shares held in street name, you should follow the voting directions provided by your broker or nominee. You may complete and mail a voting instruction card to your broker or nominee, or, in most cases, submit voting instructions by telephone or the Internet. If you provide specific voting instructions by mail, telephone, or the Internet, your shares will be voted by your broker or nominee as you have directed.
How do I vote my shares in person at the meeting?
If you are a shareholder of record, to vote your shares at the meeting you should bring the enclosed proxy card or proof of identification. You may vote shares held in street name at the meeting only if you obtain a signed proxy card from the record holder (broker or other nominee) giving you the right to vote the shares.
Even if you plan to attend the meeting, we encourage you to vote by mail, so your vote will be counted even if you later decide not to attend the meeting.
What does it mean if I receive more than one proxy card?
It means you hold shares registered in more than one account. To ensure that all your shares are voted, sign and return each proxy card.
May I change my vote?
Yes. If you have voted by mail, you may change your vote and revoke your proxy card by:
• | Sending a written statement to that effect to the Secretary of the Company by April 16, 2002; |
• | Submitting a properly signed proxy card with a later date; or |
• | Voting in person at the Annual Meeting. |
2
What is the difference between “AmericanWest Bank” and “Original AmericanWest Bank?
The term “Original AmericanWest Bank” refers to the bank subsidiary of Bancwest Financial Corporation that was merged with the Company on February 1, 1999. The terms “AmericanWest Bank” or the “Bank” in this Proxy Statement refer to the wholly-owned bank subsidiary of the Company.
3
PROPOSAL 1—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Directors and Nominees
The Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended (“Articles”), allow the Board of Directors or shareholders to set the number of directors on the Board within a range of 5 to 25. The Articles also allow the Board to fill vacancies created on the Board. The Board by resolution has set the number of directors to serve on the Board of Directors at 7 directors. Directors are elected for terms of one year or until their successors are elected and qualified.
At the annual meeting, seven (7) directors are to be elected, each to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until his successor is elected and qualified.
The Board of Directors has nominated the seven current directors, Wesley E. Colley, James Rand Elliott, David E. Frame, Robert J. Gardner, Keith P. Sattler, Donald H. Swartz II, and P. ”Mike” Taylor, as directors, to serve a one-year term or until their successors are elected and qualified.
WESLEY E. COLLEY | Director since 1999 |
Wesley E. Colley, age 63, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, since June 2000. Prior to June 2000, Mr. Colley served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Original AmericanWest Bank, which was merged into the Bank in February 1999.
JAMES RAND ELLIOTT | Director since 1996 |
James Rand Elliott, age 51, is a general partner of Premium Finance Company.
DAVID E. FRAME | Director since 1999 |
David E. Frame, age 62, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Line Builders, Inc.
ROBERT J. GARDNER | Director since 1985 |
Robert J. Gardner, age 62, is self-employed in the logging business, President and owner of Gardner Logging and Trucking, Inc.
KEITH P. SATTLER | Director since 1993 |
Keith P. Sattler, age 58, is a certified public accountant and a principal of Sattler and Heslop, a director of Tsunami Communications, and a director of Sunnyside Housing Authority.
DONALD H. SWARTZ, II | Director since 1998 |
Donald H. Swartz, II, age 56, is the President of J & M Electric, Inc.
P. “MIKE” TAYLOR | Director since 2001 |
P. “Mike” Taylor, age 58, is a civil engineer and the President of Taylor Engineering, Inc.
All the nominees have indicated a willingness to serve if elected. However, if any nominee becomes unable to serve before the election, the shares represented by proxies may be voted for a substitute designated by the Board, unless a contrary instruction is indicated on the proxy card.
4
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTEFOR THESE NOMINEES.
Board Committees and Meetings
During the year ended December 31, 2001, the Board of Directors held twelve meetings. The Board has an Executive Committee, an Audit and Compliance Committee (the “Audit Committee”), a Compensation Committee, and a Nominating Committee, which is responsible for selecting nominees for election as director. Each Board member attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the meetings of the Board and of the committees on which he served and that were held during the period for which he was a Board or Committee member.
The Executive Committee acts as a decision-making body in lieu of the entire Board of Directors. The Executive Committee meets on an as-needed basis.
The Audit Committee meets at least quarterly with the Company’s management and independent auditors to, among other things, review the results of the annual audit and quarterly reviews and discuss the financial statements, recommend to the Board the independent auditors to be retained and receive and consider the auditors’ comments as to controls, adequacy of staff and management performance and procedures in connection with audit and financial controls.
The Compensation Committee acts as an ongoing advisory group to the Board of Directors on executive compensation policies and procedures and other compensation-related items that are corporate in nature (i.e., company-wide 401k plans, stock option plans, benefit plans, etc.).
The following table summarizes the membership of the Board and each of its committees as well as the number of times each met during 2001.
Board | Audit/ Compliance | Compensation | Nominating | Executive | ||||||
Mr. Colley | Member | Member | Member | Member | ||||||
Mr. Elliott | Member | Member | Chair | |||||||
Mr. Frame | Member | Member | Member | |||||||
Mr. Gardner | Member | Member | Member | |||||||
Mr. Sattler | Chair | Chair | Chair | Chair | Chair | |||||
Mr. Swartz | Member | Member | ||||||||
Mr. Taylor | Member | Member | ||||||||
Number of 2001 Meetings | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
Directors’ Compensation
Directors of the Company receive a monthly retainer of $500 and $500 for each meeting of the Board of Directors attended. Directors also receive $100 for committee meetings held on days when there is no regular board meeting. During the year ended December 31, 2001, the Company paid an aggregate of $83,500 in director fees pursuant to such arrangements.
Directors of the Company have been eligible to receive options under the 1995 and 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plans. The plans are described in the Executive Compensation section under the heading “1995 and 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plans.”
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
At December 31, 2001, the Compensation Committee consisted of Keith P. Sattler, Chairman, David E. Frame, James Rand Elliott, Robert J. Gardner, and the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Wesley E. Colley.
5
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table shows the number of shares of the Company’s common stock beneficially owned as of December 31, 2001, by shareholders owning more than five percent of the Company’s common stock, the Company’s Directors and nominees for Director, Executive Officers identified in the Summary Compensation Table below, and all Directors and Executive Officers as a group.
Name | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned (1) | Percent of Shares Outstanding | |||
Five Percent Shareholders: | |||||
Charles J. Moore | 425,965 | 5.42% | |||
The Banc Funds | |||||
208 LaSalle Street | |||||
Chicago, Illinois 60604 | |||||
Directors: | |||||
James Rand Elliott | 24,101 | (2) | * | ||
David E. Frame | 197,141 | (3) | 2.51% | ||
Robert J. Gardner | 39,182 | (4) | * | ||
Keith P. Sattler | 37,122 | (5) | * | ||
Donald H. Swartz, II | 40,186 | (6) | * | ||
P. “Mike” Taylor | 2,200 | * | |||
Executive Officers: | |||||
Wesley E. Colley** | 436,260 | 5.55% | |||
Chad Galloway | 2,793 | * | |||
Daniel P. Murray | 13,488 | * | |||
All Executive Officers, Directors and Nominees as a Group (9) | 792,473 | 10.08% |
* | Less than 1% of shares outstanding. |
** | Mr. Colley is also a director of the Company and owns more than 5% of the Company’s common stock. |
(1) | Share amounts reflect stock dividends, including the 10% dividend declared January 18, 2002. The amounts shown also include the following amount of common stock which the indicated individuals have the right to acquire within 60 days through the exercise of options granted pursuant to the Company’s 1995 and 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plans: Mr. Colley 23,100 shares; Mr. Elliott 7,842 shares; Mr. Frame 15,868 shares; Mr. Gardner 8,428 shares; Mr. Sattler 8,428 shares; Mr. Swartz 8,162 shares; P. Mike Taylor 2,200 shares; and all executive officers and directors as a group,75,348 shares. Shares held in accounts under the Company’s ESOP, as to which the holders have voting power but not investment power, are also included as follows: Mr. Colley 557 shares, Mr. Murray 10,878, Mr. Galloway 2,133 shares, and all executive officers and directors as a group, 13,568 shares. |
In accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, a person is deemed to be the beneficial owner, for purposes of this table, of any shares of common stock if he or she has voting and/or investment power with respect to such security. The table includes shares owned by spouses, other immediate family members in trust, shares held in retirement accounts or funds for the benefit of the named individuals, and other forms of ownership, over which shares the persons named in the table possess voting and/or investment power as follows:
(2) | Includes 3,676 shares held of record by Mr. Elliott’s spouse. |
(3) | Includes 48,281 shares held of record by ALB Trust, an entity controlled and/or owned by Mr. Sattler. |
(4) | Includes 14,733 shares held of record by Gardner Logging and Trucking, Inc. and 2,441 shares held of record by Mr. Gardner’s spouse. |
6
(5) | Includes 209 shares held of record by TIPS. |
(6) | Includes 3,240 shares held of record by J&M Electric and 207 shares held of record by Mr. Swartz’s children. |
Compliance With Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) requires the Company’s directors and executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities to file reports of beneficial ownership and changes in beneficial ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). The rules promulgated by the Commission under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act require those persons to furnish the Company with copies of all reports filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 16(a).
Based solely upon a review of Forms 3, Forms 4 and Forms 5 and amendments thereto furnished to the Company pursuant to Rule 16(a)(3)(e) during the year ended December 31, 2001, and written representations of certain of its directors and officers that no Forms 5 were required to be filed, the Company believes that all directors, executive officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of the common stock have filed with the Commission on a timely basis all reports required to be filed under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, except that Wes Colley inadvertently filed two reports late covering two transactions.
Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors
The following table sets forth the age, position, and the business experience during the past five years of those executive officers of the Company who are not also directors or nominees for director of the Company. All executive officers are elected annually and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
Name and Age | Current Position with the Company and Prior Five Years’ Business Experience | |
Daniel P. Murray, 53 | Senior Vice President-Loan Administrator of the Company since 1990. | |
Chad Galloway, 55 | Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company since 1995. |
7
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth the cash and non-cash compensation for each of the last three fiscal years ended December 31, 2001, 2000, and 1999, awarded to or earned by the Chief Executive Officer and the other most highly compensated executive officers of the Company, whose total compensation in 2001 exceeded $100,000.
Summary Compensation Table
Annual Compensation | Long-Term Compensation Awards | ||||||||||||||
Name and Position | Year | Salary (1) | Bonus | Other Annual Compensation(2) | Securities Underlying Options/SARs(3) | All Other Compensation(4) | |||||||||
Wesley E. Colley | 2001 | $ | 201,000 | $ | 69,862 | — | — | $ | 73,668 | ||||||
President and Chief | 2000 | $ | 166,932 | $ | 73,656 | — | 110,000 | $ | 73,668 | ||||||
Executive Officer(1) | 1999 | $ | 124,248 | $ | 82,232 | — | 18,990 | $ | 30,695 | ||||||
Chad Galloway | 2001 | $ | 70,000 | $ | 30,180 | — | 3,300 | $ | — | ||||||
Vice President and | 2000 | $ | 68,584 | $ | 4,058 | — | — | $ | — | ||||||
Chief Financial Officer(2) | 1999 | $ | 62,809 | $ | 19,871 | — | — | $ | — | ||||||
Daniel P. Murray | 2001 | $ | 117,600 | $ | 48,825 | — | 3,300 | $ | 17,052 | ||||||
Senior Vice President/ | 2000 | $ | 122,000 | $ | 18,100 | — | — | $ | 17,052 | ||||||
Loan Administrator | 1999 | $ | 121,140 | $ | 25,922 | — | — | $ | 17,052 |
(1) | Includes director fees paid during years prior to 2001. |
(2) | Does not include amounts attributable to miscellaneous benefits received by executive officers, including the use of company-owned automobiles and the payment of certain club dues. In the opinion of management, the costs to the Company of providing such benefits to any individual executive officer during the year ended December 31, 2001, did not exceed the lesser of $50,000 or 10% of the total of annual salary and bonus reported for the individual. |
(3) | Represents options to acquire shares of common stock that were granted under stock option plans. |
(4) | Represents the value attributed to the named executive officer during the year pursuant to agreements entered into between the Bank and such officers as part of the Bank’s salary continuation plan. |
Salary Continuation Agreements. The Bank and its predecessor companies entered into Executive Salary Continuation Agreements with certain of its directors and employees, including certain named executive officers. Under the terms of the respective agreements, the director or officer will receive an annual sum based on his or her salary or director’s fee from the Company, payable on a monthly basis, for a period of ten years upon retirement at age 65 or death. The following named executive officers will receive payments under their individual agreements: Mr. Colley will receive $51,840, and Mr. Murray will receive $40,800.
The salary continuation plan is generally available to most directors, executive officers and other key employees of the Bank and vests according to years of service. Persons employed by the Bank or one of its predecessors for at least six continuous years prior to the effective date of the plan are deemed vested with respect to 20% of the salary continuation benefits available to them, and become vested in an additional 20% of such benefits for each succeeding year of employment until the employee becomes fully vested. Eligible persons employed by the Bank for at least ten continuous years prior to the effective date of the plan are deemed fully vested. Obligations under the salary continuation plan are funded by prepaid policies of universal life insurance covering the lives of the plan participants.
Option Grants in Last Fiscal Year. The following table sets forth information concerning the grant of stock options to the Chief Executive Officer and the other named executive officers during the year ended December 31, 2001.
8
OPTION/SAR GRANTS IN LAST FISCAL YEAR
Individual Grants | Potential Realizable Value at Assumed Annual Rates of Stock Price Appreciation for Option Term(2) | |||||||||||||||
Number of Shares Underlying Options Granted(1) | % of Total Options Granted to Employees in Fiscal Year | Exercise Price ($/Share) | Expiration Date | |||||||||||||
Name | 5% | 10% | ||||||||||||||
Wesley E. Colley | — | 0.00 | % | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
Chad Galloway | 3,300 | 2.57 | % | $ | 9.73 | 2/1/06 | $ | 8,871 | $ | 19,603 | ||||||
Daniel P. Murray | 3,300 | 2.57 | % | $ | 9.73 | 2/1/06 | $ | 8,871 | $ | 19,603 |
(1) | Share amount and exercise price have been adjusted to reflect the 10% stock dividend declared on January 18, 2002. The options vest in 20% annual increments beginning at the time the agreement is signed. Each option was granted under the Company’s 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plan and has an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. Each of the indicated options were granted on June 1, 2001. No share appreciation rights (SARs) were granted. |
(2) | The hypothetical dollar gains under these columns result from calculations required by the Securities and Exchange Commission rules. The gains are based on assumed rates of annual compound stock price appreciation of 5% and 10% from the date the options were granted over the full option term. The actual value, if any, that the executive officers may realize will depend on the spread between the market price and the exercise price on the date the option is exercised. Actual gains, if any, on stock options exercised and common stock holding are dependent upon future performance of the Company and overall stock market conditions. There can be no assurance that the amounts reflected in this table will be achieved. |
Option Exercise/Value Table. The following information with respect to options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2001, and remaining unexercised at the end of 2001, is presented for the Chief Executive Officer and the other named executive officers.
AGGREGATED OPTION EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR
AND YEAR-END OPTION VALUES
Name | Shares Acquired on Exercise(#) | Value Realized ($) | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options at Year-End(1) | Value of Unexercised In-the-Money Options at Fiscal Year-End(2) | |||||||||||
Exercisable | Unexercisable | Exercisable | Unexercisable | ||||||||||||
Wesley E. Colley | 13,111 | $ | 3,123 | 33,482 | 93,821 | $ | 319,496 | $ | 830,754 | ||||||
Chad Galloway | 660 | 2,640 | $ | 6,422 | $ | 25,687 | |||||||||
Daniel P. Murray | — | 660 | 2,640 | $ | 6,422 | $ | 25,687 |
(1) | Share amounts and values have been adjusted for stock dividends, including the 10% stock dividend declared on January 18, 2002. |
(2) | On December 31, 2001, the closing price of common stock was $11.14. For purposes of the foregoing table, stock options with an exercise price less than that amount are considered to be “in-the-money” and are considered to have a value equal to the difference between this amount and the exercise price of the stock option multiplied by the number of shares covered by the stock option. |
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
The Company maintains an employee stock ownership plan and trust, known as the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“Plan”), for the benefit of employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Plan became effective January 1, 1989, and is intended to enable participating employees to share in the growth and prosperity of the Company and thereby accumulate funds for retirement needs. The Plan is qualified under Section 401(a) of
9
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), as a stock bonus plan. Employees of the Company or its subsidiaries who are 21 years of age or older become eligible for participation in the Plan in any Plan year after achieving 1,000 hours or more of service.
At December 31, 2001 (as adjusted for the stock dividend declared January 18, 2002), the Plan owned 260,401 shares of common stock of the Company, representing approximately 3.62% of the then outstanding shares. At such date, the Plan had no outstanding debt.
The Company makes annual contributions to the trust created under the Plan (for which the Company receives a deduction) and the trust invests such contributions and trust earnings in common stock of the Company. Contributions to the Plan in 2001 totaled $183,000.
1995 and 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plans
The Company presently maintains two stock option plans, known as the 1995 Incentive Stock Option Plan (“1995 Plan”) and the 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plan (“2001 Plan”). The 1995 Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on March 4, 1995, and by the shareholders on May 24, 1995. The 2001 Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on and by the shareholders on May 29, 2001, to replace the 1995 Plan. Both plans provide for the issuance of incentive stock options intended to qualify under Section 422 of the Code, and options that are not qualified under the Code. Key individuals of the Company and its subsidiaries (including directors, executive officers, and advisors or consultants to the Company) are eligible to receive grants of options.
All shares have been issued in the form of options under the 1995 Plan, but that Plan continues to apply to any outstanding options granted under the 1995 Plan. A balance of 683,300 shares remain available for issuance in the form of options under the 2001 Plan.
In addition, as part of the merger with Bancwest Financial Corporation effective February 1, 1999, the Company adopted certain option plans benefiting the directors and officers of the Original AmericanWest Bank. Options to purchase 65,634 shares of Company common stock are presently granted under the Bancwest option plans that were adopted by the Company, separate from the plans described above, and will be exercised, terminated or forfeited by the year 2003 consistent with their termination schedules.
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE(1)
The Compensation Committee of the Company is responsible for establishing and implementing all compensation policies of the Company and its subsidiaries, as well as setting the compensation for the executive officers of the Company’s subsidiaries. The Committee is also responsible for evaluating the performance of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and approving an appropriate compensation level. The Chief Executive Officer evaluates the performance of all corporate officers and recommends to the Committee individual compensation levels for approval by the Committee.
The Company believes that the compensation of its executive officers and other key personnel should reflect and support the goals and strategies that the Company has established.
Compensation Philosophy. There are two principal objectives in determining executive compensation: (1) to attract, reward and retain key executive officers, and (2) to motivate executive officers to perform to the best of their abilities and to achieve short-term and long-term corporate objectives that will contribute to the
(1) | This section is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed “filed” with the Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing. |
10
overall goal of enhancing stockholder value. In furtherance of these objectives, the Committee has adopted the following policies:
• | The Company will compensate competitively with the practices of other leading companies in the related fields; |
• | Performance at the corporate, subsidiary and individual executive officer levels will determine a significant portion of compensation; |
• | The attainment of realizable but challenging objectives will determine performance-based compensation; and |
• | The Company will encourage executive officers to hold substantial, long-term equity stakes in the Company so that the interest of executive officers will coincide with the interest of stockholders; accordingly, stock options and incentives will constitute a significant portion of compensation. |
Elements of Executive Compensation. The elements of the Company’s compensation of executive officers are: (1) annual cash compensation in the form of base salary and incentive bonuses; (2) long-term incentive compensation in the form of Salary Continuation Agreements; (3) long-term incentive compensation in the form of stock options granted under the Company’s 1995 Incentive Stock Option Plan and the 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plan; (4) long-term incentive compensation in the form of performance share awards under the 2001 Incentive Stock Plan; and (5) other compensation and employee benefits generally available to all employees of the Company, such as health insurance and the employer contribution under the Company’s Profit Sharing and 401K Plan.
Base salary is determined by considering the overall performance of each executive officer with respect to the duties and responsibilities assigned. Salary surveys of other community banks are reviewed and factored into the process to ensure fair rates of compensation in an increasingly competitive labor market.
During the year ended December 31, 2001, the base salary paid to Wesley E. Colley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company was $201,000. Mr. Colley also received a performance bonus of $69,862. This resulted in total compensation of $270,862 for 2001. The performance bonus was paid based on Mr. Colley meeting the performance criteria established by the Committee in the performance bonus plan. The Committee believes the compensation paid to Mr. Colley during the fiscal year is appropriate based on competitive salary surveys and the performance of the Company.
The amount of options granted to an employee is based on the employee’s performance and relative responsibilities within the Company. Options may have a deferred vesting and will not be exercisable prior to vesting.
During the year ended December 31, 2001, the Committee granted stock options totaling 116,700 shares to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries.
CO | MPENSATION COMMITTEE: |
Ke | ith P. Sattler (Chair) |
We | sley E. Colley |
Jam | es Rand Elliott |
Da | vid E. Frame |
Ro | bert J. Gardner |
11
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS AND BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
Some of the Company’s directors and executive officers were customers of the Bank during 2001 and had transactions with the Bank in the ordinary course of business. In addition, some of the Company’s directors and executive officers are officers, directors or shareholders of corporations or members of partnerships, which were customers of the Bank during the last fiscal year and had transactions with the Bank in the ordinary course of business. All loans included in such transactions were made in the ordinary course of business, were on substantially the same terms (including interest rates and collateral) as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with other persons, and in the opinion of management, did not involve more than any normal risk of collectibility or present other unfavorable features.
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE(1)
The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board of Directors. Management has the primary responsibility for the consolidated financial statements and the reporting process, including the system of internal controls. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Committee reviewed the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2001, with management and the independent auditors who are responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited consolidated financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The review included a discussion of the quality, not just the acceptability, of the accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments, and the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements.
The Committee has discussed with the independent auditors the auditors’ independence from management and the Company, including the matters in the written disclosures required by the Independence Standards Board, and considered the compatibility of non-audit services with the auditors’ independence.
The Committee discussed with the Company’s internal and independent auditors the overall scope and plans for their respective audits. The Committee meets with internal and independent auditors, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examination, their evaluation of the Company’s internal controls, and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting.
The members of the Committee are not professionally engaged in the practice of auditing or accounting and are not experts in the fields of accounting or auditing, including auditor independence. Members of the Committee rely without independent verification on the information provided to them and on the representations made by management and the independent auditors. Accordingly, the Committee’s oversight does not provide an independent basis to determine that management has maintained appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles or appropriate internal control and procedures designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. Furthermore, the Committee’s consideration and discussions referred to above do not assure that the audit of the Company’s financial statements has been carried out in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States, and that the financial statements are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or that the Company’s auditors are in fact “independent.”
The Committee acts pursuant to the Audit Committee Charter. Each of the members of the Committee qualifies as an “independent” director under the current listing standards of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD).
In reliance on the review and discussions above, the Committee recommended to the Company’s Board of Directors that the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001.
AU | DIT COMMITTEE: |
Ke | ith P. Sattler (Chair) |
Do | nald H. Swartz, II |
P. | “Mike” Taylor |
(1) | This section is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed “filed” with the Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing. |
12
SHAREHOLDER RETURN PERFORMANCE GRAPH(1)
The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company’s common stock during the period beginning December 31, 1996, and ending December 31, 2001, with the cumulative total return on the S&P 500 Index and the Regional Pacific Banks Index for the same period. The stock price information shown on the graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.
Comparison of Five Year Cumulative Return *
Total Return Performance
![LOGO](https://capedge.com/proxy/DEF 14A/0001032210-02-000504/g69406g42i98.jpg)
1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |||||||
AmericanWest Bancorporation | 100.00 | 150.35 | 122.03 | 110.95 | 109.85 | 131.59 | ||||||
MG Group Index | 100.00 | 180.06 | 168.64 | 171.94 | 198.96 | 225.87 | ||||||
S&P 500 Index | 100.00 | 133.36 | 171.47 | 207.56 | 188.66 | 1366.24 |
* | Assumes that the value of the investment in the Company’s common stock and each index was $100 on December 31, 1996, and that all dividends were reinvested. Media General Financial Services is the source of the graph and the accompanying table. |
(1) | This section is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed “filed” with the Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing |
13
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The Company selected Moss Adams LLP as its independent auditors for the current year and for the year ended December 31, 2001.
Fees Billed To The Company By Moss Adams LLP During 2001
Audit Fees. The aggregate fees billed by Moss Adams LLP for the audit of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2001, and the review of the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Forms 10-Q for 2001 were $186,464.
Financial Information Systems Design and Implementation Fees. There were no fees billed by Moss Adams LLP to the Company for financial information systems design and implementation fees for the year ended December 31, 2001.
All Other Fees. The aggregate fees billed to the Company for all other services rendered by Moss Adams LLP for the year ended December 31, 2001, were $204,005.
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company has determined that the provision of services rendered above for (a) financial information systems design and implementation fees, and (b) all other fees, is compatible with maintaining Moss Adams LLP’s independence.
OTHER INFORMATION
Expenses of Solicitation
The Company will bear the costs of soliciting proxies, including the reimbursement to record holders of their expenses in forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners. Directors, officers and regular employees of the Company, without extra compensation, may solicit proxies personally or by mail, telephone, facsimile or electronic mail.
Shareholder Proposals
Under the Company’s Bylaws, no business may be brought before an annual meeting unless it is specified in the notice of the meeting or is otherwise brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board or by a shareholder entitled to vote who has delivered notice to the Company (containing certain information specified in the Bylaws) not less than 120 and not more than 150 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the Company’s Proxy Statement released to shareholders in connection with the previous year’s annual meeting. These requirements are separate from and in addition to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s requirements that a shareholder must meet in order to have a shareholder proposal included in the Company’s Proxy Statement.
Shareholders interested in submitting a proposal for inclusion in the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in 2003 may do so by complying with the requirements of the Rules and Regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission applicable to such shareholder proposals. To be eligible for inclusion, shareholder proposals must be received by the Company’s Secretary no later than December 1, 2002.
Other
The Company’s 2001 Annual Report, including financial statements, is being sent to shareholders of record as of March 15, 2002, together with this Proxy Statement.
14
The Company will furnish to shareholders without charge a copy of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon receipt of written request addressed to AmericanWest Bancorporation, 9506 North Newport Highway, Spokane, Washington 99218-1200.
The Board of Directors knows of no other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting. If any other business properly comes before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof, the proxies will vote on that business in accordance with their best judgment.
By | Order of the Board of Directors, |
/s/ | Jacqueline A. Barnard |
Sec | retary |
15
PROXY
AMERICANWEST BANCORPORATION
PROXY FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON APRIL 23, 2002
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints KEITH P. SATTLER and JACQUELINE A. BARNARD, or either of them, proxies with full power of substitution, to vote all shares of common stock of AmericanWest Bancorporation owned of record by the undersigned on March 15, 2002, at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of AmericanWest Bancorporation to be held on April 23, 2002, or any adjournment(s) thereof.
THIS PROXY AUTHORIZE(S) EACH OF THE PERSONS NAMED ABOVE TO VOTE AT HIS OR HER DISCRETION ON ANY OTHER MATTER THAT MAY COME BEFORE THE MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT THEREOF. IF THIS CARD CONTAINS NO SPECIFIC VOTING INSTRUCTION, MY (OUR) SHARES WILL BE VOTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AMERICANWEST BANCORPORATION
The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” Proposal 1.
PROPOSAL 1. Election of Directors.
01) Wesley E. Colley 02) James Rand Elliot | 03) David E. Frame 04) Robert J. Gardner 05) Keith P. Sattler | 06) Donald H. Swartz, II 07) P. “Mike” Taylor | To withhold authority to vote, mark “For All Except” and write the nominee’s number on the line below. | |||
FOR ALL | WITHHOLD ALL | FOR ALL EXCEPT | ||||
¨ | ¨ | ¨ |
Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on this proxy card. When shares are held by joint tenants, both should sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, guardian or custodian, please give full title. If more than one trustee, all should sign. If a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, please sign in full company name by president or other authorized officer.
PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. | ||
Signature (PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX) | Date |
Signature (Joint Owners) | Date |