def14a
SCHEDULE 14A
(RULE 14a-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
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 o
Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary Proxy Statement
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission |
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Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12 |
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DONEGAL GROUP INC.
(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):
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x
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No fee required. |
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
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(1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
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(2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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(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): |
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(4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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(5) Total fee paid: |
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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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. |
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(1) Amount previously paid: |
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(2) Form, schedule or registration statement no.: |
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(3) Filing party: |
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(4) Date filed: |
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DONEGAL GROUP INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held April 21, 2005
To the Stockholders of
DONEGAL GROUP INC.:
The annual meeting of stockholders of Donegal Group Inc. will be
held at 10:00 a.m., local time, on Thursday, April 21,
2005, at our offices, 1195 River Road, Marietta,
Pennsylvania 17547. At our annual meeting, our stockholders
will act on the following matters:
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1. Election of three Class A directors, each for a
term of three years and until their respective successors have
been elected; |
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2. Approval of a proposal to amend our 2001 Equity
Incentive Plan for Employees to increase the maximum number of
shares of our Class A common stock for which options may be
granted under the Plan by an additional 1,000,000 shares
and increasing the limit on the number of share for which
options may be granted to an individual in any one year from
100,000 shares to 200,000 shares; and |
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3. Any other matter that properly comes before our annual
meeting. |
All stockholders of record as of the close of business on
February 28, 2005 are entitled to vote at our annual
meeting.
Our 2004 Annual Report to Stockholders, which is not part of our
proxy soliciting material, is being mailed to stockholders
together with this Notice.
It is important that your shares be voted at our annual meeting.
Please complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy card in the
envelope provided whether or not you expect to attend our annual
meeting in person.
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By order of our board of directors, |
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Donald H. Nikolaus, |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
March 23, 2005
Marietta, Pennsylvania
DONEGAL GROUP INC.
PROXY STATEMENT
This proxy statement contains information relating to the annual
meeting of stockholders of Donegal Group Inc. to be held on
Thursday, April 21, 2005, beginning at 10:00 a.m., at
our offices, 1195 River Road, Marietta, Pennsylvania 17547 and
at any adjournment, postponement or continuation of the annual
meeting. This proxy statement and the accompanying proxy are
first being mailed to stockholders on or about March 23,
2005. Unless the context indicates otherwise, all references in
this proxy statement to we, us,
our or the Company mean Donegal Group
Inc. and its insurance subsidiaries and all references to the
Mutual Company refer to Donegal Mutual Insurance
Company.
None of the share information contained in this proxy statement
gives effect to the 4-for-3 stock split of our Class A
common stock and our Class B common stock declared by our
board of directors on February 17, 2005 and to be effected
in the form of a
331/3%
stock dividend. The shares of Class A common stock and
Class B common stock constituting the stock dividend will
be distributed on March 28, 2005 to stockholders of record
at the close of business on March 1, 2005.
CONTENTS
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A-1 |
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ii
ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING
What is the purpose of our annual meeting?
At our annual meeting, stockholders will act upon the matters
outlined in the notice of meeting on the cover page of this
proxy statement, including the election of three Class A
directors and the approval of an amendment to our Equity
Incentive Plan. In addition, our management will report on our
performance during 2004 and respond to appropriate questions
from stockholders.
VOTING
Who is entitled to vote at our annual meeting?
Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common
stock of record at the close of business on the record date,
February 28, 2005, are entitled to receive notice of and to
vote at our annual meeting, and any adjournment, postponement or
continuation of our annual meeting.
What are the voting rights of our stockholders?
We have two classes of stock outstanding: Class A common
stock and Class B common stock. As of the record date,
10,323,204 shares of Class A common stock were
outstanding, each of which is entitled to one-tenth of a vote
with respect to each matter to be voted on at our annual
meeting, and 3,136,678 shares of Class B common stock
were outstanding, each of which is entitled to one vote with
respect to each matter to be voted on at our annual meeting.
Therefore, the holders of Class A common stock will be
entitled to cast a total of 1,032,320 votes and the holders of
Class B common stock will be entitled to cast a total of
3,136,678 votes, resulting in a total of 4,168,998 votes
entitled to be cast at our annual meeting.
As of the record date, the Mutual Company owned
4,315,060 shares, or 41.8%, of our outstanding Class A
common stock and 2,058,750 shares, or 65.6%, of our
outstanding Class B common stock, and therefore will have
the right to cast 59.7% of the votes entitled to be cast at our
annual meeting. The Mutual Company has advised us that it will
vote its shares for the election of Robert S. Bolinger, Patricia
A. Gilmartin and Philip M. Glatfelter, II as Class A
directors and for approval of an amendment to our 2001 Equity
Incentive Plan for Employees, which we refer to in this proxy
statement as our Equity Incentive Plan. Therefore,
Ms. Gilmartin and Messrs. Bolinger and Glatfelter will
be elected as Class A directors and the amendment to our
Equity Incentive Plan will be approved, irrespective of the
votes cast by our stockholders other than the Mutual Company.
Who can attend our annual meeting?
All stockholders as of the record date, or their duly appointed
proxies, may attend our annual meeting. Even if you currently
plan to attend our annual meeting, we recommend that you also
submit your proxy as described below so that your vote will be
counted if you later decide not to attend our annual meeting.
If you hold your shares in street name (that is,
through a broker or other nominee), you will need to bring a
copy of a brokerage statement reflecting your stock ownership as
of the record date and check in at the registration desk at our
annual meeting.
What constitutes a quorum?
The presence at our annual meeting, in person or by proxy, of
the holders of a majority of the total votes entitled to be cast
by the holders of our Class A common stock and our
Class B common stock outstanding on the record date will
constitute a quorum, permitting the conduct of business at our
annual meeting. Proxies received but marked as abstentions and
broker non-votes will be included in the calculation of the
number of shares present at our annual meeting.
1
How do I vote?
If you or your duly authorized attorney-in-fact complete,
properly sign and return the accompanying proxy card to us, it
will be voted as you direct. If you are a registered stockholder
and attend our annual meeting, you may deliver your completed
proxy card in person. Street name stockholders who
wish to vote at our annual meeting will need to obtain a signed
proxy from the institution that holds their shares.
May I change my vote after I return my proxy card?
Yes. Even after you have submitted your proxy, you may change
your vote at any time before the proxy is exercised by filing
with our Secretary either a notice of revocation or a duly
executed proxy bearing a later date. The powers of the proxy
holders will be revoked if you attend our annual meeting in
person and request that your proxy be revoked, although
attendance at our annual meeting by itself will not revoke a
previously granted proxy.
How do I vote my 401(k) plan shares?
If you participate in the Mutual Companys 401(k) Plan, you
may vote the number of shares of Class A common stock and
Class B common stock equivalent to the interests in
Class A common stock and Class B common stock credited
to your account as of the record date. You may vote by
instructing Putnam Fiduciary Trust Company, the trustee of
the plan, pursuant to the instruction card being mailed with
this proxy statement to plan participants. The trustee will vote
your shares in accordance with your duly executed instructions
provided that they are received by April 16, 2005.
If you do not send instructions, the share equivalents credited
to your plan account will be voted by the trustee in the same
proportion that it votes share equivalents for which it did
receive timely instructions.
You may also revoke previously given voting instructions by
April 16, 2005 by filing with the trustee either a written
notice of revocation or a properly completed and signed voting
instruction card bearing a later date.
What are Our Boards recommendations?
Unless you give other instructions on your proxy card, the
persons named as proxy holders on the proxy card will vote in
accordance with the recommendation of our board of directors.
Our board of directors recommends a vote for election of the
persons nominated for election as Class A directors (see
pages 8 through 17) and for approval of the amendment to
our Equity Incentive Plan (see pages 18 through 22).
What vote is required?
Election of Class A Directors. The three persons
receiving the highest number of FOR votes cast by
the holders of our Class A common stock and our
Class B common stock for election as Class A
directors, voting together as a single class, will be elected. A
properly executed proxy marked WITHHOLD AUTHORITY
with respect to the election of one or more directors will not
be voted with respect to the director or directors indicated,
although the proxy will be counted for purposes of determining
whether a quorum is present. We do not permit cumulative voting
in the election of directors.
Other Matters. The affirmative vote of a majority of the
votes entitled to be cast by the holders of our Class A
common stock and our Class B common stock whose shares are
represented at our annual meeting in person or by proxy, voting
together as a single class, will be required to approve the
amendment to our Equity Incentive Plan and any other matter that
properly comes before our annual meeting. As of March 23,
2005, we do not anticipate that any other matter will be
properly brought before our annual meeting. Abstentions and
shares held by brokers or nominees as to which voting
instructions have not been received from the beneficial owner of
or person otherwise entitled to vote the shares and as to which
the broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power,
i.e., broker non-votes, are
2
considered shares of stock outstanding and entitled to vote and
are counted in determining the number of votes necessary for a
majority. An abstention or broker non-vote will therefore have
the practical effect of voting against approval of the proposal
to approve the amendment to our Equity Incentive Plan and any
other matter that properly comes before our annual meeting
because each abstention and broker non-vote will not represent a
vote for approval of the proposal.
If you sign your proxy card or broker voting instruction card
with no further instructions, your shares will be voted in
accordance with the recommendations of our board, i.e., for the
election of our nominees for Class A directors and for the
proposal to approve the amendment to our Equity Incentive Plan.
Who will pay the costs of soliciting proxies on behalf of
our board of directors?
We are making this solicitation and will pay the cost of
soliciting proxies on behalf of our board of directors,
including expenses of preparing and mailing this proxy
statement. In addition to mailing these proxy materials, the
solicitation of proxies or votes may be made in person or by
telephone by our regular officers and employees, none of whom
will receive special compensation for such services. Upon
request, we will also reimburse brokers, nominees, fiduciaries
and custodians and persons holding shares in their names or in
the names of nominees for their reasonable expenses in sending
proxies and proxy material to beneficial owners.
STOCK OWNERSHIP
Who are the largest owners of our stock?
The following table identifies each person whom we know owns
beneficially more than 5% of our outstanding Class A common
stock or Class B common stock and states the percentage of
total votes entitled to be cast by each. All information is as
of February 28, 2005.
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Class A | |
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Class B | |
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Identity of Group |
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Owned | |
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Common Stock | |
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Common Stock | |
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Total Votes | |
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Donegal Mutual Insurance Company
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4,315,060 |
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41.8 |
% |
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2,058,750 |
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65.6 |
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59.7% |
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1195 River Road
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Marietta, PA 17547
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Wells Fargo & Company(1)
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867,226 |
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8.4 |
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420 Montgomery Street
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San Francisco, CA 94014
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(1) |
As reported in a Schedule 13G filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the SEC) by Wells
Fargo & Company on behalf of its subsidiaries, Wells
Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association. |
3
How much of our stock do our directors and executive
officers own?
The following table shows the amount and percentage of our
outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common
stock beneficially owned by each director, each executive
officer named in the Summary Compensation Table and all of our
executive officers and directors as a group as of
February 28, 2005, as well as the percentage of total votes
entitled to be cast by them by reason of that beneficial
ownership.
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Percent of | |
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Class B | |
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Percent of | |
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Class A Shares | |
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Class A | |
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Common | |
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Percent of | |
Name of Individual or Identity of Group |
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Owned(1) | |
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Stock(2) | |
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Stock(2) | |
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Total Votes | |
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Directors:
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Donald H. Nikolaus
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356,175 |
(3) |
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3.4 |
% |
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104,071 |
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3.3 |
% |
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3.3 |
% |
Robert S. Bolinger
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5,666 |
(11) |
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816 |
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Patricia A. Gilmartin
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5,452 |
(11) |
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709 |
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Philip H. Glatfelter, II
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7,766 |
(11) |
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1,843 |
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John J. Lyons
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21,359 |
(4) |
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500 |
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R. Richard Sherbahn
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4,849 |
(11) |
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381 |
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Richard D. Wampler, II
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175 |
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Executive Officers(5):
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Ralph G. Spontak
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89,321 |
(6) |
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4,649 |
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Robert G. Shenk
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53,219 |
(7) |
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3,096 |
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Cyril J. Greenya
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29,884 |
(8) |
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462 |
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Daniel J. Wagner
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10,354 |
(9) |
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94 |
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All directors and executive officers as a group (11 persons)
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584,315 |
(10) |
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5.5 |
% |
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116,621 |
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3.7 |
% |
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4.2 |
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(1) |
Information furnished by each individual named. This table
includes shares that are owned jointly, in whole or in part,
with the persons spouse, or individually by his or her
spouse. |
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(2) |
Less than 1% unless otherwise indicated. |
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(3) |
Includes 200,000 shares of Class A common stock that
Mr. Nikolaus has the option to purchase under stock options
granted by us that are currently exercisable. |
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(4) |
Includes 8,334 shares of Class A common stock
Mr. Lyons has the option to purchase under stock options
granted by us that are currently exercisable. |
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(5) |
Excludes executive officers listed under Directors. |
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(6) |
Includes 70,000 shares of Class A common stock that
Mr. Spontak has the option to purchase under stock options
granted by us that are currently exercisable. |
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(7) |
Includes 45,000 shares of Class A common stock that
Mr. Shenk has the option to purchase under stock options
granted by us that are currently exercisable. |
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(8) |
Includes 28,333 shares of Class A common stock that
Mr. Greenya has the option to purchase under stock options
granted by us that are currently exercisable. |
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(9) |
Includes 10,000 shares of Class A common stock that
Mr. Wagner has the option to purchase under stock options
granted by us that are currently exercisable. |
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(10) |
Includes 375,003 shares of Class A common stock
purchasable upon the exercise of options granted under stock
options granted by us that are currently exercisable. |
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(11) |
Includes 3,334 shares of Class A common stock the
director has the option to purchase under stock options granted
by us that are currently exercisable. |
4
Section 16(a) beneficial ownership reporting
compliance
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
Exchange Act) requires that our officers and
directors, as well as persons who own 10% or more of a class of
our equity securities, file reports of their ownership of our
securities, as well as statements of changes in such ownership,
with us and the SEC. Based upon written representations received
by us from our officers, directors and 10% or greater
stockholders, and our review of the statements of beneficial
ownership changes filed with us by our officers, directors and
10% or greater stockholders during 2004, we believe that all
such filings required during 2004 were made on a timely basis.
Our relationship with the Mutual Company
The Mutual Company owns approximately 41.8% of our Class A
common stock and approximately 65.6% of our Class B common
stock. Our insurance operations are interrelated with the
insurance operations of the Mutual Company and, while
maintaining the separate corporate existence of each company, we
conduct the insurance business of our subsidiaries together with
the insurance business of the Mutual Company under the name
Donegal Insurance Group. As such, we share the same
business philosophy, management, employees and facilities as the
Mutual Company and offer the same types of insurance products.
We believe our relationship with the Mutual Company offers us a
number of competitive advantages, including:
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Facilitating our stable management, consistent underwriting
discipline, external growth and long-term profitability. |
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Creating operational and expense synergies from the combined
resources and operating efficiencies of the Mutual Company and
us. |
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Enhancing our ability to affiliate with and, over a period of
time, acquire other mutual insurance companies. |
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Producing more uniform and stable underwriting results from year
to year than we could achieve on our own. |
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Giving Atlantic States Insurance Company (Atlantic
States), our largest insurance subsidiary, the benefit of
a larger underwriting capacity by reason of the pooling
agreement between the Mutual Company and us. |
All our officers are also officers of the Mutual Company, four
of our seven directors are directors of the Mutual Company and
two of our executive officers are directors of the Mutual
Company. We and the Mutual Company maintain a coordinating
committee, which consists of two of our directors who are not
directors of the Mutual Company and two of the directors of the
Mutual Company who are not directors of us. Under our and the
Mutual Companys by-laws, any new agreement between the
Mutual Company and us and any proposed change in any existing
agreement between the Mutual Company and us must first be
submitted for approval by our board of directors and the board
of directors of the Mutual Company and, if approved, submitted
to the coordinating committee for its approval. The proposed new
agreement or change in an existing agreement will receive
coordinating committee approval only if both of our coordinating
committee members conclude that the new agreement or change in
an existing agreement is fair to us and our stockholders and if
both of the Mutual Companys coordinating committee members
conclude that the new agreement or change in an existing
agreement is fair and equitable to the Mutual Company and its
policyholders. The coordinating committee also reviews annually
all of the transactions between the Mutual Company and us. The
purpose of this provision is to protect the interests of our
stockholders and the interests of the policyholders of the
Mutual Company. The coordinating committee meets on an as-needed
basis. Our members on the coordinating committee are Robert S.
Bolinger and John J. Lyons.
5
The Mutual Companys members on the coordinating committee
are John E. Hiestand and Frederick W. Dreher. Mr. Hiestand,
age 66, has been a director of the Mutual Company since
1983, and has been a self-employed provider of insurance
administrative services for more than five years.
Mr. Dreher, age 64, has been a director of the Mutual
Company since 1996, and has been a partner in the law firm of
Duane Morris LLP since 1971. Mr. Dreher is also a director
of Bay View Capital Corporation. Mr. Hiestand beneficially
owns 2,246 shares of our Class A common stock and
488 shares of our Class B common stock.
Mr. Dreher beneficially owns 19,006 shares of our
Class A common stock and 4,291 shares of our
Class B common stock. See Election of
Directors Certain Transactions.
The Mutual Company provides the personnel for three of our five
insurance subsidiaries, Atlantic States, Southern Insurance
Company of Virginia (Southern) and Le Mars Insurance
Company (Le Mars). Expenses are allocated to
Southern and Le Mars according to a time allocation and
estimated usage agreement, and to Atlantic States in relation to
the relative participation of the Mutual Company and Atlantic
States in the pooling agreement described below. Expenses
allocated to us under the pooling agreement were $40,165,744 in
2004.
We lease office equipment and automobiles to the Mutual Company.
The Mutual Company made lease payments to us of $890,306 in 2004.
The Mutual Company and Atlantic States participate in an
underwriting pool, whereby both companies are allocated a given
percentage of their combined underwriting results, excluding
certain intercompany reinsurance assumed by the Mutual Company
from our insurance subsidiaries. Atlantic States has a 70% share
of the results of the pool and the Mutual Company has a 30%
share of the results of the pool. All premiums, losses, loss
adjustment expenses and other underwriting expenses are prorated
among the Mutual Company and Atlantic States on the basis of
their respective participation in the pool. The pooling
agreement may be amended or terminated at the end of any
calendar year by agreement of the parties, subject to approval
by the boards of directors of the Mutual Company and Atlantic
States and by the coordinating committee. The allocations of
pool participation percentages between the Mutual Company and
Atlantic States are based on the pool participants
relative amounts of capital and surplus, expectations of future
relative amounts of capital and surplus and our ability to raise
capital for Atlantic States. Additional information describing
the pooling agreement is contained in our 2004 Annual Report to
Stockholders.
In addition to the pooling agreement and third-party
reinsurance, our insurance subsidiaries have various on-going
reinsurance agreements with the Mutual Company. These agreements
include:
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catastrophe reinsurance agreements with each of our insurance
subsidiaries; |
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an excess of loss reinsurance agreement with Southern; |
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a workers compensation reallocation agreement with
Southern; and |
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a 100% retrocessional agreement with Southern and Le Mars. |
The excess of loss and catastrophe reinsurance agreements are
intended to lessen the effects of a single large loss, or an
accumulation of smaller losses arising from one event, to levels
that are appropriate given each subsidiarys size,
underwriting profile and surplus position.
The Mutual Company and Southern have a workers
compensation reallocation agreement whereby the results of the
workers compensation business written by Southern as part
of commercial accounts were reallocated to the Mutual Company to
the extent that the workers compensation loss ratio of
Southern exceeded the workers compensation loss ratio of
our insurance subsidiaries and the Mutual Company.
Southern and Le Mars have 100% retrocessional agreements with
the Mutual Company that are intended to provide Southern and Le
Mars with the same A.M. Best rating, currently A (Excellent), as
the Mutual Company, a rating that Southern and Le Mars might not
be able to achieve if this agreement were not in effect. The
retrocessional agreements do not otherwise provide for pooling
or reinsurance with or by the Mutual Company and do not transfer
insurance risk.
6
We own 48.1% and the Mutual Company owns 52.9% of Donegal
Financial Services Corporation, the holding company for Province
Bank FSB (Province Bank), a federal savings bank
with offices in Marietta, Columbia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
We and the Mutual Company conduct banking operations in the
ordinary course of business with Province Bank.
The Mutual Company and Province Bank are parties to a lease
whereby Province Bank leases 3,600 square feet in one of
the Mutual Companys buildings located in Marietta,
Pennsylvania from the Mutual Company, and Donegal Financial
Services Corporation is a party to a lease with Province Bank
whereby Province Bank leases 3,000 square feet of space in
a building in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in each case for an
annual rent based on an independent appraisal. The Mutual
Company and Province Bank are also parties to an Administrative
Services Agreement whereby the Mutual Company is obligated to
provide various human resources services, principally payroll
and employee benefits administration, administrative support,
facility and equipment maintenance services and purchasing, to
Province Bank, subject to the overall limitation that the costs
to be charged by the Mutual Company may not exceed the costs of
independent vendors for similar services and further subject to
annual maximum cost limitations specified in the Administrative
Services Agreement.
7
ITEM 1 ELECTION OF CLASS A DIRECTORS
The election of our directors by our stockholders is governed by
the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Pennsylvania Insurance
Holding Companies Act (the Holding Companies Act)
and our By-laws. The following discussion summarizes these
provisions and describes the process our Nominating Committee
follows in connection with the nomination of candidates for
election as directors by the holders of our Class A common
stock and Class B common stock.
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Background of Our Nominating Committee |
Section 1405(c)(4) of the Holding Companies Act provides
that the board of directors of a domestic insurer or a company
controlling a domestic insurer, which we are, shall establish
one or more committees comprised solely of directors who are not
officers or employees of the insurer or of any entity
controlling, controlled by or under common control with the
insurer and who are not beneficial owners of a controlling
interest in the voting stock of the insurer or any such entity,
and that such committee or committees shall have responsibility
for recommending the selection of the insurers independent
certified public accountants, reviewing the insurers
financial condition, the scope and results of the insurers
independent audit and any internal audit, nominating candidates
for election as directors by stockholders, evaluating the
performance of officers deemed to be principal officers of the
insurer and recommending to the insurers board of
directors the selection and compensation of the principal
officers.
Section 3.17 of our by-laws is consistent with this
statutory provision and provides that:
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our board of directors shall annually appoint a nominating
committee that shall consist of not fewer than two directors who
are not our officers or employees of any entity controlling,
controlled by or under common control with us and who are not
beneficial owners of a controlling interest in us; and |
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the nominating committee shall, prior to each annual meeting of
stockholders, determine and nominate candidates for election as
directors by our stockholders. |
In accordance with these by-law provisions, on April 15,
2004 our board of directors appointed a nominating committee
consisting of R. Richard Sherbahn and Philip H. Glatfelter.
Neither Mr. Sherbahn nor Mr. Glatfelter is an
executive officer of the Mutual Company or us or a beneficial
owner of a controlling interest in the Mutual Company or us.
Under Section 2.3 of our by-laws, nominations of candidates
for election as directors by our stockholders are to be made
exclusively by our nominating committee. Our nominating
committee will also consider director candidates recommended by
stockholders in accordance with the advance notice procedures
set forth in Section 2.3 of our by-laws. These procedures
are described under Stockholder Proposals in this
proxy statement. Our nominating committee may also consider
director candidates proposed by our management. We have not
utilized third-party executive search firms to identify
candidates for director.
With the exception of applicable regulations of the SEC, the
listing application standards of the Nasdaq Stock
Marketsm
(Nasdaq) and the Holding Companies Act, our
nominating committee does not have any specific minimum
qualifications for candidates for election to our board of
directors, and our nominating committee may take into account
such factors as it deems appropriate. Our nominating committee
examines the specific attributes of candidates for election to
our board of directors and also considers the judgment, skill,
diversity, business experience, the interplay of the
candidates experience with the experience of the other
members of our board of directors and the extent to which the
candidate would contribute to the overall effectiveness of our
board of directors.
8
Our nominating committee utilizes the following process in
identifying and evaluating candidates for election as members of
our board of directors:
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Evaluation of the performance and qualifications of the members
of our board of directors whose term of office will expire at
the forthcoming annual meeting of stockholders and determination
of whether they should be nominated for re-election. |
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Consideration of the suitability of the candidates for election,
including incumbent directors. |
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Review of the qualifications of any candidates proposed by
stockholders in accordance with our by-laws, candidates proposed
by management and candidates proposed by individual members of
our board of directors. |
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After such review and consideration, our nominating committee
meets and proposes a slate of candidates for election at the
forthcoming annual meeting of stockholders. |
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Actions Taken by Our Nominating Committee |
Our nominating committee met on March 8, 2005 for the
purpose of evaluating the performance and qualifications of the
members of our board of directors and nominating candidates for
election as directors by our stockholders at our annual meeting.
After considering the performance and qualifications of the
members of our board of directors during 2004, our nominating
committee nominated the persons named below. On March 11,
2005, our board of directors accepted the report of our
nominating committee and approved the nomination by our
nominating committee of the persons named below.
Our board of directors currently consists of seven members. Each
director is elected for a three-year term and until his or her
successor has been duly elected. The current three-year terms of
our directors expire in the years 2005, 2006 and 2007,
respectively.
Three Class A directors are to be elected at our annual
meeting. Unless otherwise instructed, the proxies solicited by
our board of directors will be voted for the election of the
three nominees named below. All three Class A nominees are
currently directors.
If any of the nominees becomes unavailable for any reason, the
proxies intend to vote for a substitute nominee designated by
our board of directors. Our board of directors has no reason to
believe the nominees named will be unable to serve if elected.
Any vacancy occurring on our board of directors for any reason
may be filled by a majority of our directors then in office
until the expiration of the term of the class of directors in
which the vacancy exists.
Our Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the
election of the nominees named below.
The names of the nominees for Class A director and the
Class B directors and Class C directors who will
continue in office after our annual meeting until the expiration
of their respective terms, together with certain information
regarding them, are as follows:
Directors Standing for Election
Class A Directors
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Director | |
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Year Term | |
Name |
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Age | |
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Since | |
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Will Expire* | |
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Robert S. Bolinger
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68 |
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1986 |
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2008 |
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Patricia A. Gilmartin
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65 |
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1986 |
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2008 |
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Philip H. Glatfelter, II
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75 |
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1986 |
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2008 |
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* |
If elected at our annual meeting |
9
Directors Continuing in Office
Class B Directors
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Director | |
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Year Term | |
Name |
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Age | |
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Since | |
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Will Expire | |
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Donald H. Nikolaus
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62 |
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1986 |
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2006 |
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Richard D. Wampler, II
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64 |
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2004 |
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2006 |
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Class C Directors
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Director | |
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Year Term | |
Name |
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Age | |
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Since | |
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Will Expire | |
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R. Richard Sherbahn
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76 |
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1986 |
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2007 |
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John J. Lyons
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65 |
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2001 |
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2007 |
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Mr. Bolinger retired in 2001 as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc., a position he
held since 1982.
Mrs. Gilmartin has been an employee since 1969 of Donegal
Insurance Agency, which has no affiliation with us, except that
Donegal Insurance Agency receives insurance commissions in the
ordinary course of business from our insurance subsidiaries and
the Mutual Company in accordance with their standard commission
schedules and agency contracts. Mrs. Gilmartin has been a
director of the Mutual Company since 1979.
Mr. Glatfelter retired in 1989 as a Vice President of
Meridian Bank, a position he held for more than five years prior
to his retirement. Mr. Glatfelter has been a director of
the Mutual Company since 1981, was Vice Chairman of the Mutual
Company from 1991 to 2001 and has been our Chairman of the Board
and Chairman of the Board of the Mutual Company since 2001.
Mr. Lyons has been President and Chief Operating Officer of
Keefe Managers, Inc., a manager of private investment funds,
since February 1999. In his capacity as a professional bank
consultant, Mr. Lyons served (a) from September 1997
to February 1999 as President and Chief Executive Officer of
Gateway American Bank of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
(b) from August 1996 to April 1997, as President and Chief
Executive Officer of Regent National Bank, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, (c) from April 1995 to August 1996, as
President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Monarch
Savings Bank, FSB, Clark, New Jersey and (d) from December
1993 until April 1995, as President and Chief Executive Officer
of Jupiter Tequesta National Bank, Tequesta, Florida.
Mr. Lyons was Vice Chairman of Advest, Inc. during 1993 and
from 1989 through 1993 was a member of its Board of Directors.
Mr. Nikolaus has been President and Chief Executive Officer
of the Mutual Company since 1981 and a director of the Mutual
Company since 1972. He has been our President and Chief
Executive Officer since 1986. Mr. Nikolaus also serves as
the President and Chief Executive Officer of Province Bank and
of each of our insurance subsidiaries. Mr. Nikolaus has
been a partner in the law firm of Nikolaus & Hohenadel
since 1972.
Mr. Sherbahn has owned and operated Sherbahn Associates,
Inc., a life insurance and financial planning firm, since 1974.
Mr. Sherbahn has been a director of the Mutual Company
since 1967.
Richard D. Wampler, II is a certified public accountant and
has been a principal in the accounting firm of Brown Schultz
Sheridan & Fritz since October 1, 1998. For
28 years prior thereto, he was a partner in the accounting
firm of KPMG LLP.
Corporate Governance
The SEC has adopted regulations and Nasdaq has adopted changes
to its listing qualification standards that became effective in
2004 and that relate to our corporate governance. Our board of
directors has adopted new standards and practices in order to
comply with those regulations that apply to us.
10
We are a controlled company as defined in
Rule 4350(c)(3) of Nasdaqs listing qualification
standards because the Mutual Company owns and holds more than
50% of our voting power. See Stock Ownership.
Therefore, we are exempt from the requirements of
Rule 4350(c) with respect to having:
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a majority of the members of our board of directors be
independent; |
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our compensation and nominating committees being comprised
solely of independent directors; |
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the compensation of our executive officers being determined by a
majority of our independent directors or a compensation
committee comprised solely of independent directors; and |
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director nominees being selected or recommended for selection by
our board of directors, either by a majority of our independent
directors or by a nominating committee comprised solely of
independent directors. |
Our Board of Directors and Its Committees
Our board of directors met seven times in 2004. Our board of
directors has an executive committee, an audit committee, a
nominating committee, a compensation committee and, together
with the Mutual Company, a four-member coordinating committee.
Messrs. Nikolaus, Sherbahn and Glatfelter are the members
of our executive committee. Our executive committee has the
authority to take all action that can be taken by our full board
of directors, consistent with Delaware law, between meetings of
our Board of Directors. Our executive committee met 11 times in
2004.
Our audit committee consists of Messrs. Bolinger, Lyons and
Wampler. Each member of our audit committee is independent
within the meaning of the rules of Nasdaq and of the SEC.
Consistent with Section 1405(c)(4) of the Holding Companies
Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
(Sarbanes-Oxley), our audit committee has
responsibility for:
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the selection of our independent registered public accounting
firm; |
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reviewing the scope and results of our audit by our independent
registered public accounting firm; |
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reviewing related party transactions; and |
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reviewing the adequacy of our accounting, financial, internal
and operating controls. |
Our audit committee met 11 times in 2004. Our audit
committee operates pursuant to a written charter, the full text
of which may be viewed on our website at:
http://www.donegalgroup.com. Our audit committee reviews
its charter annually.
The members of our nominating committee are
Messrs. Sherbahn and Glatfelter. Mr. Dreher, in his
capacity as one of the Mutual Companys coordinating
committee members, consults with our nominating committee on
behalf of the Mutual Company. Our by-laws are consistent with
Section 1405(c)(4) of the Holding Companies Act and provide
that our nominating committee has responsibility for:
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identification of individuals believed to be qualified to become
members of our board of directors and to recommend to our board
of directors nominees to stand for election as directors; |
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identification of members of our board of directors qualified to
serve on the various committees of our board of directors; |
11
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evaluation of the procedures and processes by which the
committees of our board of directors conduct a self-evaluation
of their performance; and |
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provision to our board of directors of an annual performance
evaluation of our nominating committee. |
Our nominating committee met once in 2004. Our nominating
committee operates pursuant to a written charter, the full text
of which may be viewed on our website at
http://www.donegalgroup.com. Our nominating committee
reviews its charter annually.
Our compensation committee consists of Messrs. Sherbahn and
Glatfelter and met two times in 2004. Mr. Dreher, in his
capacity as one of the Mutual Companys coordinating
committee members, consults with our compensation committee on
behalf of the Mutual Company. Our by-laws are consistent with
Section 1405(c)(4) of the Holding Companies Act and provide
that our compensation committee has responsibility for:
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the annual review of the compensation of our executive officers; |
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the provision of annual compensation recommendations to our
board of directors for all of our officers; |
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the determination of employees who participate in our employee
stock option plans and the provision of recommendations to our
board of directors as to individual stock option grants; and |
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the general oversight of our employee benefit plans. |
DIRECTOR - STOCKHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS
Our stockholders may communicate with our board of directors
through our Secretary. Stockholders who wish to communicate with
any of our directors may do so by sending their communication in
writing addressed to a particular director, or in the
alternative, to Non-management Directors as a group,
care of our Secretary at our headquarters, 1195 River Road,
Marietta, Pennsylvania 17547. All such communications that are
received by our Secretary will be promptly forwarded to the
addressee or addressees set forth in the communication.
We actively encourage our directors to attend our annual
meetings of stockholders because we believe director attendance
at our annual meetings provides our stockholders with an
opportunity to communicate with the members of our board of
directors. All of our directors attended our annual meeting of
stockholders in 2004.
Compensation of Directors
Our directors and the directors of the Mutual Company were paid
an annual retainer of $22,000 in 2004. Directors who are members
of committees received $250 in 2004 for each committee meeting
attended. If a director serves on our board of directors and the
board of directors of the Mutual Company, the director receives
only one annual retainer. In such event, the retainer is
allocated 30% to the Mutual Company and 70% to us.
Pursuant to our 2001 Equity Incentive Plan for Directors (our
2001 Director Plan), each of our directors and
each director of the Mutual Company receives an annual
restricted stock award of 175 shares of our Class A
common stock, provided that the director served as a member of
our board of directors or the board of directors of the Mutual
Company during any portion of the preceding calendar year. The
Mutual Company reimburses us for the cost of the options granted
to directors of the Mutual Company who are not also our
directors. Pursuant to our 2001 Director Plan, each of our
outside directors and each outside director of the Mutual
Company is also eligible to receive non-qualified options to
purchase shares of our Class A common stock in an amount
determined by our board of directors from time to time.
12
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table shows the compensation that we and the
Mutual Company paid during each of the three fiscal years ended
December 31, 2004 for services rendered in all capacities
to our chief executive officer and our four other most highly
compensated executive officers whose compensation exceeded
$100,000 in our fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
Summary Compensation Table
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Long-Term Compensation | |
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Annual Compensation(1) | |
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Awards | |
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Restricted | |
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Securities | |
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Stock | |
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Underlying | |
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All Other | |
Name and Principal Position |
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Year | |
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Salary ($) | |
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Bonus ($) | |
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Awards ($) | |
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Options (#) | |
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Compensation ($) | |
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Donald H. Nikolaus,
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2004 |
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470,000 |
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570,500 |
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3,853 |
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76,819 |
(2) |
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President and Chief
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2003 |
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430,000 |
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368,500 |
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1,881 |
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150,000 |
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43,744 |
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Executive Officer
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2002 |
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390,000 |
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172,512 |
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1,822 |
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77,039 |
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Ralph G. Spontak,
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2004 |
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274,000 |
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135,000 |
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3,853 |
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34,283 |
(2) |
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Senior Vice President, Chief
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2003 |
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264,000 |
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98,000 |
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1,881 |
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45,000 |
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30,884 |
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Financial Officer and Secretary
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2002 |
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254,000 |
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60,588 |
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1,822 |
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25,631 |
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Robert G. Shenk,
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2004 |
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196,000 |
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86,000 |
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9,680 |
(2) |
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Senior Vice President, Claims
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2003 |
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188,000 |
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70,000 |
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30,000 |
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12,969 |
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2002 |
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180,000 |
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37,594 |
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11,603 |
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Cyril J. Greenya,
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2004 |
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138,000 |
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70,000 |
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9,095 |
(2) |
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Senior Vice President,
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2003 |
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130,000 |
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50,000 |
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20,000 |
|
|
|
13,218 |
|
|
Commercial Underwriting
|
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
125,000 |
|
|
|
26,277 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,408 |
|
Daniel J. Wagner,
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
137,000 |
|
|
|
62,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,506 |
(2) |
|
Vice President and Treasurer
|
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
129,600 |
|
|
|
46,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15,000 |
|
|
|
11,934 |
|
|
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
124,600 |
|
|
|
21,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,270 |
|
|
|
(1) |
All compensation of our officers is paid by the Mutual Company.
Pursuant to the terms of an intercompany allocation agreement
between the Mutual Company and us, we are charged for 70% of all
such compensation. |
|
(2) |
In the case of Mr. Nikolaus, the total shown also includes
premiums of $3,564, $6,613 and $3,366 paid under a term life
insurance policy during 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively, and
directors and committee meeting fees of $30,353, $25,131 and
$22,650 during 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively. In the case of
Mr. Spontak, the total shown includes premiums of $1,242,
$1,388 and $1,173 paid under a term life insurance policy during
2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively, and directors and committee
meeting fees of $27,603, $21,881 and $18,450 during 2004, 2003
and 2002, respectively. In the case of Messrs. Shenk,
Greenya and Wagner, the totals shown also include term life
insurance premiums of $1,013, $1,295 and $299, respectively,
during 2004, $969, $1,218 and $282, respectively, during 2003
and $603, $1,161 and $270, respectively, during 2002. |
13
During 2004, we did not grant any stock options to any of the
persons named in the Summary Compensation Table.
The following tables show information with respect to options
exercised during the year ended December 31, 2004 and held
on December 31, 2004 by the persons named in the Summary
Compensation Table and the status of their options at
December 31, 2004.
Options Exercised and Values for Fiscal Year 2004
Class A Common Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Securities | |
|
Value of Unexercised | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying Options at | |
|
In-the-Money Options at | |
|
|
Shares | |
|
|
|
Fiscal Year End | |
|
Fiscal Year End | |
|
|
Acquired | |
|
Value | |
|
| |
|
| |
Name |
|
on Exercise | |
|
Realized | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Donald H. Nikolaus
|
|
|
66,667 |
|
|
|
899,738 |
|
|
|
200,000 |
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
1,986,000 |
|
|
|
546,500 |
|
Ralph G. Spontak
|
|
|
26,666 |
|
|
|
359,884 |
|
|
|
70,000 |
|
|
|
15,000 |
|
|
|
685,100 |
|
|
|
163,950 |
|
Robert G. Shenk
|
|
|
16,667 |
|
|
|
226,438 |
|
|
|
45,000 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
441,850 |
|
|
|
109,300 |
|
Cyril J. Greenya
|
|
|
10,667 |
|
|
|
135,552 |
|
|
|
28,333 |
|
|
|
6,667 |
|
|
|
279,680 |
|
|
|
72,870 |
|
Daniel J. Wagner
|
|
|
16,667 |
|
|
|
156,160 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
109,300 |
|
|
|
54,650 |
|
Class B Common Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Securities | |
|
Value of Unexercised | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying Options at | |
|
In-the-Money Options at | |
|
|
Shares | |
|
|
|
Fiscal Year End | |
|
Fiscal Year End | |
|
|
Acquired | |
|
Value | |
|
| |
|
| |
Name |
|
on Exercise | |
|
Realized | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Donald H. Nikolaus
|
|
|
33,333 |
|
|
|
399,996 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ralph G. Spontak
|
|
|
13,333 |
|
|
|
178,129 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert G. Shenk
|
|
|
8,333 |
|
|
|
109,746 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyril J. Greenya
|
|
|
5,333 |
|
|
|
66,023 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Daniel J. Wagner
|
|
|
3,333 |
|
|
|
41,263 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
Donald H. Nikolaus, our President and a director and President
and a director of the Mutual Company, is also a partner in the
law firm of Nikolaus & Hohenadel. Such firm has served
as general counsel to the Mutual Company since 1970 and to us
since 1986, principally in connection with the defense of claims
litigation arising in Lancaster, Dauphin and York counties. Such
firm is paid its customary fees for such services. Those fees
were $441,719 in 2004 and $337,743 in 2003.
Patricia A. Gilmartin, a director and a director of the Mutual
Company, is an employee of Donegal Insurance Agency, which has
no affiliation with us except that Donegal Insurance Agency
receives insurance commissions in the ordinary course of
business from our subsidiaries and the Mutual Company in
accordance with their standard commission schedules and agency
contracts.
Frederick W. Dreher, a director of the Mutual Company and one of
the Mutual Companys representatives on our coordinating
committee, is a partner in the law firm of Duane Morris LLP,
which represents us and the Mutual Company in certain legal
matters. Such firm is paid its customary fees for such services.
Those fees were $561,519 in 2004 and $710,589 in 2003.
Most of our directors and officers are affiliated with the
Mutual Company, our controlling stockholder, with whom we have a
variety of inter-company agreements providing for, among other
things, pooling of underwriting results and reinsurance and
expense sharing. See Stock Ownership Our
Relationship with the Mutual Company.
14
REPORT OF OUR COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
The following report of our compensation committee and the
performance graph that immediately follows that report do not
constitute soliciting material and shall not be deemed filed or
incorporated by reference into any filing by us under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act) or the
Exchange Act except to the extent that we specifically
incorporate the report or the performance graph by reference
therein.
Under the rules established by the SEC, we are required to
provide certain information about the compensation and benefits
provided to our Chief Executive Officer and our other executive
officers listed in the Summary Compensation Table. The
disclosure requirements as to those officers include the use of
specified tables and a report of our compensation committee
reviewing the factors that resulted in compensation decisions
affecting these officers and our other executive officers. Our
compensation committee has furnished the following report in
fulfillment of the SECs requirements.
Our compensation committee reviews our general compensation
policies, including the compensation plans and compensation
levels for our executive officers, and administers our equity
incentive plans and our cash incentive compensation program in
which our executive officers participate. No members of our
compensation committee are former or current officers of ours,
or have other interlocking relationships, as defined by the SEC.
Compensation of our executive officers has two principal
elements: (i) an annual portion, consisting of a base
salary that is reviewed annually and cash bonuses based on our
annual underwriting results, and (ii) a long-term portion,
consisting of stock options. In general, our executive
compensation programs have been designed to:
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attract and retain executive officers who contribute to our
long-term success; |
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|
|
motivate key senior officers to achieve strategic business
objectives and reward them for the achievement of these
objectives; and |
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|
support a compensation policy that differentiates in
compensation amounts based on corporate and individual
performance and responsibilities. |
A major component of our compensation policy, which has been
approved by our compensation committee, is that a significant
portion of the aggregate annual compensation of our senior
officers should be based upon our annual underwriting results,
the achievement of our other business and financial objectives
and the contribution of the individual officer. For a number of
years, we have maintained a cash incentive compensation program
for our senior officers. This program provides a formula
pursuant to which a fixed percentage of our underwriting results
for the year is computed, as specified in the program, and then
allocated on a discretionary basis among our senior officers
selected to participate in the program for the particular year.
The identity of our senior officers selected to participate in
the program for the particular year as well as their
participation in the amount determined by application of the
fixed formula is based upon recommendations submitted by our
executive officers to our compensation committee. Our
compensation committee reviews those recommendations and fixes
the percentage participation of our senior officers in the
program. Because of our success in maintaining a better than
industry average combined ratio, in 2004 we made the attainment
of bonuses based on our underwriting performance more stringent
and increased the bonus percentages. Our executive officers
named in the Summary Compensation Table received total payments
of $915,500 under our cash incentive compensation program for
2004, based on our combined ratio of 93.1% and our statutory
underwriting gain of $17.6 million in 2004. Our executive
officers named in the Summary Compensation Table received total
payments of $632,500 under our cash incentive compensation
program for 2003 based on our combined ratio of 95.0% and our
statutory underwriting gain of $10.3 million in 2003.
Because the payments under our cash incentive compensation plan
reflect our underwriting results, our compensation committee
believes that the amount of the incentive payments are tied
directly to our performance.
15
The principal factors we considered when we established our cash
incentive compensation program were:
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achievement of our long-term underwriting objectives; and |
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our long-term underwriting results compared to the long-term
underwriting results of other property and casualty insurance
companies. |
In determining the total compensation of Mr. Nikolaus as
our Chief Executive Officer in 2004, our compensation committee
conducted a subjective analysis of Mr. Nikolaus
leadership and performance as well as the following objective
factors:
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|
our continued better-than-industry underwriting results
evidenced by our statutory combined ratios of 98.0%, 93.8% and
91.0% for 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively, compared to
combined ratios of 106.0%, 100.1% and 97.6% for the industry; |
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|
the successful maintenance of our cost control program initiated
in 1999, which has resulted in a GAAP expense ratio of
30.8% in 2004 compared to 36.6% in 1999; |
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|
our consistent organic growth with premiums earned of
$185.8 million, $196.8 million and $266 million
for 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively; |
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|
the successful integration of Le Mars following our
acquisition of all of its capital stock on January 1, 2004,
which expanded our operations to Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma and
South Dakota; and |
|
|
|
the contribution made to our net income by The Peninsula
Insurance Company and Peninsula Indemnity Company, which we
acquired on January 1, 2004, which expanded our presence in
the mid-Atlantic region. |
Our executive officers participate in our Equity Incentive Plan,
under which stock options are granted from time to time at not
less than the fair market value of our Class A common stock
on the date of grant. The options typically vest over three
years. The primary purpose of our Equity Incentive Plan is to
provide an incentive for our long-term performance. These stock
options provide an incentive for the creation of stockholder
value over the long term because the full benefit of the options
can be realized only if the price of our Class A common
stock appreciates over time. No options were granted to our
executive officers during 2004.
Based upon all of the foregoing factors, our compensation
committee believes the compensation of Mr. Nikolaus and our
other executive officers was reasonable in view of:
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our performance and the contribution of our executive officers
to that performance in 2004; and |
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|
our performance in 2004 compared to our performance in 2003 and
to the performance of other property and casualty insurance
companies in 2004. |
16
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (the
Code) generally disallows a tax deduction to
publicly held companies for compensation of more than
$1.0 million paid to a companys chief executive
officer or any executive officer named in its Summary
Compensation Table. Qualifying performance-based compensation is
not subject to the deduction limit if certain requirements are
met. The policy of our compensation committee is to structure
the compensation of our executive officers, including
Mr. Nikolaus, to avoid the loss of the deductibility of any
compensation, although Section 162(m) will not preclude our
compensation committee from awarding compensation in excess of
$1.0 million, if it should be warranted in the future. We
believe that Section 162(m) will not have any effect on the
deductibility of the compensation of Mr. Nikolaus and the
other executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table
for 2004.
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|
Submitted by: |
|
|
Compensation Committee |
|
|
R. Richard Sherbahn |
|
Philip H. Glatfelter, II |
March 8, 2005
Comparison of Total Return on Our
Common Stock with Certain Averages
The following graph provides an indicator of cumulative total
stockholder returns on our common stock compared to the Russell
2000 Index and a peer group of property and casualty insurance
companies selected by Value Line, Inc. The members of the peer
group are as follows: 21st Century Insurance Group,
Acceptance Insurance Cos. Inc., ACE Limited,
ACMAT Corp., Affirmative Insurance Holdings Inc.,
Allmerica Financial Corp., Allstate Corp., American
Financial Group Inc., American Safety Insurance
Holdings Ltd., Anthony Clark International Insurance
Brokers Ltd., Argonaut Group Inc., Aspen Insurance
Holdings Ltd., Assurant Inc., Baldwin &
Lyons Inc., Bristol West Holdings Inc.,
Brooke Corp., Chubb Corporation, Cincinnati Financial
Corporation, CNA Surety Corp., Cumberland
Technologies, Inc., Donegal Group Inc., EMC Insurance
Group Inc., Erie Indemnity Co., Everest Re
Group Ltd., Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., Fidelity
National Financial Inc., Gainsco Inc., Harleysville
Group Inc., HCC Insurance Holdings Inc.,
Industrial Alliance Insurance Financial Services Inc.,
IPC Holdings Ltd, King Thomason Group Inc.,
Markel Corporation, Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc.,
Mercer Insurance Group Inc., Merchants Group Inc.,
Mercury General Corporation, Midland Co.,
MIIX Group Inc., NCRIC Group Inc.,
Odyssey Re Holdings Corp., Ohio Casualty Corporation,
Old Republic International Corp., PartnerRe Ltd.,
Penn-America Group Inc., Philadelphia Consolidated
Holding Corp., PICO Holdings Inc., PMA Capital
Corporation, PMI Mortgage Group Inc., ProCentury
Corp., Progressive Corp., PXRE Group Ltd., RenaissanceRe
Holdings Ltd., RLI Corporation, SAFECO Corporation,
SCPIE Holdings, Inc., Selective Insurance Group, Inc.,
St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc., State Auto
Financial Corp., Sun Life Financial Services of Canada,
Inc., Tower Group Inc., Transatlantic Holdings, Inc.,
U.S.I. Holdings Corp., United American Indemnity Ltd.,
United Fire & Casualty Company, W.R. Berkley
Corp., XL Capital Ltd. and Zenith National Insurance
Group.
17
Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return*
Donegal Group Inc., Donegal Group Inc. A**, Donegal
Group Inc. B**, Russell 2000 Index and
Value Line Insurance (Prop/Casualty)
(Performance Results Through 12/31/04)
Assumes $100 invested at the close of trading on 12/99 in the
Russell 2000 Index, the Value Line Insurance (Property/Casualty)
and Donegal Group Inc. common stock and gives effect to a
one-for-three reverse split of the Companys Class B
common stock and issuance, as a dividend, of two shares of
Class A common stock for each share of Class B common
stock as of April 19, 2001. Assumes reinvestment of
dividends.
*Cumulative total return assumes reinvestment of dividends.
**As of April 19, 2001
ITEM 2 AMENDMENT TO OUR EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
General
Our board of directors adopted our Equity Incentive Plan in
March 2001, and our stockholders approved it on April 19,
2001. The purpose of our Equity Incentive Plan is to further the
growth, development and financial success of our subsidiaries by
providing additional incentives to those officers and key
employees who are responsible for our management and affairs,
and those of our subsidiaries that will enable them to
participate in the growth of our capital stock.
Our Equity Incentive Plan permits the granting of options to
purchase our Class A common stock, or Options, including
Options intended to qualify as incentive stock options, or
Incentive Stock Options, and Options not intended to so qualify,
or Non-Qualified Stock Options, to our officers and key
employees (Optionees) and those of our subsidiaries
who are in positions in which their decisions, actions and
counsel significantly impact upon our profitability and success
and that of our subsidiaries. Our Equity Incentive Plan does not
affect our right or that of our subsidiaries to terminate the
employment of an employee.
Our Equity Incentive Plan as currently in effect provides that
the number of shares of our Class A common stock for which
Options may be granted under our Equity Incentive Plan may not
exceed 1,500,000 shares in the aggregate. If an Option
expires or is terminated for any reason without having been
fully exercised, the number of shares subject to an Option that
has expired or otherwise been terminated
18
may again be made subject to an Option under our Equity
Incentive Plan. Appropriate adjustments to outstanding Options
and to the number or kind of shares subject to our Equity
Incentive Plan are provided for in the event of a stock split,
reverse stock split, stock dividend, share combination or
reclassification and certain other types of corporate
transactions involving us, including a merger or a sale of all
or substantially all of our assets. The maximum number of shares
of Class A common stock for which Options may be granted to
any employee in any calendar year is currently limited to
100,000 shares.
Approximately 90 persons are currently participating in our
Equity Incentive Plan, including our executive officers and
those of our subsidiaries.
Our Equity Incentive Plan is administered by the compensation
committee of our board of directors, each of whom is a
non-employee director within the meaning of
Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (the equity plan
committee). The equity plan committee is authorized to
(i) interpret the provisions of our Equity Incentive Plan
and decide all questions of fact arising in its application;
(ii) select the employees to whom Options are granted and
determine the timing, type, amount, size and terms of each such
grant and (iii) make all other determinations necessary or
advisable for the administration of our Equity Incentive Plan.
Amendment to Our Equity Incentive Plan
The amendment to our Equity Incentive Plan increases the number
of available shares by an additional 1,000,000 shares
(i.e., to 2,500,000 shares) after April 21, 2005 and
increases the limit on the number of shares for which options
may be granted to an individual in any one year from
100,000 shares to 200,000 shares.
The share limitation is subject to adjustment upon the
occurrence of certain events, including stock dividends
(including the March 28, 2005
331/3%
stock dividend), stock splits, mergers, consolidations,
recapitalizations and other capital adjustments. We must reserve
out of our authorized but unissued Class A shares or out of
shares held in our treasury sufficient shares for the grant of
Options to purchase the additional 1,000,000 shares under
our Equity Incentive Plan. Options granted under our Equity
Incentive Plan that are subsequently forfeited, cancelled or
expire will not count against the aggregate share limitation.
The full text of our Equity Incentive Plan as amended to reflect
the increased number of shares is included as Appendix A to
this proxy statement.
Incentive Options and Non-Qualified Options
The exercise price of the shares of Class A common stock
subject to Options will be set by the equity plan committee but
may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of such
shares on the date the Option is granted, as determined by the
equity plan committee.
Options will be evidenced by written agreements in such form not
inconsistent with our Equity Incentive Plan as the equity plan
committee shall approve from time to time. Each agreement will
state the period or periods of time within which the Option may
be exercised, provided, however, that no Option may be exercised
in whole or in part during the first six months after such
Option is granted unless expressly permitted by the equity plan
committee. The equity plan committee may accelerate the
exercisability of any installments upon such circumstances and
subject to such terms and conditions as the equity plan
committee deems appropriate. Unless the equity plan committee
accelerates exercisability, no Option that is unexercisable at
the time of the Optionees termination of employment may
thereafter become exercisable. No Option may be exercised after
ten years from the date of its grant.
An outstanding Non-Qualified Option that has become exercisable
generally terminates up to three years after the termination of
employment due to death, retirement or total disability and
three months after employment termination for any reason other
than retirement, total disability or death. Incentive Stock
Options that have become exercisable generally will terminate
one year after termination of employment due to total disability
or death and three months after an employment termination for any
19
other reason. No Option may be assigned or transferred, except
by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution.
During the lifetime of the optionee, the Option may be exercised
only by the optionee.
The equity plan committee will determine whether Options granted
are to be Incentive Stock Options meeting the requirements of
Section 422 of the Code. Incentive Stock Options may be
granted only to eligible employees. Any such Optionee must own
less than 10% of the total combined voting power of us or of any
of our subsidiaries unless at the time such Incentive Stock
Option is granted the exercise price of the Option is at least
110% of the fair market value of the Class A common stock
subject to the Option and, by its terms, the Incentive Stock
Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years
from the date of grant. An Optionee may not receive Incentive
Stock Options that first become exercisable in any calendar year
for shares with an aggregate fair market value determined at the
date of grant in excess of $100,000.
The option price must be paid in full at the time of exercise
unless otherwise determined by the equity plan committee.
Payment must be made in cash, in shares of Class A common
stock or in shares of Class B common stock valued at their
then fair market value, or a combination thereof, as determined
in the discretion of the equity plan committee. It is the policy
of the equity plan committee that any taxes required to be
withheld must also be paid at the time of exercise. The equity
plan committee may, in its discretion, allow an Optionee to
enter into an agreement with our transfer agent or a brokerage
firm of national standing whereby the Optionee will
simultaneously exercise the Option and sell the shares acquired
thereby and either our transfer agent or the brokerage firm
executing the sale will remit to us from the proceeds of sale
the exercise price of the shares as to which the Option has been
exercised.
Amendment and Termination
Our Equity Incentive Plan will remain in effect until all
Options granted under our Equity Incentive Plan have been
satisfied by the issuance of shares, except that no Option may
be granted under our Equity Incentive Plan after April 18,
2011. Without stockholder approval, no amendments may be made to
our Equity Incentive Plan to: (i) materially increase the
maximum number of shares that may be issued under our Equity
Incentive Plan, except to reflect adjustments in capitalization
as described in our Equity Incentive Plan; (ii) materially
increase the benefits accruing to participants under our Equity
Incentive Plan or (iii) materially modify requirements for
eligibility for participation under our Equity Incentive Plan.
In all other respects, our Equity Incentive Plan can be amended,
modified, suspended or terminated by our board of directors or
the equity plan committee, except that no modification,
amendment or termination may be made to our Equity Incentive
Plan, without the consent of an optionee, if such modification,
amendment or termination will negatively affect the rights of
the optionee under an Option previously granted.
Federal Income Tax Consequences
Based on the advice of counsel, we believe that the normal
operation of our Equity Incentive Plan should generally have,
under the Code and the regulations thereunder, all as in effect
on the date of this proxy statement, the principal federal
income tax consequences described below. The tax treatment
described below does not take into account any changes in the
Code or the regulations thereunder that may occur after the date
of this proxy statement. The following discussion is only a
summary; it is not intended to be all-inclusive or to constitute
tax advice, and, among other things, does not cover possible
state or local tax consequences. This description may differ
from the actual tax consequences of participation in our Equity
Incentive Plan.
An Optionee will not recognize taxable income upon the grant of
the Option, nor will we be entitled to any deduction on account
of such grant.
In the case of Non-Qualified Stock Options, the Optionee will
recognize ordinary income upon the exercise of the Non-Qualified
Stock Option in an amount equal to the difference between the
exercise price and the fair market value of the shares on the
date of exercise. An Optionee exercising a
20
Non-Qualified Stock Option is subject to federal income tax
withholding on the income recognized as a result of the exercise
of the Non-Qualified Stock Option. Such income will include any
income attributable to any shares issuable upon exercise that
are surrendered, if permitted under the applicable stock option
agreement, in order to satisfy the federal income tax
withholding requirements.
Subject to the exceptions described herein, the basis of the
shares received by the Optionee upon the exercise of a
Non-Qualified Stock Option will be the fair market value of the
shares on the date of exercise. The Optionees holding
period will begin on the day after the date on which the
Optionee recognizes income with respect to the transfer of such
shares, i.e., generally the day after the exercise date.
When the Optionee disposes of the shares acquired upon exercise
of a Non-Qualified Stock Option, the Optionee will generally
recognize capital gain or loss under the Code rules that govern
stock dispositions, assuming the shares are held as capital
assets, equal to the difference between (i) the selling
price of the shares and (ii) the sum of the exercise price
and the amount included in the Optionees income when the
Non-Qualified Stock Option was exercised. Any net capital gain
will be taxed at a capital gains rate that depends on how long
the shares were held and the Optionees tax bracket. Any
net capital loss may be used only to offset up to
$3,000 per year of ordinary income (reduced to $1,500 in
the case of a married individual filing separately) or carried
forward to a subsequent year. The use of shares to pay the
exercise price of a Non-Qualified Stock Option, if permitted
under the applicable stock option agreement, will be treated as
a like-kind exchange under Section 1036 of the Code to the
extent that the number of shares received on the exercise does
not exceed the number of shares surrendered. The Optionee will
therefore recognize no gain or loss with respect to the
surrendered shares and will have the same basis and holding
period with respect to the newly acquired shares (up to the
number of shares surrendered) as with respect to the surrendered
shares. To the extent the number of shares received exceeds the
number surrendered, the fair market value of such excess shares
on the date of exercise, reduced by any cash paid by the
Optionee upon such exercise, will be includible in the gross
income of the Optionee. The Optionees basis in such excess
shares will equal the fair market value of such shares on the
date of exercise, and the Optionees holding period with
respect to such excess shares will begin on the day following
the date of exercise.
Incentive Stock Options granted under our Equity Incentive Plan
are intended to qualify as incentive stock options under
Section 422 of the Code. A purchase of shares upon exercise
of an Incentive Stock Option will not result in recognition of
income at that time, provided the Optionee was our employee or
an employee of certain related corporations described in
Section 422(a)(2) of the Code during the entire period from
the date of grant of the Incentive Stock Option until three
months before the date of exercise (increased to 12 months
if employment ceased due to permanent disability). The
employment requirement is waived in the event of the
Optionees death. Of course, in all of these situations,
the Incentive Stock Option itself may provide a shorter exercise
period after employment ceases than the allowable period under
the Code. However, the excess of the fair market value of the
shares purchased over the exercise price will constitute an item
of tax preference. This tax preference will be included in the
Optionees computation of the Optionees alternative
minimum tax. The basis of the shares received by the Optionee
upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option is the exercise
price. The Optionees holding period for such shares begins
on the date of exercise.
If the Optionee does not dispose of the shares issued to the
Optionee upon the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option within
one year after such issuance or within two years after the date
of the grant of such Incentive Stock Option, whichever is later,
then any gain or loss realized by the Optionee on a later sale
or exchange of such shares generally will be a long-term capital
gain or a long-term capital loss equal to the difference between
the amount realized upon the disposition and the exercise price,
if such shares are otherwise a capital asset in the hands of the
Optionee. Any net capital gain will be taxed at a capital gains
rate that depends on how long the shares were held and the
Optionees tax bracket. Any net capital loss may be used
only to offset up to $3,000 per year of ordinary income
(reduced to $1,500 in the case of a married individual filing
separately) or carried forward to a subsequent year. If the
Optionee sells the shares during such period (i.e., within two
years after the date of grant of the Incentive Stock Option or
within one year after the transfer of the shares to the
Optionee), the sale will be deemed a
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disqualifying disposition. In that event, the
Optionee will recognize ordinary income for the year in which
the disqualifying disposition occurs equal to the amount, if
any, by which the lesser of the fair market value of such shares
on the date of exercise of such Incentive Stock Option or the
amount realized from the sale exceeded the amount the Optionee
paid for such shares. In the case of disqualifying dispositions
resulting from certain transactions, such as gift or related
party transactions, the Optionee will realize ordinary income
equal to the fair market value of the shares on the date of
exercise minus the exercise price. The basis of the shares with
respect to which a disqualifying disposition occurs will be
increased by the amount included in the Optionees ordinary
income. Disqualifying dispositions of shares may also, depending
upon the sales price, result in capital gain or loss under the
Code rules that govern other stock dispositions, assuming that
the shares are held as a capital asset. The tax treatment of
such capital gain or loss is summarized above.
Subject to the exceptions described herein, the use of shares of
Class A common stock or Class B common stock already
owned by the Optionee to pay the purchase price of an Incentive
Stock Option will be treated as a like-kind exchange under
Section 1036 of the Code to the extent that the number of
shares received on the exercise does not exceed the number of
shares surrendered. The Optionee will therefore recognize no
gain or loss with respect to the surrendered shares and will
have the same basis and holding period with respect to the newly
acquired shares (up to the number of shares surrendered) as with
respect to the surrendered shares. To the extent that the number
of shares received exceeds the number surrendered, the
Optionees basis in such excess shares will equal the
amount of cash paid by the Optionee upon the exercise of the
Incentive Stock Option, if any, and the Optionees holding
period with respect to such excess shares will begin on the date
such shares are transferred to the Optionee. However, if payment
of the purchase price upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option
is made with shares acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Stock
Option before the shares used for payment have been held for the
two-year or one-year period described herein, use of such shares
as payment will be deemed a disqualifying
disposition of the shares used for payment subject to the
rules described above.
Under current law, any gain realized by an Optionee, other than
long-term capital gain, is taxable at a maximum federal income
tax rate of 35%. Under current law, long-term capital gain is
taxable at a maximum federal income tax rate of 15%.
We will be entitled to a tax deduction in connection with an
Option under our Equity Incentive
Plan in an amount equal to the ordinary income
realized by the Optionee at the time such Optionee recognizes
such income, including any ordinary income realized by the
Optionee upon a disqualifying disposition of an
Incentive Stock Option as described above.
The foregoing discussion is only a summary of certain of the
federal income tax consequences relating to our Equity Incentive
Plan as in effect on the date of this proxy statement. No
consideration has been given to the effects of federal estate,
state, local and other tax laws upon our Equity Incentive Plan
or upon the Optionee or us, which laws will vary depending upon
the particular jurisdiction or jurisdictions involved.
Board of Directors Recommendation
Our board of directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR
approval of the amendment to our Equity Incentive Plan.
AUDIT AND NON-AUDIT FEES
Our audit committee approves the fees and other significant
compensation to be paid to our independent registered public
accountants for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit
report or related work. We provide appropriate funding, as
determined by our audit committee, for payment of fees and other
significant compensation to our independent registered public
accountants. Our audit committee also preapproves all auditing
services and permitted non-audit services, including the fees
and terms thereof, to be performed for us by our independent
registered public accountants, subject to the de minimis
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exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act.
Our audit committee delegated to our audit committee chair
preapproval authority for non-audit services up to $25,000
subject to subsequent approval by the full audit committee at
its next scheduled meeting.
Our audit committee reviewed and discussed with KPMG LLP the
following fees for services rendered for the 2004 fiscal year
and considered the compatibility of non-audit services with KPMG
LLPs independence.
Audit Fees. KPMG LLP, our independent registered public
accountants, billed us $227,400 and $823,702 in the aggregate
for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2003 and 2004,
respectively, in connection with (i) the audit of our
annual consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2003 and 2004, (ii) an audit of
internal control over financial reporting in 2004,
(iii) the reviews of our consolidated financial statements
included in our Form 10-Q quarterly reports and
(iv) services performed in connection with filings of
registration statements and offerings.
Audit-Related Fees. We did not pay any audit-related fees
to KPMG LLP during 2003 or 2004.
Tax Fees. We did not pay any tax fees to KPMG LLP during
2003 or 2004.
All Other Fees. The aggregate fees billed by KPMG LLP for
all other services were $27,500 and $50,000 for statutory
actuarial reviews during the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2003 and 2004, respectively, and $46,105 for a
review of our computer systems security during 2004.
Report of Our Audit Committee
The following report of our audit committee does not
constitute soliciting material and shall not be deemed filed or
incorporated by reference into any other filing by us under the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent we
specifically incorporate this report by reference therein.
Our audit committee was established in accordance with
Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. Each of our audit
committee members satisfies the independence requirements of
Exchange Act Rule 10A-3 and Nasdaq Rule 4200(a)(15)
and complies with the financial literacy requirements thereof.
Our board of directors has determined that all three members of
our audit committee, Messrs. Bolinger, Lyons and Wampler,
satisfy the financial expertise requirements and have the
requisite experience as defined by the SECs rules. Our
board of directors adopted a written charter for our audit
committee on June 13, 2000 and amended such charter on
March 19, 2004 to comply with new Nasdaq rules. The full
text of the audit committee charter as currently in effect can
be viewed on our website at http://www.donegalgroup.com.
Our audit committee reviews and reassesses the adequacy of its
charter on an annual basis.
The charter of our audit committee specifies that the purpose of
our audit committee is to assist our board of directors in:
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the oversight of our accounting and financial reporting
processes and the audits of our financial statements; |
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the preparation of our audit committees annual report of
required by the disclosure rules of the SEC; |
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the oversight of the integrity of our financial statements; |
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our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; |
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the qualifications and independence of our independent
registered public accountants; |
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the selection and retention of our independent registered public
accountants; |
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the adequacy of our system of internal controls; and |
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the performance of our independent registered public accountants
and of our internal audit function. |
In carrying out these responsibilities, our audit committee,
among other things:
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monitors preparation of quarterly and annual financial reports
by our management; |
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supervises the relationship between us and our independent
registered public accountants, including having direct
responsibility for their appointment, compensation and
retention; reviewing the scope of their audit services;
approving audit and non-audit services and confirming the
independence of our independent registered public
accountants; and |
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oversees managements implementation and maintenance of
effective systems of internal and disclosure controls, including
review of our policies relating to legal and regulatory
compliance, ethics and conflicts of interest and review of our
internal audit program. |
Our audit committee met 11 times during 2004. Our audit
committee schedules its meetings in order to have sufficient
time to devote appropriate attention to all of its tasks. When
it deems it appropriate, our audit committee holds meetings with
our independent registered public accountants and with our
internal auditors in executive sessions at which our management
is not present.
As part of its oversight of our financial reporting process, our
audit committee reviews all annual and quarterly financial
statements and discusses them with our independent registered
public accountants and with management prior to the issuance of
the statements. During 2004, management and our independent
registered public accountants advised our audit committee that
each of our financial statements had been prepared in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, and they reviewed
significant accounting and disclosure issues with our audit
committee. These reviews included discussion with our
independent registered public accountants as to the matters
required to be discussed pursuant to Statement of Auditing
Standards No. 61 (Communication with Audit Committees),
including the accounting principles we employ, the
reasonableness of significant judgments made by management and
the transparency of our financial statements. Our audit
committee discussed with KPMG LLP matters relating to its
independence, including a review of audit and non-audit fees and
the written disclosures and letter from KPMG LLP to our audit
committee pursuant to Independence Standards Board Standard
No. 1 (Independence Discussions with Audit Committee).
Our audit committee also reviewed methods of enhancing the
effectiveness of our internal and disclosure control system. Our
audit committee, as part of this process, analyzed steps taken
to implement recommended improvements in our internal control
procedures.
Based on our audit committees reviews and discussions as
described above, the members of our audit committee recommended
to the board of directors that the board of directors approve
the inclusion of our audited financial statements in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2004 for filing with the SEC.
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Submitted By: |
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Audit Committee |
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Robert S. Bolinger |
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John J. Lyons |
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Richard D. Wampler, II |
March 11, 2005
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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
Any stockholder who, in accordance with and subject to the
provisions of Rule 14a-8 of the proxy rules of the SEC,
wishes to submit a proposal for inclusion in our proxy statement
for our 2006 annual meeting of stockholders must deliver such
proposal in writing to our Secretary at our principal executive
offices at 1195 River Road, Marietta, Pennsylvania 17547, not
later than December 26, 2005.
Pursuant to Section 2.3 of our by-laws, if a stockholder
wishes to present at our 2006 annual meeting of stockholders
(i) a proposal relating to nominations for and election of
directors for consideration by the nominating committee of our
board of directors or (ii) a proposal relating to a matter
other than nominations for and election of directors, otherwise
than pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the proxy rules of the SEC,
the stockholder must comply with the provisions relating to
stockholder proposals set forth in our by-laws, which are
summarized below. Written notice of any such proposal containing
the information required under our by-laws, as described herein,
must be delivered in person, by first class United States
mail postage prepaid or by reputable overnight delivery service
to our nominating committee to the attention of our Secretary,
for nomination proposals only, or to the attention of our
Secretary for all other matters, at our principal executive
offices at 1195 River Road, Marietta, Pennsylvania 17547 during
the period commencing on November 25, 2005 and ending on
December 26, 2005.
A written proposal of nomination for a director must set forth:
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the name and address of the stockholder who intends to make the
nomination (the Nominating Stockholder); |
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the name, age, business address and, if known, residence address
of each person so proposed; |
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the principal occupation or employment of each person so
proposed for the past five years; |
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the number of shares of our capital stock beneficially owned
within the meaning of SEC Rule 13d-3 by each person so
proposed and the earliest date of acquisition of any such
capital stock; |
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a description of any arrangement or understanding between each
person so proposed and the Nominating Stockholder with respect
to such persons proposal for nomination and election as a
director and actions to be proposed or taken by such person as a
director; |
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the written consent of each person so proposed to serve as a
director if nominated and elected as a director; and |
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such other information regarding each such person as would be
required under the proxy rules of the SEC if proxies were to be
solicited for the election as a director of each person so
proposed. |
Only candidates nominated by stockholders for election as a
member of our board of directors in accordance with our by-law
provisions as summarized herein will be eligible for
consideration by our nominating committee to be nominated for
election as a member of our board of directors at our 2006
annual meeting of stockholders, and any candidate not nominated
in accordance with such provisions will not be considered or
acted upon for election as a director at our 2006 annual meeting
of stockholders.
A written proposal relating to a matter other than a nomination
for election as a director must set forth information regarding
the matter equivalent to the information that would be required
under the proxy rules of the SEC if proxies were solicited for
stockholder consideration of the matter at a meeting of
stockholders. Only stockholder proposals submitted in accordance
with the by-law provisions summarized above will be eligible for
presentation at our 2006 annual meeting of stockholders, and any
matter not submitted to our board of directors in accordance
with such provisions will not be considered or acted upon at our
2006 annual meeting of stockholders.
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OTHER MATTERS
Our board of directors does not know of any matters to be
presented for consideration at our annual meeting other than the
matters described in the notice of annual meeting, but if any
matters are properly presented, proxies in the enclosed form
returned to us will be voted in accordance with the
recommendation of our board of directors or, in the absence of
such a recommendation, in accordance with the judgment of the
proxy holder.
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By order of our board of directors, |
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Donald H. Nikolaus, |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
March 23, 2005
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APPENDIX A
DONEGAL GROUP INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED
2001 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES
1. Purpose. The purpose of the Donegal Group Inc.
Amended and Restated 2001 Equity Incentive Plan (the
Plan) is to further the growth, development and
financial success of Donegal Group Inc. (the
Company), its parent and the subsidiaries of the
Company and its parent by providing additional incentives to
those officers and key employees who are responsible for the
management of the business and affairs of the Company, its
parent and/or subsidiaries of the Company or its parent, which
will enable those officers and key employees to participate
directly in the growth of the capital stock of the Company. The
Company intends that the Plan will facilitate securing,
retaining and motivating management employees of high caliber
and potential. To accomplish these purposes, the Plan provides a
means whereby management employees may receive stock options
(Options) to purchase shares of the Companys
Class A Common Stock, $.01 par value (the
Class A Common Stock).
2. Administration.
(a) Composition of the Committee. The Plan shall be
administered by a committee (the Committee), which
shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the
Companys Board of Directors (the Board). The
Committee shall be comprised of two or more members of the
Board, each of whom shall be a non-employee director
within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). In
addition, each member of the Committee shall be an outside
director within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
Code). Subject to the foregoing, from time to time
the Board may increase or decrease the size of the Committee,
appoint additional members thereof, remove members (with or
without cause), appoint new members, fill vacancies or remove
all members of the Committee and thereafter directly administer
the Plan.
(b) Authority of the Committee. The Committee shall
have full and final authority, in its sole discretion, to
interpret the provisions of the Plan and to decide all questions
of fact arising in its application; to determine the employees
to whom Options shall be granted and the type, amount, size and
terms of each such grant; to determine the time when Options
shall be granted; and to make all other determinations necessary
or advisable for the administration of the Plan. All decisions,
determinations and interpretations of the Committee shall be
final and binding on all optionees and all other holders of
Options granted under the Plan.
(c) Authority of the Board. Notwithstanding anything
to the contrary set forth in the Plan, all authority granted
hereunder to the Committee may be exercised at any time and from
time to time by the Board at its election. All decisions,
determinations and interpretations of the Board shall be final
and binding on all optionees and all other holders of Options
granted under the Plan.
3. Stock Subject to the Plan. Subject to
Section 16 hereof, the shares that may be issued under the
Plan shall not exceed in the aggregate 2,500,000 shares of
Class A Common Stock. Such shares may be authorized and
unissued shares or shares issued and subsequently reacquired by
the Company. Except as otherwise provided herein, any shares
subject to an Option that for any reason expires or is
terminated unexercised as to such shares shall again be
available under the Plan.
4. Eligibility To Receive Options. Persons eligible
to receive Options under the Plan shall be limited to those
officers and other key employees of the Company, its parent and
any subsidiary of the Company or its parent (as defined in
Section 424 of the Code or any amendment or substitute
thereto) who are in positions in which their decisions, actions
and counsel significantly impact upon the profitability and
success of the Company, its parent or any subsidiary of the
Company or its parent. Directors of the Company who are not also
officers or employees of the Company, its parent or any
subsidiary of the
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Company or its parent shall not be eligible to participate in
the Plan. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in
the Plan, the maximum number of shares of Class A Common
Stock for which Options may be granted to any employee in any
calendar year shall be 200,000 shares.
5. Types of Options. Grants may be made at any time
and from time to time by the Committee in the form of stock
options to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock. Options
granted hereunder may be Options that are intended to qualify as
incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422
of the Code or any amendment or substitute thereto
(Incentive Stock Options) or Options that are not
intended to so qualify (Nonqualified Stock Options).
6. Option Agreements. Options for the purchase of
Class A Common Stock shall be evidenced by written
agreements in such form not inconsistent with the Plan as the
Committee shall approve from time to time. The Options granted
hereunder may be evidenced by a single agreement or by multiple
agreements, as determined by the Committee in its sole
discretion. Each option agreement shall contain in substance the
following terms and conditions:
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(a) Type of Option. Each option agreement shall
identify the Options represented thereby either as Incentive
Stock Options or Nonqualified Stock Options, as the case may be. |
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(b) Option Price. Each option agreement shall set
forth the purchase price of the Class A Common Stock
purchasable upon the exercise of the Option evidenced thereby.
Subject to the limitation set forth in Section 6(d)(ii) of
the Plan, the purchase price of the Class A Common Stock
subject to an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 100%
of the fair market value of such stock on the date the Option is
granted, as determined by the Committee, but in no event less
than the par value of such stock. The purchase price of the
Class A Common Stock subject to a Nonqualified Stock Option
shall be not less than 100% of the fair market value of such
stock on the date the Option is granted, as determined by the
Committee, but in no event less than the par value of such
stock. For this purpose, fair market value on any date shall
mean the closing price of the Class A Common Stock, as
reported in The Wall Street Journal, or if not so reported, as
otherwise reported by The Nasdaq Stock Market
(Nasdaq), or if the Class A Common Stock is not
reported by Nasdaq, the fair market value shall be as determined
by the Committee pursuant to Section 422 of the Code. |
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(c) Exercise Term. Each option agreement shall state
the period or periods of time within which the Option may be
exercised, in whole or in part, as determined by the Committee,
provided that no Option shall be exercisable after ten years
from the date of grant thereof. The Committee shall have the
power to permit an acceleration of previously established
exercise terms, subject to the requirements set forth herein,
upon such circumstances and subject to such terms and conditions
as the Committee deems appropriate. |
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(d) Incentive Stock Options. In the case of an
Incentive Stock Option, each option agreement shall contain such
other terms, conditions and provisions as the Committee
determines to be necessary or desirable in order to qualify such
Option as a tax-favored Option (within the meaning of
Section 422 of the Code or any amendment or substitute
thereto or regulation thereunder) including without limitation,
each of the following, except that any of these provisions may
be omitted or modified if it is no longer required in order to
have an Option qualify as a tax-favored Option within the
meaning of Section 422 of the Code or any substitute
therefor: |
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(i) The aggregate fair market value (determined as of the
date the Option is granted) of the Class A Common Stock
with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are first
exercisable by any employee during any calendar year (under all
plans of the Company) shall not exceed $100,000. |
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(ii) No Incentive Stock Options shall be granted to any
employee if at the time the Option is granted to the individual
who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined
voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its
subsidiaries unless at the time such Option is granted the
Option price is at least 110% of the fair market value of the
stock subject |
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to the Option and, by its terms, the Option is not exercisable
after the expiration of five years from the date of grant. |
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(iii) No Incentive Stock Options shall be exercisable more
than three months (or one year, in the case of an employee
who dies or becomes disabled within the meaning of
Section 22(e)(3) of the Code or any substitute therefor)
after termination of employment. |
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(e) Substitution of Options. Options may be granted
under the Plan from time to time in substitution for stock
options held by employees of other corporations who are about to
become, and who do concurrently with the grant of such options
become, employees of the Company, its parent or a subsidiary of
the Company or its parent as a result of a merger or
consolidation of the employing corporation with the Company, its
parent or a subsidiary of the Company or its parent, or the
acquisition by the Company, its parent or a subsidiary of the
Company or its parent of the assets or capital stock of the
employing corporation. The terms and conditions of the
substitute options so granted may vary from the terms and
conditions set forth in this Section 6 to such extent as
the Committee at the time of grant may deem appropriate to
conform, in whole or in part, to the provisions of the stock
options in substitution for which they are granted. |
7. Date of Grant. The date on which an Option shall
be deemed to have been granted under the Plan shall be the date
of the Committees authorization of the Option or such
later date as may be determined by the Committee at the time the
Option is authorized. Notice of the determination shall be given
to each individual to whom an Option is so granted within a
reasonable time after the date of such grant.
8. Exercise and Payment for Shares. Options may be
exercised in whole or in part, from time to time, by giving
written notice of exercise to the Secretary of the Company,
specifying the number of shares to be purchased. The purchase
price of the shares with respect to which an Option is exercised
shall be payable in full with the notice of exercise in cash,
Class A Common Stock at fair market value, Class B
Common Stock at fair market value, or a combination thereof, as
the Committee may determine from time to time and subject to
such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Committee
for such purpose. The Committee may also, in its discretion and
subject to prior notification to the Company by an optionee,
permit an optionee to enter into an agreement with the
Companys transfer agent or a brokerage firm of national
standing whereby the optionee will simultaneously exercise the
Option and sell the shares acquired thereby through the
Companys transfer agent or such a brokerage firm and
either the Companys transfer agent or the brokerage firm
executing the sale will remit to the Company from the proceeds
of sale the exercise price of the shares as to which the Option
has been exercised.
9. Rights upon Termination of Employment. In the
event that an optionee ceases to be an employee of the Company,
its parent or any subsidiary of the Company or its parent for
any reason other than death, retirement, as hereinafter defined,
or disability (within the meaning of Section 72(m)(7) of
the Code or any substitute therefor), the optionee shall have
the right to exercise the Option during its term within a period
of three months after such termination to the extent that the
Option was exercisable at the time of termination, or within
such other period, and subject to such terms and conditions, as
may be specified by the Committee. In the event that an optionee
dies, retires or becomes disabled prior to the expiration of his
Option and without having fully exercised his Option, the
optionee or the optionees successor shall have the right
to exercise the Option during its term within a period of one
year after termination of employment due to death, retirement or
disability to the extent that the Option was exercisable at the
time of termination, or within such other period, and subject to
such terms and conditions, as may be specified by the Committee.
As used in this Section 9, retirement means a
termination of employment by reason of an optionees
retirement at or after the optionees earliest permissible
retirement date pursuant to and in accordance with his
employers regular retirement plan or personnel practices.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6(d)(iii) hereof,
if the term of an Incentive Stock Option continues for more than
three months after termination of employment due to retirement
or more than one year after termination of employment due to
death or disability, such Option shall thereupon lose its status
as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated as a
Nonqualified Stock Option.
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10. General Restrictions. Each Option granted under
the Plan shall be subject to the requirement that, if at any
time the Committee shall determine that (i) the listing,
registration or qualification of the shares of Class A
Common Stock subject or related thereto upon any securities
exchange or under any state or federal law, or (ii) the
consent or approval of any government regulatory body, or
(iii) the satisfaction of any tax payment or withholding
obligation, or (iv) an agreement by the recipient of an
Option with respect to the disposition of shares of Class A
Common Stock, is necessary or desirable as a condition of or in
connection with the granting of such Option or the issuance or
purchase of shares of Class A Common Stock thereunder, such
Option shall not be consummated in whole or in part unless such
listing, registration, qualification, consent, approval or
agreement shall have been effected or obtained free of any
conditions not acceptable to the Committee.
11. Rights of a Stockholder. The recipient of any
Option under the Plan shall have no rights as a stockholder
unless and until certificates for shares of Class A Common
Stock are issued and delivered to him.
12. Right to Terminate Employment. Nothing contained
in the Plan or in any option agreement entered into pursuant to
the Plan shall confer upon any optionee the right to continue in
the employment of the Company, its parent or any subsidiary of
the Company or its parent or affect any right that the Company,
its parent or any subsidiary of the Company or its parent may
have to terminate the employment of such optionee.
13. Withholding. Whenever the Company proposes or is
required to issue or transfer shares of Class A Common
Stock under the Plan, the Company shall have the right to
require the recipient to remit to the Company an amount
sufficient to satisfy any federal, state or local withholding
tax requirements prior to the delivery of any certificate or
certificates for such shares. If and to the extent authorized by
the Committee, in its sole discretion, an optionee may make an
election, by means of a form of election to be prescribed by the
Committee, to have shares of Class A Common Stock that are
acquired upon exercise of an Option withheld by the Company or
to tender other shares of Class A Common Stock or other
securities of the Company owned by the optionee to the Company
at the time of exercise of an Option to pay the amount of tax
that would otherwise be required by law to be withheld by the
Company as a result of any exercise of an Option. Any such
election shall be irrevocable and shall be subject to
termination by the Committee, in its sole discretion, at any
time. Any securities so withheld or tendered will be valued by
the Committee as of the date of exercise.
14. Non-Assignability. No Option under the Plan
shall be assignable or transferable by the recipient thereof
except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or by
such other means as the Committee may approve. During the life
of the recipient, such Option shall be exercisable only by such
person or by such persons guardian or legal representative.
15. Non-Uniform Determinations. The Committees
determinations under the Plan (including without limitation
determinations of the persons to receive Options, the form,
amount and timing of such grants, the terms and provisions of
Options, and the agreements evidencing same) need not be uniform
and may be made selectively among persons who receive, or are
eligible to receive, grants of Options under the Plan whether or
not such persons are similarly situated.
16. Adjustments.
(a) Changes in Capitalization. Subject to any
required action by the stockholders of the Company, the number
of shares of Class A Common Stock covered by each
outstanding Option and the number of shares of Class A
Common Stock that have been authorized for issuance under the
Plan but as to which no Options have yet been granted or which
have been returned to the Plan upon cancellation or expiration
of an Option, as well as the price per share of Class A
Common Stock covered by each such outstanding Option, shall be
proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the
number of issued shares of Class A Common Stock resulting
from a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend,
combination or reclassification of the Class A Common
Stock, or any other increase or decrease in the number of issued
shares of Class A Common Stock effected without receipt of
consideration by the Company; provided,
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however, that conversion of any convertible securities of the
Company shall not be deemed to have been effected without
receipt of consideration. Such adjustment shall be made by
the Committee, whose determination in that respect shall be
final, binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided
herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any
class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any
class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall
be made with respect to, the number or price of shares of
Class A Common Stock subject to an Option.
(b) Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the
proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all
outstanding Options will terminate immediately prior to the
consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided
by the Committee. The Committee may, in the exercise of its
discretion in such instances, declare that any Option shall
terminate as of a date fixed by the Committee and give each
Option holder the right to exercise his Option as to all or any
part of the shares of Class A Common Stock covered by the
Option, including shares as to which the Option would not
otherwise be exercisable.
(c) Sale or Merger. In the event of a proposed sale
of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the
merger of the Company with or into another corporation, the
Committee, in the exercise of its sole discretion, may take such
action as it deems desirable, including, but not limited to:
(i) causing an Option to be assumed or an equivalent option
to be substituted by the successor corporation or a parent or
subsidiary of such successor corporation, (ii) providing
that each Option holder shall have the right to exercise his
Option as to all of the shares of Class A Common Stock
covered by the Option, including shares as to which the Option
would not otherwise be exercisable, or (iii) declaring that
an Option shall terminate at a date fixed by the Committee
provided that the Option holder is given notice and opportunity
to exercise the then exercisable portion of his Option prior to
such date.
17. Amendment. The Committee may terminate or amend
the Plan at any time, with respect to shares as to which Options
have not been granted, subject to any required stockholder
approval or any stockholder approval that the Board may deem to
be advisable for any reason, such as for the purpose of
obtaining or retaining any statutory or regulatory benefits
under tax, securities or other laws or satisfying any applicable
stock exchange listing requirements. The Committee may not,
without the consent of the holder of an Option, alter or impair
any Option previously granted under the Plan, except as
specifically authorized herein.
18. Reservation of Shares. The Company, during the
term of the Plan, will at all times reserve and keep available
such number of shares of Class A Common Stock as shall be
sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the Plan. Inability of
the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having
jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Companys
counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any
shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability for
the failure to issue or sell such shares as to which such
requisite authority shall not have been obtained.
19. Effect on Other Plans. Participation in the Plan
shall not affect an employees eligibility to participate
in any other benefit or incentive plan of the Company, its
parent or any subsidiary of the Company or its parent. Any
Options granted pursuant to the Plan shall not be used in
determining the benefits provided under any other plan of the
Company, its parent or any subsidiary of the Company or its
parent unless specifically provided.
20. Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall remain in
effect until all Options granted under the Plan have been
satisfied by the issuance of shares, but no Option shall be
granted more than ten years after the earlier of the date the
Plan is adopted by the Company or is approved by the
Companys stockholders.
21. Forfeiture for Dishonesty. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in the Plan, if the Committee finds, by
a majority vote, after full consideration of the facts presented
on behalf of both the Company and any optionee, that the
optionee has been engaged in fraud, embezzlement, theft,
commission of a felony or dishonest conduct in the course of his
employment or retention by the Company, its parent or any
subsidiary of the Company or its parent that damaged the
Company, its parent or any subsidiary of the Company or its
parent or that the optionee has disclosed confidential
information of the Company, its parent or any subsidiary of the
Company or its parent, the optionee shall forfeit all
unexercised Options
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and all exercised Options under which the Company has not yet
delivered the certificates. The decision of the Committee in
interpreting and applying the provisions of this Section 21
shall be final. No decision of the Committee, however, shall
affect the finality of the discharge or termination of such
optionee by the Company, its parent or any subsidiary of the
Company or its parent in any manner.
22. No Prohibition on Corporate Action. No provision
of the Plan shall be construed to prevent the Company or any
officer or director thereof from taking any action deemed by the
Company or such officer or director to be appropriate or in the
Companys best interest, whether or not such action could
have an adverse effect on the Plan or any Options granted
hereunder, and no optionee or optionees estate, personal
representative or beneficiary shall have any claim against the
Company or any officer or director thereof as a result of the
taking of such action.
23. Indemnification. With respect to the
administration of the Plan, the Company shall indemnify each
present and future member of the Committee and the Board
against, and each member of the Committee and the Board shall be
entitled without further action on such members part to
indemnity from the Company for, all expenses (including the
amount of judgments and the amount of approved settlements made
with a view to the curtailment of costs of litigation, other
than amounts paid to the Company itself) reasonably incurred by
him in connection with or arising out of, any action, suit or
proceeding in which he may be involved by reason of his being or
having been a member of the Committee or the Board, whether or
not he continues to be such member at the time of incurring such
expenses; provided, however, that such indemnity shall not
include any expenses incurred by any such member of the
Committee or the Board (i) in respect of matters as to
which he shall be finally adjudged in any such action, suit or
proceeding to have been guilty of gross negligence or willful
misconduct in the performance of his duty as such member of the
Committee or the Board; or (ii) in respect of any matter in
which any settlement is effected for an amount in excess of the
amount approved by the Company on the advice of its legal
counsel; and provided further that no right of indemnification
under the provisions set forth herein shall be available to or
enforceable by any such member of the Committee or the Board
unless, within 60 days after institution of any such
action, suit or proceeding, he shall have offered the Company in
writing the opportunity to handle and defend same at its own
expense. The foregoing right of indemnification shall inure to
the benefit of the heirs, executors or administrators of each
such member of the Committee or the Board and shall be in
addition to all other rights to which such member may be
entitled as a matter of law, contract or otherwise.
24. Miscellaneous Provisions.
(a) Compliance with Plan Provisions. No optionee or
other person shall have any right with respect to the Plan, the
Class A Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan
or in any Option until a written option agreement shall have
been executed by the Company and the optionee and all the terms,
conditions and provisions of the Plan and the Option applicable
to such optionee (and each person claiming under or through him)
have been met.
(b) Approval of Counsel. In the discretion of the
Committee, no shares of Class A Common Stock, other
securities or property of the Company or other forms of payment
shall be issued hereunder with respect to any Option unless
counsel for the Company shall be satisfied that such issuance
will be in compliance with applicable federal, state, local and
foreign legal, securities exchange and other applicable
requirements.
(c) Compliance with Rule 16b-3. To the extent
that Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act applies to the Plan
or to Options granted under the Plan, it is the intention of the
Company that the Plan comply in all respects with the
requirements of Rule 16b-3, that any ambiguities or
inconsistencies in construction of the Plan be interpreted to
give effect to such intention and that, if the Plan shall not so
comply, whether on the date of adoption or by reason of any
later amendment to or interpretation of Rule 16b-3, the
provisions of the Plan shall be deemed to be automatically
amended so as to bring them into full compliance with such rule.
A-6
(d) Effects of Acceptance of Option. By accepting
any Option or other benefit under the Plan, each optionee and
each person claiming under or through him shall be conclusively
deemed to have indicated his acceptance and ratification of, and
consent to, any action taken under the Plan by the Company, the
Board and/or the Committee or its delegates.
(e) Construction. The masculine pronoun shall
include the feminine and neuter, and the singular shall include
the plural, where the context so indicates.
25. Stockholder Approval. The exercise of any Option
granted under the Plan shall be subject to the approval of the
Plan by the stockholders of the Company in accordance with
applicable law and regulations.
A-7
PROXY
DONEGAL GROUP INC.
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD APRIL 21, 2005
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The undersigned hereby appoints Daniel J. Wagner and Ralph G. Spontak, and each or either of
them, proxies of the undersigned, with full power of substitution, to
vote all of the shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock of Donegal Group Inc. (the Company) that the undersigned may be entitled to vote at
the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company to be held at the Companys offices, 1195 River
Road, Marietta, Pennsylvania 17547, on April 21, 2005 at 10:00 a.m., and at any adjournment,
postponement or continuation thereof, as set forth on the reverse side of this proxy card.
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1. Election of Class A Directors, Nominees:
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2. Approval of Amendment to 2001 Equity Incentive Plan for Employees |
Robert S. Bolinger
Patricia A. Gilmartin
Philip H. Glatfelter, II
You are encouraged to specify
your choice by marking the appropriate box, SEE REVERSE SIDE.
PLEASE
VOTE, DATE AND SIGN THIS
PROXY ON THE OTHER SIDE AND RETURN IT PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE.
Has Your Address Changed?
x
Please mark your votes as
in this example.
This proxy will be voted as specified. If a choice is not specified, the proxy will be voted FOR
the nominees for Class A Director and FOR Proposal 2.
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the nominees for Class A Director and FOR Proposal 2.
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1.
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Election of Class A
Directors (Please see reverse)
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For, except vote withheld
from the above nominee(s):
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2.
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Approval of Amendment to 2001
Equity Incentive Plan for
Employees
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FOR
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AGAINST
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ABSTAIN
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3.
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In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such
other business as may properly come before the meeting and any
adjournment, postponement or continuation thereof. |
MARK HERE IF AN ADDRESS
CHANGE HAS BEEN NOTED ON REVERSE
SIDE o
This proxy should be dated, signed by the stockholder exactly as his or her name appears below and
returned promptly to EquiServe in the enclosed envelope. Persons
signing in a fiduciary capacity should so indicate.
Signature:
Date:
Signature:
Date: