YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANTYou are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders in person. Even if you plan to be present, please mark, sign, date and return the enclosed Proxy Card at your earliest convenience in the envelope provided, which requires no postage if mailed in the United States. If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may vote either in person or by your proxy. ii |
10101 Reunion Place, Suite 450 San Antonio, Texas 78216 (210) 302-0444 |
(1) | To elect two (2) Directors to hold office until the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders; and |
(2) | To consider and act upon any other matter that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof. The Board of Directors of the Company is presently unaware of any other business to be presented to a vote of the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. |
The Board of Directors of the Company has fixed the close of business on April 8, 2003, as the Record Date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. A complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be maintained at the Companys principal executive offices during ordinary business hours for a period of ten (10) days prior to the meeting. The list will be open for the examination of any stockholder for any purpose germane to the Annual Meeting during this time. The list will be produced at the time and place of the Annual Meeting and will be open during the whole time thereof. |
By Order
of the Board of Directors, /s/ DAVID P. TUSA David P. Tusa Corporate Secretary |
April 15, 2003 iii |
It is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed Proxy to vote such Proxy for the election of the nominees. Management of the Company does not contemplate that such nominees will become unavailable for any reason, but if that should occur before the Annual Meeting, Proxies that do not withhold authority to vote for the Director, will be voted for another nominee in accordance with the best judgment of the person or persons appointed to vote the Proxy. The enclosed Proxy provides a means for the holders of Common Stock to vote for the nominees listed therein or to withhold authority to vote for such nominees. Each properly executed Proxy received in time for the Annual Meeting will be voted as specified therein, or if a stockholder does not specify in his or her executed Proxy how the shares represented by his or her Proxy are to be voted, such shares shall be voted for the nominee listed therein or for another nominee as provided above. If the director nominee receives a plurality of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting, he will be elected as a director. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be treated as a vote for or against the director nominee and will not affect the outcome of the election. The Companys Amended and Restated Bylaws establish an advance notice procedure with regard to the nomination of candidates for election as directors other than by or at the direction of the Companys Board of Directors (the Nomination Procedure). The Nomination Procedure provides that only persons who are nominated by or at the direction of the Companys Board of Directors, or by a stockholder who has given timely prior written notice to the Secretary of the Company prior to the meeting, at which directors are to be elected, will be eligible for election as directors. To be timely, notice must be received by the Company (i) in the case of an Annual Meeting, not less than 90 days prior to the Annual Meeting, or (ii) in the case of a special meeting, not later than the seventh day following the day on which notice of such meeting is first given to stockholders. Under the Nomination Procedure, notice to the Company from a stockholder who proposes to nominate a person at a meeting for election as a director must contain certain information about that person, including business and residence addresses, a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of stock of the Company, entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy to nominate the person, a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and each nominee and any other person pursuant to which the nomination is to be made, such other information regarding each nominee as would be required pursuant to the Proxy Rules of the Commission had the nominee been nominated by the Companys Board of Directors, the consent of such nominee to be nominated and such other information as would be required to be included in a Proxy Statement soliciting proxies for the election of the proposed nominee, and certain information about the stockholder proposing to nominate that person. If the Chairman or other Officer presiding at the meeting determines that a person was not nominated in accordance with the Nomination Procedure, such person will not be eligible for election as a director. Nothing in the Nomination Procedure will preclude discussion by any stockholder of any nomination properly made or brought before an annual or special meeting in accordance with the above-mentioned procedures. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF THE INDIVIDUALS NOMINATED FOR ELECTION AS DIRECTORS3 |
Name | Age | Position | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|||
Parris H. Holmes, Jr. | 59 | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer | |||
David P. Tusa | 42 | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary | |||
Gary D. Becker | 43 | Director(1)(2) | |||
C. Lee Cooke, Jr. | 58 | Director(2) | |||
Justin L. Ferrero | 29 | Director(1) | |||
Stephen M. Wagner | 46 | Director(1)(2) |
|
(1) | Member of the Audit Committee |
(2) | Member of the Compensation Committee |
Parris H. Holmes, Jr. has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since May 1996. Mr. Holmes served as both Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of USLD Communications Corp., formerly U.S. Long Distance Corp. (USLD), from September 1986 until August 1996, and served as Chairman of the Board of USLD until June 2, 1997. Prior to March 1993, Mr. Holmes also served as President of USLD. Mr. Holmes has been a member of the Board of Directors of Princeton eCom Corporation (Princeton), a leading provider of electronic bill presentment and payment services, since September 1998. In January 2002, Mr. Holmes was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Princeton. In December 2002, Mr. Holmes resigned as Chairman of the Board of Princeton, but remains on Princetons Board of Directors. Mr. Holmes also serves as a Director of Sharps Compliance Corp. (Sharps), a provider of medical-related sharps disposal services for certain types of medical sharps (needles, syringes and razors) products. Mr. Holmes served on the Board of Tanisys Technology, Inc. (Tanisys), but resigned as Chairman of the Board and a Board member in January 2002. David P. Tusa, CPA, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary joined the Company in August 1999. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Tusa was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Legal Support, Inc., a provider of litigation support services with over 36 offices in seven states, from September 1997 to August 1999. Prior to this, Mr. Tusa served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Serv-Tech, Inc., a $300 million publicly held provider of specialty services to industrial customers in multiple industries, from April 1994 through August 1997. Additionally, Mr. Tusa was with CRSS, Inc. a $600 million publicly held diversified services company, from May 1990 through April 1994. Mr. Tusa served on the Board of Directors of Tanisys, a developer and marketer of semiconductor testing equipment from August 2001 to March 2003. Mr. Tusa served as a member of the Board of Directors of Princeton, a leading application service provider for electronic and Internet bill presentment and payment solutions from December 2001 to June 2002. Mr. Tusa served as an Advisor to the Board of Directors of Sharps, a provider of medical-related sharps disposal services for certain types of medical sharps (needles, syringes and razors) products from October 2001 to January 2003. Mr. Tusa has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Sharps since February 2003. Gary D.Becker was
appointed as a Director of the Company in May 2001. Mr. Becker has served
as the Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Company since December 2002.
He was Chairman and CEO of PACE Motor Sports, a subsidiary of PACE Entertainment,
which was acquired by SFX Entertainment in 1998 and subsequently acquired
by Clear Channel Communications in 2000. Mr. Becker served on the Board
of Directors of U.S. Long Distance from September 1986 to August 1996.
He is the immediate past President of the Houston Childrens Charity,
which supports over 40 childrens agencies in the Houston, Texas
area.
4 |
Gary D. Becker | 90,000 | ||
C. Lee Cooke, Jr. | 80,000 | ||
Justin L. Ferrero | 50,000 | ||
Stephen M. Wagner | 50,000 |
Name
|
Amount and
Nature of Beneficial Ownership |
Percent
of Class(1)
|
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5% Stockholders | |||||||||
Dimensional Fund Advisors Inc. | 1,839,700 | (2) | 5.4 | % | |||||
1299 Ocean Avenue, 11th Floor | |||||||||
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1038 | |||||||||
Michael R. Smith | 2,308,841 | (3) | 6.7 | % | |||||
5302 Avenue Q | |||||||||
Lubbock, TX 79412 | |||||||||
Named Executive Officers and Directors | |||||||||
Parris H. Holmes, Jr. | 2,763,009 | (4) | 8.1 | % | |||||
C. Lee Cooke, Jr. | 425,866 | (5) | 1.2 | % | |||||
David P. Tusa | 538,285 | (6) | 1.6 | % | |||||
Gary D. Becker | 163,400 | (7) | * | ||||||
Justin L. Ferrero | 40,000 | (8) | * | ||||||
Stephen M. Wagner | 0 | * | |||||||
All executive officers and directors as a group | 3,930,560 | (9) | 11.5 | % |
|
* | Represents less than 1% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock. |
(1) | Based on a total of 34,217,620 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on April 8, 2003. |
(2) | Based on information provided by The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. for record ownership as of December 31, 2002, the most recent date for which information is available to the Company. |
(3) | Based on record ownership as of April 8, 2003 plus a 60 day vesting period. |
(4) | Includes 1,741,667 shares that Mr. Holmes has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options, 331,458 shares that his spouse has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options, 3,500 shares held in an individual retirement account and 63,319 shares held by his spouse in an individual retirement account. |
(5) | Represents 419,906 shares that Mr. Cooke has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options and 5,960 shares that Mr. Cooke held in an individual retirement account. |
(6) | Includes 519,585 shares that Mr. Tusa has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options. |
(7) | Includes 30,000 shares that Mr. Becker has the right to acquire the upon exercise of stock options. |
(8) | Represents 40,000 shares that Mr. Ferrero has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options. |
(9) | Includes 3,082,616 shares that the 6 Directors and Executive Officers have the right to acquire upon exercise of stock options and 72,779 shares held in individual retirement accounts at April 8, 2003. |
9 |
Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors Gary D. Becker, Chairman Justin L. Ferrero Stephen M. Wagner |
10 |
Compensation
Committee of the Board of Directors C. Lee Cooke Jr., Chairman Gary D. Becker Stephen M. Wagner |
13 |
Summary Compensation TableThe following Summary Compensation Table sets forth certain information concerning compensation of the named Executive Officers of the Company for fiscal 2002. |
Annual Compensation | Long-Term Compensation Awards(1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Name and Principal Position |
Fiscal Year |
Salary
|
Bonus
|
Other Annual Compensation |
Securities Underlying Options(#) |
All Other Compensation |
|||||||||||||||
Parris H. Holmes, Jr. | 2002 | $ | 375,000 | 0 | $ | 23,953 | (2) | 450,000 | $ | 201,853 | (3) | ||||||||||
Chairman of the Board and | 2001 | $ | 375,000 | 0 | $ | 23,944 | (4) | 941,667 | $ | 211,919 | (5) | ||||||||||
Chief Executive Officer | 2000 | (6) | $ | 86,538 | 0 | $ | 5,986 | 250,000 | $ | 50,355 | (7) | ||||||||||
2000 | $ | 389,421 | $ | 200,000 | (8) | $ | 54,235 | (9) | 233,333 | $ | 502,760 | (10) | |||||||||
David P. Tusa | 2002 | $ | 192,500 | $ | 20,000 | $ | 8,081 | (11) | 200,000 | $ | 13,723 | (12) | |||||||||
Executive Vice President, | 2001 | $ | 192,500 | $ | 80,000 | $ | 18,259 | (13) | 325,000 | $ | 21,543 | (14) | |||||||||
Chief Financial Officer and | 2000 | (6) | $ | 43,750 | $ | 175,000 | (15) | $ | 2,691 | 175,000 | $ | 3,149 | (16) | ||||||||
Corporate Secretary | 2000 | $ | 181,731 | 0 | $ | 56,495 | (17) | 6,667 | $ | 12,125 | (18) |
(1) | Messrs. Holmes and Tusa received no restricted stock awards or long-term incentive plan payouts during fiscal years 2002 and 2001, the Transitional Quarter of 2000 and the fiscal year 2000. |
(2) | Represents reimbursement to Mr. Holmes during fiscal 2002 for payment of certain taxes. |
(3) | Represents $10,000 in 401(k) Retirement Plan contributions, $7,500 in deferred compensation contributions and $184,353 in life insurance premiums made or paid on behalf of Mr. Holmes during fiscal 2002. |
(4) | Includes $9,829 reimbursed to Mr. Holmes during fiscal 2001 for payment of certain taxes. |
(5) | Represents $10,500 in 401(k) Retirement Plan contributions, $30,000 in deferred compensation contributions and $171,419 in life insurance premiums made or paid on behalf of Mr. Holmes during fiscal 2001. |
(6) | Represents Transitional Quarter from October 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000. |
(7) | Represents $7,500 in deferred compensation contributions and $42,855 in life insurance premiums made or paid on behalf of Mr. Holmes during the Transitional Quarter of 2000. |
(8) | Represents a bonus earned in the prior fiscal year but paid in the fiscal year indicated. |
(9) | Includes $29,206 reimbursed to Mr. Holmes during fiscal 2000 for the payment of certain taxes. |
(10) | Represents $9,781 in 401(k) Retirement Plan contributions, $20,771 in deferred compensation contributions, $172,000 in life insurance premiums made or paid on behalf of Mr. Holmes and $300,208 received by Mr. Holmes for surrender value of certain life insurance policies during fiscal 2000. |
(11) | Represents reimbursement to Mr. Tusa during fiscal 2002 for the payment of certain taxes. |
(12) | Represents $9,223 in 401(k) Retirement Plan contributions and $4,500 in deferred compensation contributions made or paid on behalf of Mr. Tusa during fiscal 2002. |
(13) | Includes $7,495 reimbursed to Mr. Tusa during fiscal 2001 for payment of certain taxes. |
(14) | Represents $6,293 in 401(k) Retirement Plan contributions and $15,250 in deferred compensation contributions made or paid on behalf of Mr. Tusa during fiscal 2001. |
(15) | Represents a bonus earned in fiscal 2000 but paid during the Transitional Quarter of 2000. |
(16) | Represents $1,649 in 401(k) Retirement Plan contributions and $1,500 in deferred compensation contributions made or paid on behalf of Mr. Tusa during the Transitional Quarter of 2002. |
(17) | Includes $37,290 in relocation related reimbursements to Mr. Tusa during fiscal 2000. |
(18) | Represents $4,375 in 401(k) Retirement Plan contributions and $7,750 in deferred compensation contributions made or paid on behalf of Mr. Tusa during fiscal 2000. |
The Company entered into split-dollar life insurance agreements with trusts beneficially owned by Mr. Holmes, pursuant to which the Company pays the premiums on insurance policies that provide a total death benefit of approximately $5.5 million over a 60 month period beginning November 1, 2001. If Mr. Holmes leaves the Company for good cause, terminates without cause, change of control or is permanently disabled, the Company would continue to pay the premiums of the policy, one-third on each of November 1, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Upon the death of Mr. Holmes or the cancellation of the split-dollar agreement, the Company is entitled to receive repayment of its premiums paid under the policy out of any cash value or death benefits payable under the policy. The Employment Agreement also provides that, if the Company terminates Mr. Holmes employment without cause (including the Companys election to not extend the Employment Agreement at any renewal date) or if he resigns his employment for good reason, he will be entitled to a lump-sum payment in the amount equal to his base salary for the unexpired portion of the five-year term of his Agreement then in effect and without giving effect to any further extension (a maximum payment of approximately $1,875,000), continuation of his benefits through the unexpired term of his Employment Agreement and vesting of all outstanding stock options, which options would remain exercisable for the longer of the remainder of the exercise period established under the option agreement or three years following the date of termination. Upon death or permanent disability, Mr. Holmes would receive his then effective salary for 60 months and Company paid premiums for 60 months. The Employment Agreement with Mr. Holmes provides that if, at any time within 24 months of a change of control, he ceases to be an employee of the Company (or its successor) by reason of (i) termination by the Company without cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement), or (ii) voluntary termination by the employee for good reason upon change of control (as defined in the Employment Agreement), in addition to the severance stated above, he will be entitled to receive (a) an additional payment, if any, that, when added to all other payments received in connection with a change of control, will result in the maximum amount allowed to be paid to an employee without triggering an excess parachute payment (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code), and (b) a payment or payments equaling the amount of any taxes and interest imposed on any payment or distribution by the Company to the employee upon termination under (i) or (ii) above that constitutes an excess parachute payment. The Company entered into an Amended Employment Agreement with David P. Tusa in November 2001. This Agreement expires eighteen months from its effective date, subject to automatic extension of successive eighteen-month terms unless the Company elects not to extend the Employment Agreement. The Employment Agreement is subject to early termination as provided therein, including termination by the Company for cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement) or terminated by Mr. Tusa for good reason (as defined in the Employment Agreement). Mr. Tusas annual base salary under the Employment Agreement is $192,500. The Employment Agreement provides for incentive bonuses at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. This Agreement also provides for a company-paid automobile allowance, club memberships, certain tax reimbursements and other benefits. The Employment Agreement of Mr. Tusa provides that, if the Company terminates his employment without cause (including the Companys election to not extend the Employment Agreement at any renewal date) or if he resigns his employment for good reason (as defined in his Employment Agreement), he will be entitled to a lump-sum payment equal to eighteen months of his then effective annual base salary, currently $288,750, and continuation of his benefits through the severance period. After August 1, 2004, Mr. Tusa would be entitled to a lump-sum payment equal to twenty-four months of his then effective annual base salary and continuation of his benefits through the severance period. 15 |
Individual
Grants
|
|||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name
|
Number of Securities Underlying |
% of Total Options Granted to Employees |
Exercise | Expiration Date |
Potential
Realizable Value at Assumed Annual Rate of Stock Price Appreciation for Option Term(1) |
||||||||||
Options Granted |
in Fiscal Year |
Price Per Share |
5%
|
10%
|
|||||||||||
Parris H. Holmes, Jr. | 450,000 | 57.0 | %(2) | $ 0.35 | 11/27/09 | $ 64,118 | $ 149,423 | ||||||||
David P. Tusa | 200,000 | 25.3 | %(2) | $ 0.35 | 11/27/09 | $ 28,497 | $ 66,410 |
(1) | The potential realizable value is calculated based on the term of the option and is calculated by assuming that the fair market value of Common Stock on the date of the grant, as determined by the Board, appreciates at the indicated annual rate compounded annually for the entire term of the option and that the option is exercised and the Common Stock received therefore is sold on the last day of the term of the option for the appreciated price. The 5% and 10% rates of appreciation are derived from the rules of the Commission and do not reflect the Companys estimate of future stock price appreciation. The actual value realized may be greater than or less than the potential realizable values set forth in the table. |
(2) | The percentage of total options is calculated using the total options granted to employees during fiscal 2002. |
16 |
Number of
Securities Underlying Unexercised Options at FY-End |
Value(2) of Unexercised In-the-Money Options at FY-End($) |
|||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name
|
Shares Acquired on Exercise |
Value Realized(1) |
Exercisable
|
Unexercisable
|
Exercisable
|
Unexercisable
|
||||||||||
Parris H. Holmes, Jr | -0- | $ -0- | 2,062,500 | (3) | 795,833 | (4) | $ -0- | $ -0- | ||||||||
David P. Tusa | -0- | $ -0- | 519,585 | 337,082 | $ -0- | $ -0- |
(1) | Market value of the underlying securities at exercise date, minus the exercise price. |
(2) | Market value of the underlying securities at December 31, 2002 ($0.26), minus the exercise price. |
(3) | Includes 331,249 exercisable options options held by Mr. Holmes spouse at December 31, 2002. |
(4) | Includes 2,084 unexercisable options held by Mr. Holmes spouse at December 31, 2002. |
17 |
By order
of the Board of Directors, /s/ DAVID P. TUSA David P. Tusa Corporate Secretary |
April 15, 2003 23 |