ASSURANCEAMERICA CORPORATION
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (AMENDMENT NO. [ __ ])
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ASSURANCEAMERICA
CORPORATION
RiverEdge One
Suite 600
5500 Interstate North Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30328
NOTICE OF ANNUAL
SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
TO BE HELD APRIL 24,
2008
Notice is hereby given that the 2008 Annual Shareholders
Meeting (the Annual Meeting) of AssuranceAmerica
Corporation, a Nevada corporation, will be held at our main
offices at RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North
Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, on Thursday, April 24,
2008, at 11:15 a.m., local time, for the following purposes:
1. Election of Directors. To elect eight
directors to serve until the 2009 Annual Shareholders
Meeting and until their successors are duly elected and
qualified; and
2. Other Business. The transaction of
such other business as may properly come before the Annual
Meeting, including adjourning the Annual Meeting to permit, if
necessary, further solicitation of proxies.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on
March 31, 2008, are entitled to receive notice of and to
vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement
thereof.
Your vote is very important, regardless of the number of
shares you own. You are encouraged to vote by proxy so that your
shares will be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting even
if you cannot attend. All shareholders of record can vote by
using the proxy card. However, if you are a shareholder whose
shares are not registered in your own name, you will need
additional documentation from your record holder to vote
personally at the Annual Meeting.
By Order Of the Board of Directors.
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/s/ Guy
W. Millner
Guy
W. Millner
Chairman
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/s/ Lawrence
Stumbaugh
Lawrence
Bud Stumbaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Atlanta, Georgia
April 4, 2008
ASSURANCEAMERICA
CORPORATION
PROXY STATEMENT FOR 2008 ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS
MEETING
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
ASSURANCEAMERICA
CORPORATION
PROXY
STATEMENT FOR
2008 ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
This Proxy Statement is being furnished to you in connection
with the solicitation by and on behalf of our Board of Directors
of proxies for use at the 2008 Annual Shareholders Meeting
(the Annual Meeting) at which you will be asked to
vote upon:
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the election of eight Directors to serve until the 2009 Annual
Shareholders Meeting and until their successors are duly
elected and qualified (see Proposal 1); and
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such other business as may come properly come before the Annual
Meeting, including adjourning the meeting to permit, if
necessary, further solicitations of proxies.
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The Annual Meeting will be held at 11:15 a.m., local time,
on Thursday, April 24, 2008, at our main offices at
RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway,
Atlanta, Georgia 30328. This Proxy Statement and the enclosed
proxy are first being mailed to shareholders on or about
April 4, 2008.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy
Materials for the Shareholder Meeting to be held April 24,
2008.
The Proxy Statement and the 2007 Annual Report on
Form 10-K
are available at www.assuranceamerica.com in the Investor
Relations, SEC Filings section.
VOTING
INFORMATION
Proxy
Card and Revocation
You are requested to promptly sign, date and return the
accompanying proxy card to us in the enclosed envelope. Any
shareholder who has delivered a proxy may revoke it at any time
before it is voted by either electing to vote in person at the
Annual Meeting, by giving notice of revocation in writing or by
submitting to us a signed proxy bearing a later date, provided
that we actually receive such notice or proxy prior to the
taking of the shareholder vote at the Annual Meeting. Any notice
of revocation should be sent to RiverEdge One, Suite 600,
5500 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30328,
Attention: Mark H. Hain, Secretary. The shares of our common
stock represented by properly executed proxies received at or
before the Annual Meeting and not subsequently revoked will be
voted as directed in such proxies. If instructions are not
given, shares represented by proxies received will be voted
FOR the election of each of the eight nominees for
Director. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, we are unaware
of any other matter to be presented at the Annual Meeting.
Who Can
Vote; Voting Of Shares
Our Board of Directors has established the close of business on
March 31, 2008, as the record date (the Record
Date) for determining our shareholders entitled to notice
of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. Only our shareholders of
record as of the Record Date will be entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting. A plurality of votes cast at the Annual Meeting
will be required to elect eight Directors to serve until the
2009 Annual Shareholders Meeting and until their successors are
duly elected and qualified. A plurality means that the nominees
who receive the most votes for the available directorships will
be elected as Directors. Accordingly, the withholding of
authority by a shareholder will not be counted in computing a
plurality and will have no effect on the results of the election
of such nominees. The affirmative majority votes of our
outstanding common stock present in person or represented by
proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be
required to approve any other matter properly brought before the
Annual Meeting.
Under certain circumstances, brokers are prohibited from
exercising discretionary authority for beneficial owners who
have not returned proxies to the brokers (so-called broker
non-votes). In such cases, those shares will be counted
for the purpose of determining if a quorum is present but will
not be included in the
vote totals with respect to those matters for which the broker
cannot vote. Abstentions and broker non-votes are each included
in the determination of the number of shares present and voting
for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present, and
each is tabulated separately. Because Directors are elected by a
plurality, abstentions and broker non-votes have no effect on
the election of Directors. In all other matters, abstentions are
counted as votes against a proposal and broker non-votes are not
counted.
As of the Record Date, there were 64,923,881 shares of our
common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting, with each share entitled to one vote.
The presence, in person or by proxy, of holders of 10% of the
outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum of the
shareholders in order to take action at the Annual Meeting. For
these purposes, shares of our common stock that are present, or
represented by proxy, at the Annual Meeting will be counted for
quorum purposes regardless of whether the holder of the shares
or proxy fails to vote on any matter or whether a broker with
discretionary authority fails to exercise its discretionary
voting authority with respect to any matter.
How You
Can Vote
You may vote your shares by marking the appropriate boxes on the
enclosed proxy card. You must sign and return the proxy card
promptly in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Your vote
is important. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in
person, please return your marked proxy card promptly to ensure
that your shares will be represented.
PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Number of
Directors
Our Bylaws provide that our Board of Directors will consist of
not less than three directors and no more than ten directors.
The number of Directors has been set at eight by the Board. Our
Board of Directors currently consists of eight Directors.
Nominees
We have selected eight nominees that we propose for election to
our Board of Directors. The nominees are: John E. Cay III, Quill
O. Healey, Guy W. Millner, Donald Ratajczak, John Ray, Kaaren J.
Street, Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh, and Sam Zamarripa. Each of the
nominees presently serves on our Board of Directors. It is
intended that each proxy solicited on behalf of the Board of
Directors will be voted only for the election of the designated
nominees.
Each of the nominees has consented to being named in this Proxy
Statement and to serve as a Director if elected. In the event
that any nominee withdraws or for any reason is not able to
serve as a Director, the proxy will be voted for such other
person as may be designated by the Board of Directors (or to
reduce the number of persons to be elected by the number of
persons unable to serve), but in no event will the proxy be
voted for more than eight nominees.
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Board of
Directors
The following table sets forth the names and ages, as of
March 23, 2008, of the current members of our Board of
Directors, each of whom has been nominated for reelection.
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Director
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Name
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Age
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Since
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Position
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Guy W. Millner
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72
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2003
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Chairman of the Board
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Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh
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67
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2003
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CEO & President
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Donald Ratajczak
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65
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2000
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Director
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Quill O. Healey
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68
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2003
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Director
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John E. Cay III
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63
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2003
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Director
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Kaaren J. Street
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61
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2004
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Director
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Sam Zamarripa
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55
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2004
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Director
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John Ray
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47
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2005
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Director
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Biographies
of Directors
Guy W. Millner has served as the Chairman of the Board
since June 2003. Mr. Millner served as Chairman of AA
Holdings, LLC, the predecessor of the Company, from 1998 to
2003. From 1961 to 1999, Mr. Millner served as Chairman of
Norrell Corporation, a leading provider of staffing and
outsourcing solutions. Mr. Millner also serves on the Board
of Directors of Matria Healthcare, Inc.
Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh has served as our President and
Chief Executive Officer and on our Board of Directors since June
2003. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AA
Holdings, LLC from 1998 to 2003. Prior to joining AA Holdings,
LLC, Mr. Stumbaugh was President and Chief Executive
Officer of Lawmark International Corporation.
Donald Ratajczak has served on our Board of Directors
since 2000. Dr. Ratajczak previously served as the Chairman
of our Board of Directors and our Chief Executive Officer from
May 2000 to June 2003. From May 2000 to November 2000,
Dr. Ratajczak also served as our President. From July 1973
to June 2000, he served as a professor and the Director of
Economic Forecasting Center at the J. Mack Robinson College of
Business Administration at Georgia State University.
Dr. Ratajczak currently serves on the Board of Directors of
the following organizations: Crown Crafts, Inc., a textile
manufacturing company; Ruby Tuesday, Inc., a food service
company; and Citizens Bancshares, a holding company for Citizens
Trust Company. He is a consulting economist for Morgan,
Keegan & Co., a broker/dealer company.
Quill O. Healey has served on our Board of Directors
since June 2003 and is Managing Partner of Healey Investments,
L.P. He retired as Chairman of Marsh, USA in 2001, after serving
in that capacity since 1998.
John E. Cay III has served on our Board of Directors
since June 2003. He serves as Chairman of Wachovia Insurance
Services since May 2005 and served as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Palmer & Cay, Inc., a risk
management and benefits consulting firm, from 1972 to May 2005.
Sam Zamarripa has served on our Board of Directors since
August 2004. Mr. Zamarripa has been the President of
Zamarripa Capital, Inc. since 2007 and was previously a managing
partner of Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, an investment banking
services firm, for the previous five years. Mr. Zamarripa
is a director nominee requested by the majority holder of
preferred stock which has been converted into common stock.
Kaaren J. Street has served on our Board of Directors
since November 2004. She has been the President of K
Street Associates, Inc., a business development and consulting
firm since 2003. From August 2001 to August 2003,
Mrs. Street served as the Associate Deputy Administrator
for Entrepreneurial Development for the U.S. Small Business
Administration. Prior to 2001, Mrs. Street served as
Vice-President of Enterprise Florida, Inc., a public private
partnership responsible for economic development and
international trade in Florida. She also serves on the Board of
Directors of Matria Healthcare, Inc.
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John Ray has served on our Board since November 2005. For
more than the last five years, he has been the President of
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, a private equity and financial
advisory firm based in Atlanta. Mr. Ray is a director
nominee requested by the majority holder of the preferred stock
which has been converted into common stock.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE
ELECTION OF EACH NAMED NOMINEE FOR DIRECTOR.
Meetings
and Committees of the Board
Our Board of Directors held four meetings during the year ended
December 31, 2007. Each Director attended 75% or more of
the aggregate number of meetings held by the Board of Directors
and the Committees, if any, on which such Director served. The
Board of Directors has a standing Compensation Committee. The
Compensation Committee is composed of Mr. Zamarripa,
Chairman, John Ray and Mrs. Street. The Compensation
Committee met twice in 2007. The Compensation Committee is
responsible for overseeing the compensation and benefits of our
management and employees and acts in accordance with a charter
adopted by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has a
standing Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is composed of
Mr. Healey, Chairman, Mr. Cay, and Dr. Ratajczak.
The Audit Committee met seven times in 2007. The Audit Committee
acts pursuant to a charter adopted by the Board of Directors.
Mr. Healey and Dr. Ratajczak are audit committee
financial experts as defined by the SEC rules. Copies of the
current charters for each of the Compensation Committee and
Audit Committee as well as the Companys Code of Ethics are
available at our website, www.assuranceamerica.com, under
Governance in the investor relations section of the
website.
Because approximately 55% of our outstanding common stock is
beneficially held by two individuals, our Board of Directors
feels that it is appropriate not to have to have a standing
Nominating Committeenor or to consider nominees submitted by our
shareholders. Our Board of Directors does not have a policy with
regard to the consideration of nominees for director submitted
by shareholders and does not believe such a policy is necessary
due to the concentration of ownership of our common stock with a
small number of individuals that already serve as directors.
Each of the members of our Board of Directors participates in
the consideration of Director nominees. The Board has not
established specific, minimum qualifications for a nominee to
the Board of Directors. The Board considers the personal
attributes of a candidate, including: leadership, integrity,
independence, interpersonal skills, contributing nature, and
effectiveness. The candidates experience and business
attributes are also considered and include: financial acumen,
general business experience, industry knowledge, diversity of
viewpoint, special business experience and expertise.
Messrs. Healey, Cay, Ratajczak, Ray, Zamarripa, and
Mrs. Kaaren J. Street are independent
directors, as defined in Rule 4200 of the Nasdaq
manual, the standard we use to evaluate the independence of our
directors, and SEC
Rule 10A-
3(b) (1) (ii) regarding independence of audit committee
members. Messrs. Millner and Stumbaugh serve as our
Chairman, and President and Chief Executive Officer,
respectively. As a result, Messrs. Millner and Stumbaugh
are not independent directors.
Our directors are expected to attend each annual shareholders
meeting but are not required to do so. Last year, each director
attended our annual shareholders meeting.
Communicating
with the Board
If you wish to communicate with our Board of Directors or any
individual Director, you may send correspondence to:
AssuranceAmerica Corporation, RiverEdge One, Suite 600,
5500 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30328,
Attention: Corporate Secretary. Our Corporate Secretary will
submit your correspondence to the Board or the appropriate
Director, as applicable.
Director
Compensation
Our non-officer directors are granted an option to purchase
50,000 shares of our common stock (exercisable over five
years at fair market value on the date of the grant) upon their
initial election to the Board of Directors. Annually through
December 31, 2007, each non-officer director could choose
between an award of 20,000 shares of our common stock or
$2,500 per quarter. For 2008, each non-officer director may
choose between (i) an amount in cash equal to $10,000 plus
the number of shares equal to $10,000 divided by the share price
on December 31, 2007, or (ii) if they accept all stock
for their fee, the number of shares equal
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to $30,000 divided by the share price on December 31, 2007.
We reimburse each non-officer director for travel expenses
related to attendance at Board and committee meetings.
For the year ended December 31, 2007, Guy W. Millner and
Lawrence Stumbaugh were not compensated in their capacity as
Directors. Donald Ratajczak, Sam Zamarripa, Quill O. Haeley,
Kaaren J. Street, and John E. Cay III each
accepted a grant of 20,000 shares of our common stock in
lieu of cash compensation for their service for the year ended
December 31, 2007 and Mr. Ray elected the cash
compensation.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
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Stock Awards
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Total
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Name
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(Shares)
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($)
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Donald Ratajczak
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20,000
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16,600
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Quill O. Healey
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20,000
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16,600
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John E. Cay III
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20,000
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16,600
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Kaaren J. Street
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20,000
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16,600
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Sam Zamarripa
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20,000
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16,600
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John Ray
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10,000
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SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table provides information concerning beneficial
ownership of our common stock and preferred stock as of
March 20, 2007, by: (i) each shareholder that we
believe owns more than 5% of our outstanding common stock;
(ii) each of our Named Executive Officers; (iii) each
of our Directors; and (iv) all of our Directors and
executive officers as a group.
The following table lists the applicable percentage of
beneficial ownership based on 64,923,881 shares of common
stock and no shares of convertible preferred shares outstanding
on March 20, 2007. Except where noted, the persons or
entities named have sole voting and investment power with
respect to all shares shown as beneficially owned by them.
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Number of Shares
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Percentage of
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Beneficially Owned
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Ownership (%)
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Name of Beneficial Owner(1)
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Common
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Common
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Guy W. Millner
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30,635,192
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(2)
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47.2
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Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh
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5,101,947
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(3)
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7.9
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Donald Ratajczak
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286,500
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*
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Quill O. Healey
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90,000
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(4)
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*
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John E. Cay III
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200,000
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(4)
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*
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Kaaren J. Street
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90,000
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(4)
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Sam Zamarripa
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128,000
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(7)
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John Ray
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11,489,231
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(5)
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17.7
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Heritage Assurance Partners, LLP
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10,180,000
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(5)
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15.7
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Joseph J. Skruck
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494,300
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(6)
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*
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Directors & executive officers as a group
(17 persons)
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49,691,320
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(8)
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74.7
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Less than 1.0%. |
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(1) |
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Except as otherwise stated, the beneficial owners address
is RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway,
Atlanta, Georgia 30328. |
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Includes indirect beneficial ownership by Mr. Millner of
2,119,500 shares of our common stock held by MI Holdings,
Inc, a corporation controlled by Mr. Millner. |
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(3) |
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Includes 5,000 shares of our common stock held by
Mr. Stumbaughs spouse as custodian for her son under
the Georgia Transfers to Minors Act and an option to purchase
12,600 shares of our common stock exercisable within
60 days. |
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Includes an option to purchase 50,000 shares of our common
stock exercisable within 60 days. |
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(5) |
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Includes 1,269,231 shares of our common stock held by
Heritage Assurance Partners II, LLP (HAPII), and
10,180,000 shares of our common stock held by Heritage
Assurance Partners, LLP (HAP). Heritage Fund
Advisors, LLC (HFA), HAP, and HAPII have shared
voting and dispositive powers with respect to such shares,
respectively. John Ray is the sole manager of HFA and disclaims
any beneficial ownership of such shares. HAPs address is
3353 Peachtree Road, Suite 1040, Atlanta, Georgia 30326. |
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(6) |
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Includes an option to purchase 482,000 shares of common
stock exercisable within 60 days. |
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(7) |
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Includes 68,000 shares of our common stock owned by his
spouse. Mr. Zamarripa disclaims ownership of such shares. |
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Includes options to purchase 1,581,150 shares of common
stock exercisable within 60 days. |
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth the compensation paid or accrued
by the Company to the Chief Executive Officer and the other two
most highly paid executive officers of the Company in 2007 who
were executive officers at December 31, 2007 and whose
annual compensation exceeded $100,000 (the Named Executive
Officers). The information presented is for the years
ended December 31, 2007, and 2006.
Summary
Compensation Table
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Annual Compensation(2)
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Year Ended
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Option
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All Other
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Name & Principal Position(1)
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December 31,
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Salary ($)
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Bonus ($)
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Awards ($)(4)
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Compensation(3)
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Total
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Lawrence Stumbaugh
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2007
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239,038
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4,862
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5,546
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249,446
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President & CEO
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2006
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224,216
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14,477
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238,693
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Joseph J. Skruck
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2007
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218,077
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24,360
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25,817
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6,868
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275,122
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President of AssuranceAmerica Managing General Agency, LLC, a
subsidiary of the Company
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2006
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174,298
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25,194
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13,541
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213,033
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Guy W. Millner
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2007
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214,375
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7,599
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221,974
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Chairman
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2006
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174,298
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|
|
38,741
|
|
|
|
213,039
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Mr. Millner was appointed Chairman effective June, 2003,
and served without compensation until January 1, 2006.
Mr. Stumbaugh was appointed President and Chief Executive
Officer effective April 1, 2003. Mr. Skruck was
appointed President of AssuranceAmerica Managing General Agency,
LLC, effective April 1, 2003. |
|
(2) |
|
In accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the compensation set forth in the table does not
include perquisites and other personal benefits, or property,
unless the aggregate amount of such compensation is at least
$10,000. |
|
(3) |
|
Amounts shown consist of certain perquisites, none of which had
a value exceeding 25% of the total value of all perquisites
provided. |
|
(4) |
|
The exercise price of all option grants in 2007 and 2006 is
equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date
of grant and each grant has a ten-year term. The option grants
vest 20 percent on each anniversary of the date of grant.
The option awards are calculated in accordance with
SFAS 123R Share-based Payment. The fair value
of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the
Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model using the assumptions
noted in the following table. Expected volatilities are base on
historical volatilities of the Companys stock. The Company
uses historical data to estimate expected term within the
valuation model. No provision for forfeitures is applied to
option awards presented in this table. The risk-free rate for
periods within the contractual life of the option is based on
the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at |
6
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|
|
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|
the time of grant. The Company does not provide for any expected
dividends or discount for post-vesting restrictions in the
model. Additional information about the Companys
recognition of stock based compensation may be found in the
Companys
10-K. |
Outstanding
Equity Awards At Fiscal Year End
None of the Named Executive Officers exercised any stock options
during the year ended December 31, 2007. The following
table provides information regarding the exercisable and
unexercisable stock options held as of December 31, 2007,
by each Named Executive Officer. All option grants were issued
pursuant to our existing stock option plan. The option grants
will vest 20 percent on each anniversary of the date of
grant.
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Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised
|
|
|
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Options at December 31, 2007
|
|
|
|
Exercisable
|
|
|
Unexercisable
|
|
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Option Exercise
|
|
|
Option Expiration
|
|
Name
|
|
(#)
|
|
|
(#)
|
|
|
Price ($)
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
Lawrence Stumbaugh
|
|
|
6,300
|
|
|
|
23,700
|
|
|
$
|
0.88
|
|
|
|
02/02/2016
|
|
Joseph J. Skruck
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
|
|
24,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.88
|
|
|
|
02/02/2016
|
|
Joseph J. Skruck
|
|
|
360,000
|
|
|
|
90,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.25
|
|
|
|
12/31/2008
|
|
Joseph J. Skruck
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.98
|
|
|
|
05/25/2012
|
|
Joseph J. Skruck
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
150,000
|
|
|
$
|
0.63
|
|
|
|
11/07/2017
|
|
Guy W. Millner
|
|
|
|
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Certain
Employment Agreements
On July 10, 2002, the Company entered into an employment
agreement with Mr. Stumbaugh, its CEO and President. The
agreement is terminable upon 90 days notice by either
party. In the event Mr. Stumbaughs employment is
terminated other than for cause (as defined in the agreement),
the Company will pay Mr. Stumbaugh 24 months of base
salary plus his most recent bonus and reimburse him for his
COBRA premiums, payable monthly. If Mr. Stumbaugh
terminates his employment with the Company, the Company will pay
him three months base salary and reimburse him for his COBRA
premiums for three months. In the event of a termination for
cause, Mr. Stumbaugh will receive no post- employment
compensation.
On March 8, 2006, the Company entered into an employment
agreement with Mr. Skruck. The agreement is terminable at
will by either party. In the event the Company terminates
Mr. Skrucks employment without cause (as defined in
the agreement), the Company will pay Mr. Skruck
12 months base salary and reimburse him for his COBRA
premiums for up to 12 months. In addition, if such
termination occurs within 12 months of a change in control
of the Company, all options fully vest but must be exercised
within 30 days of the date of termination. The obligations
to pay post termination compensation are conditioned upon
Mr. Skrucks execution of a separation and release
agreement and compliance with certain restrictive covenants set
forth in the agreement.
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
In the past, our Chairman, Mr. Millner, and our Chief
Executive Officer, Mr. Stumbaugh, have loaned us
approximately $6.2 million and $0.3 million,
respectively, in exchange for promissory notes. We incurred
interest on the promissory notes to our Chairman,
Mr. Millner, of $241,130 in 2007 and $759,791 in 2006.
Additional payments of principal of $1,000,000 and $397,059 were
made to Mr. Millner in 2007 and 2006, respectively. We
incurred interest on the promissory note to Mr. Stumbaugh,
of $5,889 and $13,894 in 2007 and in 2006, respectively. We also
made principal payments to Mr. Stumbaugh in the amounts of
$100,000 and $100,728 in 2007 and in 2006, respectively.
Outstanding amounts under the promissory notes held by
Messrs. Millner and Stumbaugh accrue interest at an annual
rate of 8%. The note to Mr. Stumbaugh requires annual
principal payments of $100,000 beginning December, 2004;
however, the December 2004 payment was deferred until 2005. The
principal balance owed to Mr. Stumbaugh on
December 31, 2007 was $19,444. The notes to
Mr. Millner require annual principal payments of the
greater of $500,000 or 25% of Net Cash Flow (net income after
tax plus non cash items minus working capital) on each of two
notes beginning in December, 2004; the
7
December 2004 payment was deferred until 2005. The principal
balance owed to Mr. Millner on December 31, 2007 was
$2,472,462. The promissory notes are not secured by any of our
assets.
INDEPENDENT
AUDITORS
The Board of Directors has appointed Porter Keadle Moore, LLP,
our independent auditors, to audit our financial statements for
the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008; Porter Keadle
Moore, LLP served as the Companys independent auditors for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. We anticipate that
representatives of Porter Keadle Moore, LLP will be present at
the Annual Meeting. They will be able to make a statement, if
desired, and to respond to questions.
There have been no disagreements concerning any matter of
accounting principle or financial statement disclosure between
us and Porter Keadle Moore, LLP.
Principal
Accountant- Audit and Non-Audit Fees
Aggregate fees for professional services rendered by Porter
Keadle Moore, LLP, our independent auditors, for the period
indicated below are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
Audit Fees
|
|
$
|
173,259
|
|
|
$
|
110,000
|
|
Audit-Related Fees
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
Tax Fees
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
All Other Fees
|
|
|
2,000
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
175,259
|
|
|
$
|
110,000
|
|
Audit Fees. This category includes the
aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered for the
audit of our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2007, and for services that are
normally provided by our independent auditors in connection with
statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the relevant
fiscal years.
Audit-Related Fees. This category includes the
aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services by our
independent auditors that are reasonably related to the
performance of the audits or reviews of the financial statements
and are not reported under Audit Fees, as noted
above.
Tax Fees. This category includes the aggregate
fees billed for Federal and State tax preparation services by
our independent auditors.
All Other Fees. No fees were billed for
products and services provided by our independent auditors that
are not reported under Audit Fees,
Audit-Related Fees, or Tax Fees, as
noted above.
The Audit Committee reviews and pre-approves audit and non-audit
services performed by our independent auditors, as well as the
fee charged for such services. All of the fees described above
were approved by the Audit Committee.
All of the audit services provided by our independent auditors
were pre-approved by the Audit Committee and the Board of
Directors.
SECTION 16(a)
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, requires our Directors, executive officers and persons
who own beneficially more than 10% of a registered class of our
equity securities to file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the SEC) initial reports of ownership
and reports of changes in ownership of such securities.
Directors, executive officers and greater than 10% shareholders
are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all
Section 16(a) reports they file.
To the best of our knowledge, the Section 16(a) filing
requirements applicable to our Directors, executive officers and
greater than 10% shareholders were complied with during the year
ended December 31, 2007; provided, however, that one Form 4
to report the receipt of shares as a director fee was reported
late by Mr. Cay, Mr. Healey, and Dr. Ratajczak .
8
REPORT OF
THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The following is the report of the Audit Committee with respect
to the Companys audited financial statements for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.
The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of
Directors in its oversight of the Companys financial
reporting, internal controls and audit functions. The Audit
Committee Charter describes in greater detail the full
responsibilities of the committee and is available on the
Companys website at www.assuranceamerica.com under
governance in the investor relations section of the
website. The audit committee is comprised solely of independent
directors as defined by the Rule 4200 of the Nasdaq manual,
and SEC
Rule 10A-
3(b) (1). Mr. Healey and Dr. Ratajczak are audit
committee financial experts as defined by SEC rules.
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the consolidated
financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2007, with the management of the Company and Porter Keadle
Moore, LLP, the Companys independent auditors. Management
is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity
of the Companys financial statements; accounting and
financial reporting principles; establishing and maintaining
disclosure controls and procedures; establishing and maintaining
internal control over financial reporting; evaluating the
effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures; evaluating
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting;
in evaluating any change in the internal control over financial
reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to materially affect, internal control over financial reporting.
Porter Keadle Moore, LLP is responsible for performing an
independent audit of the consolidated financial statements and
expressing an opinion on the conformity of those financial
statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America, and to obtain reasonable assurance
about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement.
The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors
the matters required to be discussed by SAS 61, as modified or
supplemented; the audit committee has also received the written
disclosures and the letter from the independent accountants
required by ISB Standard No. 1 and has discussed with the
independent accountants, the independent accountants
independence.
Based upon our review and the discussions with and
representations from management and the independent auditors
referred to above, the audit committee has recommended to the
Board of Directors that the audited financial statements for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, be included in the
Companys annual report on
Form 10-K
for filing with the SEC.
In accordance with Audit Committee policy and the requirements
of law, the Audit Committee pre-approves all services to be
provided by the Companys auditors, Porter Keadle Moore,
LLP. Pre-approval is required for all audit services, audit
related services, tax services and other services.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Quill O. Healey, Chairman
John E. Cay III
Dr. Don Ratajczak
9
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Shareholder
Proposals For 2009 Annual Shareholders Meeting
In order to be considered for inclusion in the proxy statement
and form of proxy to be used in connection with our 2009 Annual
Shareholders Meeting, shareholder proposals must be received by
our Secretary at our principal offices, located at RiverEdge
One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta,
Georgia 30328, no later than December 8, 2008.
For business to be properly brought before the 2009 Annual
Shareholders Meeting, a shareholder must give timely written
notice of the matter to be presented at the meeting to our
Secretary. To be considered timely, the Secretary must receive
the notice at our principal offices located at RiverEdge One,
Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia
30328, not earlier than December 15, 2008, and not later
than January 15, 2009. In the event our 2009 Annual
Shareholders Meeting is called for a date that is not within
thirty (30) calendar days of April 24, such notice
must be submitted not later than the close of business on the
tenth (10th) calendar day following the day on which the notice
of meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of the
meeting was made, whichever occurs first.
Such notice must contain a written statement of the
shareholders proposal and of the reasons therefore, his
name and address and number of shares owned, and, in the case of
the nomination of a Director, nominations must contain the
following information to the extent known by the notifying
shareholder: (i) the name, age and address of each proposed
nominee; (ii) the principal occupation of each proposed
nominee; (iii) the nominees qualifications to serve
as a Director; (iv) such other information relating to such
nominee as required to be disclosed in solicitation of proxies
for the election of Directors pursuant to the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission;
(v) the name and residence address of the notifying
shareholder; and (vi) the number of shares owned by the
notifying shareholder, and shall be accompanied by the
nominees written consent to being named a nominee and
serving as a Director if elected. A shareholder making any
proposal shall also comply with all applicable requirements of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Nominations or
proposals not made in accordance with this procedure may be
disregarded by the Chairman at the Annual Meeting in his
discretion, and upon his instructions all votes cast for each
such nominee or for such proposal may be disregarded.
Form 10-K
Our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2007, which was filed with
the SEC, is included with this Proxy Statement. Copies of
exhibits and documents filed with our Annual Report or
referenced in it will be furnished to shareholders of record who
make a written request to us at: RiverEdge One, Suite 600,
5500 Interstate Parkway North, Atlanta, Georgia 30328.
Solicitations
of Proxies
We will pay the costs of soliciting proxies. This solicitation
is being made by mail, but may also be made by telephone or in
person by our officers and employees. We will reimburse
brokerage firms, nominees, custodians and fiduciaries for their
out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy materials to
beneficial owners.
10
OTHER
MATTERS
Our Board of Directors knows of no other matters to be presented
for shareholder action at the Annual Meeting. However, if other
matters do properly come before the Annual Meeting or any
adjournments or postponements thereof, our Board of Directors
intends that the persons named in the proxy card will vote upon
such matters in accordance with their best judgment.
By Order of the Board Of Directors
|
|
|
/s/ Guy
W. Millner
Guy
W. Millner
Chairman
|
|
/s/ Lawrence
Stumbaugh
Lawrence
Stumbaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
April 4, 2008
Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please
complete, sign, date and promptly return the accompanying proxy
card in the enclosed envelope. You may revoke your proxy at any
time before the Annual Meeting. If you are a shareholder of
record and you decide to attend the Annual Meeting and wish to
change your proxy vote, you may do so automatically by voting in
person at the Annual Meeting.
11
FORM OF PROXY
ASSURANCEAMERICA CORPORATION
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
April 24, 2008 PROXY
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON
BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Lawrence
Stumbaugh and Mark H. Hain, and each of them, the true and
lawful attorneys and proxies for the undersigned, to act and
vote all of the undersigneds capital stock of
AssuranceAmerica Corporation, a Nevada corporation, at the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at our executive
offices at RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North
Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, at 11:15 a.m. local time
on Thursday, April 24, 2008, and at any and all
adjournments thereof, for the purposes of considering and acting
upon the matter proposed by AssuranceAmerica Corporation that is
identified below. This proxy when properly executed will be
voted in accordance with the specifications made herein by the
undersigned shareholder. If no direction is made, this proxy
will be voted FOR each of the nominees listed below.
|
|
1. |
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS.
|
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Nominees: Guy W.
Millner
Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh
Quill O. Healey
Donald Ratajczak
John Ray
John E. Cay III
Kaaren J. Street
Sam Zamarripa
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Check One Box
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o
|
|
FOR each of the Nominees listed above (except as marked
to the contrary below)
|
|
o
|
|
WITHHOLD AUTHORITY to vote for all Nominees listed above
|
(INSTRUCTIONS: TO WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY TO VOTE FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL NOMINEE, WRITE THAT
NOMINEES NAME IN THE FOLLOWING SPACE PROVIDED.)
In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote on such
other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or
adjournment(s), including adjourning the Annual Meeting to
permit, if necessary, further solicitation of proxies.
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Should the undersigned be present and elect to vote at the
Annual Meeting, or at any adjournments thereof, and after
notification to our Secretary at the Annual Meeting of the
shareholders decision to terminate this proxy, the power
of said attorneys and proxies shall be deemed terminated and of
no further force and effect. The undersigned may also revoke
this proxy by filing a subsequently dated proxy or by notifying
our Secretary of his or her decision to terminate this proxy.
The undersigned acknowledges receipt from us prior to the
execution of this proxy of a Notice of the Annual Meeting and a
Proxy Statement dated April 4, 2008.
Dated:
April
,
2008
Signature of Shareholder
Print Name of Shareholder
Signature of Shareholder
Print Name of Shareholder
NOTE: Joint owners should each
sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee
or guardian, please give full title as such. If the signatory is
a corporation, sign the full corporate name by a duly authorized
officer.