0000723188 false COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC. 0000723188 2019-12-30 2019-12-31 iso4217:USD xbrli:shares iso4217:USD xbrli:shares

 

 

  

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 31, 2019

 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware 001-13695 16-1213679
(State or other jurisdiction of (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification
incorporation)   No.)

 

5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York 13214
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

  

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (315) 445-2282

 

Not Applicable

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

  x Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
  ¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
  ¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
  ¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class Trading
Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which
registered
Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share CBU New York Stock Exchange

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

Item 5.02            Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

(e)       On December 31, 2019, Community Bank System, Inc. (the “Company”) and its subsidiary, Community Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”) entered into renewal employment agreements with Scott Kingsley, the Company’s and the Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and George J. Getman, the Company’s and the Bank’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

 

Mr. Kingsley’s Employment Agreement was renewed for another three-year term on substantially similar terms as his prior three-year employment agreement which expired on December 31, 2019. The Employment Agreement provides that Mr. Kingsley shall continue to serve as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company and the Bank during the period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. During the term of the Agreement, the Company shall pay a base salary at an annual rate of $633,500, which will be reviewed and may be adjusted in future years in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices for executive employees. Mr. Kingsley will be eligible to receive annual incentive compensation under the terms of the Company’s Management Incentive Plan (“MIP”) as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Employment Agreement may be terminated by the Company for cause at any time, and shall terminate upon Mr. Kingsley’s death or disability. In the event Mr. Kingsley is terminated without cause or terminates his employment for good reason, he will be entitled to the greater of (i) 200 percent of the sum of his annual base salary at the time of termination and the most recent payment to him under the Company’s MIP, or (ii) the amount of base salary and expected MIP payments that otherwise would have been payable to Mr. Kingsley through the unexpired term of the agreement. If Mr. Kingsley’s employment is terminated upon or within two years following a change in control of the Company that occurs during the term of the Employment Agreement for reasons other than cause, death, or disability, or if Mr. Kingsley voluntarily resigns during this period based upon an involuntary and material adverse change in his authority, duties, responsibilities, base salary, or the geographic location of his assignment, he shall be entitled to three times his base salary and his incentive compensation award for the year immediately preceding the change in control and continuation of certain benefits for a 36 month period. Mr. Kingsley is subject to non-compete provisions which restrict his ability to engage in competing business activities for one year following termination of employment or to solicit customers of the Company or Bank for two years following termination of employment.

 

Mr. Getman’s Employment Agreement was renewed for another three-year term on substantially similar terms as his prior three-year employment agreement which expired on December 31, 2019. The Employment Agreement provides that Mr. Getman shall continue to serve as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company and the Bank during the period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. During the term of the Agreement, the Company shall pay a base salary at an annual rate of $432,800, which will be reviewed and may be adjusted in future years in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices for executive employees. Mr. Getman will be eligible to receive annual incentive compensation under the terms of the Company’s MIP as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Employment Agreement may be terminated by the Company for cause at any time, and shall terminate upon Mr. Getman’s death or disability. In the event Mr. Getman is terminated without cause or terminates his employment for good reason, he will be entitled to the greater of (i) 175 percent of the sum of his annual base salary at the time of termination and the most recent payment to him under the Company’s MIP, or (ii) the amount of base salary and expected MIP payments that otherwise would have been payable to Mr. Getman through the unexpired term of the agreement. If Mr. Getman’s employment is terminated upon or within two years following a change in control of the Company that occurs during the term of the Employment Agreement for reasons other than cause, death, or disability, or if Mr. Getman voluntarily resigns during this period based upon an involuntary and material adverse change in his authority, duties, responsibilities, base salary, or the geographic location of his assignment, he shall be entitled to three times his base salary and his incentive compensation award for the year immediately preceding the change in control and continuation of certain benefits for a 36 month period. Mr.Getman is subject to non-compete provisions which restrict his ability to engage in competing business activities for one year following termination of employment or to solicit customers of the Company or Bank for two years following termination of employment.

 

 

 

 

The foregoing descriptions of Messrs. Kingsley’s and Getman’s Employment Agreements do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the copies of the Employment Agreements, attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and incorporated by reference.

 

Item 8.01            Other Events

 

At its December meeting, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase, at the discretion of senior management, of up to 2,600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock during a twelve-month period starting January 1, 2020. Such repurchases may be made at the discretion of senior management depending on market conditions and other relevant factors and will be acquired through open market or privately negotiated transactions as permitted under Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other applicable regulatory and legal requirements. The new repurchase authorization replaced the existing program which expired on December 31, 2019.

 

Item 9.01            Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(d) Exhibits

 

10.1       Employment Agreement, dated December 31, 2019, by and among Community Bank System, Inc., Community Bank, N.A. and Scott A. Kingsley.

 

10.2       Employment Agreement, dated December 31, 2019, by and among Community Bank System, Inc., Community Bank, N.A. and George J. Getman.

 

104        Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

  Community Bank System, Inc.
   
  By: /s/ George J. Getman
  Name: George J. Getman
  Title:    EVP and General Counsel
Dated: January 7, 2020  

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.   Description
     
10.1   Employment Agreement, dated December 31, 2019, by and among Community Bank System, Inc., Community Bank, N.A. and Scott A. Kingsley
     
10.2   Employment Agreement, dated December 31, 2019, by and among Community Bank System, Inc., Community Bank, N.A. and George J. Getman
     
 104   Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.