SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
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PRO-DEX, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)
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To Our Shareholders:
It remains a great time to be part of Pro-Dex. Fiscal 2020 was an amazing year and we continue to position ourselves for the further growth of our business. We remain fortunate, as always, to have on our team loyal and hard-working people without whom we would not reach the levels that we have.
Highlights of the year include record performances for a Quarter and Fiscal Year during the challenging times of Covid-19. Driving these records were the launches of two new products featuring our patented torque limiting technology. We have several more products in development, including one in which we have already signed a distribution agreement with a major medical device distributor.
We strive to keep a safe and healthy workplace for our teammates here during the challenging times of Covid-19. To further support the health of all around us we are pleased to have been granted a license by JPL-NASA to produce a ventilator of their initial design for worldwide distribution.
For some time now we have been able to invest in our core medical device business, be it new products, equipment, people or technology. We are taking our investment a step further, as we have recently entered into an agreement to purchase an additional building to support our growth.
We value our teammates that make this happen and we appreciate our shareholders as well. Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to any questions or comments that you might have. You can reach the Board or myself at (949) 769-3200 or e mail us at investor.relations@pro-dex.com.
Sincerely,
/s/ Rick Van Kirk
Rick Van Kirk
President and Chief Executive Officer
2361 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, California 92614
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 19, 2020
To the Shareholders of Pro-Dex, Inc.:
The Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Annual Meeting) of Pro-Dex, Inc. (Pro-Dex, the Company, we, us or our) will be held virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/PDEX2020 on November 19, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, for the following purposes:
1.
To elect six persons to serve as our directors for a term of one year each. The nominees for election to our Board of Directors are named in the attached Proxy Statement, which is part of this Notice.
2.
To ratify the appointment of Moss Adams, LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
3.
To hold an advisory vote to approve the compensation of our Named Executive Officers.
4.
To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on September 22, 2020, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and at any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting.
All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/PDEX2020. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, your vote is important. In an effort to facilitate the voting process, we are pleased to avail ourselves of Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, rules that allow proxy materials to be furnished to shareholders on the Internet. You can vote by proxy over the Internet by following the instructions provided in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that was mailed to you on or about October 6, 2020, or, if you request printed copies of the proxy materials by mail, you can also vote by mail or by telephone. Your promptness in voting by proxy will assist in its expeditious and orderly processing and will assure that you are represented at the Annual Meeting. You may vote during the Annual Meeting by following the instructions available on the meeting website during the meeting.
TO ENSURE YOUR REPRESENTATION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU ARE URGED TO READ THIS PROXY STATEMENT AND SUBMIT YOUR PROXY OR VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS, WHICH WAS MAILED TO YOU ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 6, 2020, OR, IF YOU REQUEST PRINTED COPIES OF THE PROXY MATERIALS BY MAIL, YOU CAN ALSO VOTE BY MAIL OR BY TELEPHONE.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS: A VOTE FOR EACH OF THE SIX DIRECTOR NOMINEES NAMED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT; A VOTE FOR EACH OF PROPOSALS 2 AND 3.
| By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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| PRO-DEX, INC. |
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| /s/ Alisha K. Charlton |
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2361 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, California 92614
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 19, 2020
PROXY STATEMENT
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
The Board of Directors (Board) of Pro-Dex, Inc. (Pro-Dex, the Company, we, us or our) has made these materials available to you on the Internet, or, upon your request, has delivered printed versions of these materials to you by mail, in connection with the Boards solicitation of proxies for use at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Annual Meeting) to be held in a virtual meeting format at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/PDEX2020 on Thursday, November 19, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, and at any and all adjournments or postponements thereof. Shareholders are requested to promptly vote by proxy over the Internet by following the instructions provided in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, which was mailed to you on or about October 6, 2020. If you request printed copies of the proxy materials by mail, you can also vote by mail or by telephone. All shares represented by each properly submitted and unrevoked proxy received on the Internet or by telephone prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, or by proxy card prior to or at the Annual Meeting, will be voted in the manner specified therein, and if no direction is indicated (except in the case of broker non-votes), for each of the six director nominees named under Proposal No. 1 and for each of Proposal Nos. 2 and 3.
Any shareholder has the power to revoke his or her proxy at any time before it is voted. A proxy may be revoked by delivering a written notice of revocation to our Secretary prior to or at the Annual Meeting, by voting again on the Internet or by telephone (only your latest Internet or telephone proxy submitted prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, November 19, 2020, will be counted), by submitting prior to or at the Annual Meeting a later dated proxy card executed by the person executing the prior proxy, or by attendance at the Annual Meeting and voting by following the instructions available on the meeting website during the meeting.
Any shareholder who owns shares in street name and would like to vote in person at the Annual Meeting should inform his or her broker of such plans to determine whether, if you attend the live webcast of the Annual Meeting, you will be able to vote your shares electronically during the meeting. Shareholders are advised that if they own shares in street name and request a legal proxy, any previously executed proxy will be revoked, and such shareholders vote will not be counted unless he or she appears at the Annual Meeting and votes electronically during the meeting.
Our Board does not presently intend to bring any business before the Annual Meeting other than the proposals referred to in this proxy statement and specified in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting. So far as is known to our Board, no other matters are to be brought before the Annual Meeting. However, if any other matters are presented properly for action at the Annual Meeting or at any adjournments or postponements thereof, it is intended that the proxies will be voted with respect thereto by the proxy holders in accordance with the instructions and at the discretion of our Board or a properly authorized committee thereof.
This proxy statement, the accompanying shareholder letter, the accompanying proxy card, and our Annual Report on Form 10-K are being made available to our shareholders on the Internet at www.proxyvote.com through the notice and access process on or about October 6, 2020. We will bear the cost of soliciting proxies pursuant to this proxy statement. The solicitation will be made through the Internet and expenses will include reimbursement paid to brokerage firms and others for their expenses in forwarding solicitation material regarding the Annual Meeting to beneficial owners of our common stock, no par value per share (Common Stock). Further solicitation of proxies may be made by mail upon request, and by telephone or oral communications with some shareholders. Our regular employees, who will not receive additional compensation for the solicitation, or a compensated proxy solicitation firm, will make such further solicitations.
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OUTSTANDING SHARES AND VOTING RIGHTS
Only holders of record of the 3,858,251 shares of our Common Stock outstanding at the close of business on September 22, 2020, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Under Colorado law, our Articles of Incorporation, and our Bylaws, the holders of a majority of the total shares entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, as of the record date, represented in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. If a quorum is not present, the Annual Meeting may be postponed or adjourned to allow additional time for obtaining additional proxies or votes. At any subsequent reconvening of the Annual Meeting, all proxies will be voted in the same manner as the proxies would have been voted at the original convening of the Annual Meeting, except for any proxies that have been effectively revoked or withdrawn prior to the reconvening of the Annual Meeting. Shares of our Common Stock represented in person or by proxy (regardless of whether the proxy has authority to vote on all matters), as well as abstentions and broker non-votes, will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting.
An abstention is the voluntary act of not voting by a shareholder who is represented in person or by proxy at a meeting and entitled to vote. Broker non-votes are shares of voting stock held in record name by brokers and nominees concerning which: (i) the broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power under applicable rules or the instruments under which it serves in such capacity and instructions have not been received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote; or (ii) the record holder has indicated on the proxy or has executed a proxy and otherwise notified us that it does not have authority to vote such shares on that matter.
For Proposal No. 1 (the election of directors), assuming that a quorum is present, the six nominees for director receiving the highest number of affirmative votes will be elected; votes withheld and broker non-votes have no practical effect.
For Proposal No. 2 (to ratify the appointment of Moss Adams, LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021) and Proposal No. 3 (advisory vote to approve the compensation of our Named Executive Officers) assuming that a quorum is present, the matter will be approved if the votes cast in favor of the matter exceed the votes cast opposing the matter. In such matters, abstentions and broker non-votes will not be included in the vote totals and, therefore, will have no effect on the vote.
Each shareholder will be entitled to one vote, in person or by proxy, for each share of Common Stock held of record on the record date. Votes cast at the Annual Meeting will be tabulated by the person or persons appointed by us to act as inspectors of election for the Annual Meeting.
Recommendations of our Board
Our Board recommends that our shareholders vote for each of the six director nominees named under Proposal No. 1; and for each of Proposal Nos. 2 and 3.
THE PROPOSALS TO BE VOTED UPON AT THE ANNUAL MEETING ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT. YOU ARE STRONGLY URGED TO READ AND CONSIDER CAREFULLY THIS PROXY STATEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth information concerning the beneficial ownership of the Companys Common Stock as of September 22, 2020 by:
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each member of the Board;
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each of the Companys Named Executive Officers listed in the Summary Compensation Table included in the Executive Compensation section of this proxy statement;
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all of the Companys directors and Named Executive Officers as a group; and
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each person or entity known to the Company that beneficially owns more than five percent of the Companys Common Stock.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Unless otherwise indicated below, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o Pro-Dex, Inc., 2361 McGaw Avenue, Irvine, California, 92614. Unless otherwise indicated below, the Company believes that each of the persons listed in the table (subject to applicable community property laws) has the sole power to vote and to dispose of the shares listed opposite the shareholders name.
The percentages of Common Stock beneficially owned are based on 3,858,251 shares of Common Stock outstanding at September 22, 2020.
| Number of | Percent of |
| Shares of Common | Common Stock |
| Stock Beneficially | Beneficially |
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Owned | Owned(1) |
Nicholas J. Swenson, AO Partners I, L.P.; and AO Partners, LLC(2) 5000 West 36th Street, Suite 130 |
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Minneapolis, MN 55416 | 1,042,790 | 27.0% |
Raymond E. Cabillot; Farnam Street Partners, L.P.; |
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Farnam Street Capital, Inc.; and Peter O. Haeg(3) 3033 Excelsior Blvd., Suite 560 |
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Minneapolis, MN 55416 | 425,111 | 11.0% |
Richard L. Van Kirk(4) | 81,510 | 2.1% |
Katrina M.K. Philp(5) | 6,796 | * |
William J. Farrell III | 8,400 | * |
Alisha K. Charlton | 5,752 | * |
David C. Hovda(4) | 2,300 | * |
All Directors, Director Nominees and Named Executive Officers as a group (7 persons)(4) | 1,572,659 | 40.8% |
*
Indicates less than 1 percent of outstanding shares of Common Stock.
(1)
Applicable percentage ownership is based on 3,858,251 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of September 22, 2020. Any securities not outstanding but subject to options exercisable as of September 22, 2020, or exercisable within 60 days after such date, are deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage of outstanding Common Stock beneficially owned by the person holding such options, but are not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage of Common Stock beneficially owned by any other person.
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(2)
AO Partners, LLC is the General Partner of AO Partners I, L.P. Mr. Swenson is the Managing Member of AO Partners, LLC, and, in such capacity, has the power to direct the affairs of AO Partners, LLC, including the voting and disposition of shares of our Common Stock held by AO Partners I, L.P. As such, AO Partners I, L.P., AO Partners, LLC and Mr. Swenson may be deemed to share voting and dispositive power with regard to the 947,177 shares of our Common Stock held by AO Partners I, L.P. The remaining 95,613 shares are owned by Nicholas J. Swenson directly. AO Partners I, L.P.s holdings of 947,177 shares of our Common Stock, plus additional securities and collateral owned by AO Partners I, L.P. are pledged to secure a bank loan to AO Partners I, L.P.
(3)
Farnam Street Partners, L.P., Farnam Street Capital, Inc., Raymond E. Cabillot, and Peter O. Haeg claim shared voting power and shared dispositive power of 425,111 shares of our Common Stock held by Farnam Street Partners, L.P.
(4)
Includes shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options that were exercisable as of September 22, 2020, or exercisable within 60 days after September 22, 2020, as follows: Mr. Van Kirk, 30,000 shares; Mr. Hovda, 1,500 shares; and all directors, director nominees and Named Executive Officers as a group, 31,500 shares.
(5)
These shares are owned by Ms. Philps spouse and both she and her spouse claim shared voting power and shared dispositive power. Of these shares, 3,596 are pledged as collateral for a loan.
Proposal No. 1
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Current Board Structure and Director Terms
Our Board is currently composed of six members. All directors or their successor nominees stand for election each year.
Certain information with respect to each of the nominees who will be presented at the Annual Meeting by our Board for election as a director is set forth below. Although it is anticipated that each nominee will be available to serve as a director, should a nominee become unavailable to serve, proxies will be voted for such other person as may be designated by our Board.
Unless the authority to vote for directors has been withheld in the proxy, the person named in the accompanying proxy intends to vote at the Annual Meeting for the election of each of the nominees presented below. In the election of directors, assuming a quorum is present, the six nominees for director receiving the highest number of votes cast at the Annual Meeting will be elected as our directors.
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DIRECTORS
Set forth below is certain information with respect to our directors.
Name |
| Age |
| Position With Company |
| Audit |
| Compensation |
| Nominating and Governance |
Raymond E. Cabillot |
| 57 |
| Director |
| X |
| X |
| C |
William J. Farrell III |
| 47 |
| Director |
|
|
| X |
| X |
David C. Hovda |
| 58 |
| Director |
| C |
|
|
| X |
Katrina M.K. Philp |
| 35 |
| Director |
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Nicholas J. Swenson |
| 52 |
| Director, Chairman of the Board |
| X |
| C |
| X |
Richard L. Van Kirk |
| 60 |
| Director, Chief Executive Officer, and President |
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|
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(X) | Member of the Committee |
(C) | Chairman of the Committee |
Messrs. Cabillot, Farrell, Hovda and Swenson and Ms. Philp currently each qualify as an independent director as such term is defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules and we expect that each will continue to qualify as an independent director if elected.
Our Board is of the opinion that the election to our Board of the director nominees identified herein, each of whom has consented to serve if elected, would be in our shareholders best interests.
OUR BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF THE
NOMINEES NAMED BELOW.
Raymond E. Cabillot (57), current director and nominee, has, from January 1998 until the present, served as Chief Executive Officer and a director of Farnam Street Capital, Inc., the general partner of Farnam Street Partners L.P., a private investment partnership located in Minneapolis, MN. He was a Senior Research Analyst at Piper Jaffray, Inc. from 1990 to 1998. Prior to that, he worked for Prudential Capital Corporation from 1987 to 1990 as an Associate Investment Manager and as an Investment Manager. Mr. Cabillot has served on the board of directors of Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited, a specialty and casualty reinsurer, since 2013 and Air T, Inc., a provider of air cargo services and ground equipment sales and support services, since November 2016. He was a director of O.I. Corporation, a Nasdaq listed company (OICO), from 2006 to 2010. He served as chairman of the board of O.I. Corporation from 2007 through 2010 and during 2010 served as co-chairman of the board of O.I. Corporation. Mr. Cabillot has a B.A. degree with a double major in Economics and Chemistry from Saint Olaf College and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota. Mr. Cabillot has been a director of ours since January 2013.
Mr. Cabillot brings the following experience, qualifications, attributes and skills to our Board:
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More than 25 years of experience as a financial analyst and investment manager;
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Years of public company board experience, including three years as chairman and one year as co-chairman; and
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Independent of our management.
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William J. Farrell III (47), current director and nominee, has from October 2, 2017 until the present, served as SVP of Business Services at Gundersen Health System, an integrated healthcare organization serving counties in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. Mr. Farrell is co-founder of FreshRealm, LLC, a developer of new technologies to streamline fresh food distribution, and served as its Chief Operating Officer from January 2013 through September 2017. In addition, from January 2011 until the present, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of Viszy Inc., a start-up company developing software and services for the consumer market. Mr. Farrell is also Chief Executive Officer of B ō biam, LLC, a company that turns youth art into apparel and other products, which it merchandises through its retail store and wholesale channels. From April 1998 to January 2011, Mr. Farrell held various senior management roles at Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), a multi-national medical technology company. His engineering career began with eight years in production support, process development and operations. He then worked 10 years in product development for Medtronic, during which time he led management teams in program, product and process development. At the end of his tenure with Medtronic, he was Senior Director of Product Development and led corporate-wide initiatives to improve design, reliability and manufacturability practices. Mr. Farrell has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota (1996). Mr. Farrell has been a director of ours since January 2013.
Mr. Farrell brings the following experience, qualifications, attributes and skills to our Board:
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Current senior-level management, operating and board experience;
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More than 12 years of experience in engineering and management roles in the medical device industry, our primary target market; and
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Independent of our management.
David C. Hovda (58), current director and nominee, has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Simplify Medical, Inc., a privately held medical device company that has developed a cervical artificial disc replacement optimized for MRI imaging, since 2013. Prior to his tenure with Simplify Medical, he was President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of SpinalMotion, Inc., a privately held medical device company that designed, developed and marketed artificial discs for use in the spine, from 2004 to 2013. Prior to joining SpinalMotion, he held leadership positions with Arthrocare, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARTC), a developer and manufacturer of surgical devices, instruments, and implants focused on enhancing surgical techniques and patient outcomes, serving as the Vice President/General Manager of its Spine Division from 1999 to 2004, and as the Managing Director of its ENT Division from 1997 to 1999. From 1992 to 1997, Mr. Hovda served in financial analysis and product management positions with Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), a multi-national medical technology company, which culminated in his service as the European Business Manager of its Upper Airway Venture from 1995 to 1997. He holds more than 40 patents related to radio frequency ablation technology, specific clinical applications, and artificial disc replacement designs and implantation methods. Mr. Hovda served for five years with the United States Navy, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. Mr. Hovda has been a director of ours since January 2013.
Mr. Hovda brings the following experience, qualifications, attributes and skills to our Board:
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Current senior-level management, operating and board experience based on more than 20 years of participation in the medical device industry, our primary target market, twelve years of which are specifically with medical devices to treat disorders of the spine, a sector within the medical device industry that we believe represents potential for future revenue growth;
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Core management and leadership skills gained through experience overseeing and managing operations at the manager and chief executive officer levels, including experience in medical device intellectual property, product development, clinical testing and marketing;
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Experience in financial analysis, including operational restructuring, acquisition opportunities, raising capital, budgeting and forecasting, and market entry feasibility; and
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Independent of our management.
Katrina Philp (35), current director and nominee, has, from January 2014 until the present, served in various capacities at Air T, Inc. (AIRT), a Nasdaq listed company, and most recently as its Chief of Staff from October 2017 to present. Ms. Philp is co-founder of Fox Lake Capital, LLC, a consulting firm offering financial analysis and investment expertise. Ms. Philp was a Senior Investment Analyst at Whitebox Advisors, LLC, a multi-strategy hedge fund, from 2007 to 2012. Ms. Philp has a B.A. degree in Business Administration, Finance and Management from Northwestern College. Ms. Philp has been a director of ours since December 2019.
Ms. Philp brings the following experience, qualifications, attributes and skills to our Board:
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Current senior-level management and operating experience;
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Experience as a financial analyst, and
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Independent of our management.
Nicholas J. Swenson (52), current Chairman of the Board, director and nominee, is an executive, investor and research analyst. Since January 2012, he has served as the managing partner of AO Partners, LLC, the general partner of AO Partners I, L.P., a private investment partnership located in Minneapolis, MN. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Air T, Inc. (AIRT), a Nasdaq listed company, since October 2013, as chairman of AIRTs board since August 2013, and as a member of AIRTs board of directors since August 2012. Mr. Swenson serves as a director of several private companies as well. Mr. Swenson was active as a Portfolio Manager of Groveland Capital, LLC, a hedge fund founded by Mr. Swenson, from 2009 to 2011. Mr. Swenson was a Portfolio Manager and Partner at Whitebox Advisors, LLC, a multi-strategy hedge fund, from 2001 to 2009. From 1999 to 2001, he was a research analyst at Varde Partners, LLC, a partnership that specializes in distressed debt investing. He was an Associate in Corporate Finance at Piper Jaffray, Inc. from 1996 to 1999. Mr. Swenson has a B.A. degree in History from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Mr. Swenson has been a director of ours since January 2013.
Mr. Swenson brings the following experience, qualifications, attributes and skills to our Board:
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Nearly 25 years of experience as a financial analyst and investment manager;
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Public company senior-level management, operating and board experience; and
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Independent of our management.
Richard L. Van Kirk (60), has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President since January 2015, in addition to his position as Chief Operating Officer, which he has held since April, 2013. Mr. Van Kirk joined the Company as Director of Manufacturing in 2006, and was our Vice President of Operations from 2007 to 2013. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Van Kirk served as Manufacturing Manager and Manager of Product Development for the ChargeSource division of Comarco, Inc., a provider of power and charging functionality for popular electronic devices and wireless accessories, and as General Manager at Dynacast, a leader in precision die casting. Mr. Van Kirk holds a BA in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton and an MBA from Claremont Graduate School. Mr. Van Kirk has been a director of ours since January 2015.
Mr. Van Kirk brings the following experience, qualifications, attributes and skills to our Board:
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Current senior-level management experience as our Chief Executive Officer; and
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Over 15 years of senior-level management in the areas of manufacturing, operations, supply chain, distribution and logistics including over 10 years of experience in our operations management.
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BUSINESS EXPERIENCE OF KEY MANAGEMENT
Set forth below is information concerning our other non-director key management personnel.
Alisha Charlton (51) was appointed our Chief Financial Officer in January 2015. She joined the Company in January 2014 as Senior Director of Finance. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Charlton held various accounting positions at Comarco, Inc. from October 2000 to January 2014, culminating in her appointment as Chief Accounting Officer in April 2011. Prior to her 13 year tenure at Comarco, Ms. Charlton held various accounting and finance positions with CKE Restaurants, Inc. from February 1995 to October 2000. Ms. Charlton began her career in July 1991 with KPMG Peat Marwick (now KPMG LLP) and was formerly a certified public accountant. Ms. Charlton holds a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara with high honors and a CPA license (inactive) from the California State Board of Accountancy.
BOARD MEETINGS AND RELATED MATTERS
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, our Board held six meetings and acted twice by unanimous written consent. The independent directors held two executive sessions during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020. The independent directors consist of all non-employee, independent directors (as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules). No director attended less than 75% of the aggregate of all meetings of our Board and all meetings of committees of our Board upon which he or she served.
Audit Committee
Our Board has an Audit Committee that consists of three Board members, Messrs. Hovda (Chairman), Cabillot and Swenson. The Audit Committee is comprised entirely of non-employee, independent directors (as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules) that satisfy the additional requirements of Rule 5605(c)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules and operates under a written charter adopted by our Board. The duties of the Audit Committee include meeting with our independent registered public accounting firm to review the scope of the annual audit and to review our quarterly and annual financial statements before the statements are released to our shareholders. The Audit Committee also evaluates the independent public accounting firms performance and appoints or replaces the independent public accounting firm subject, if applicable, to the consideration of shareholder ratification for the ensuing fiscal year. A copy of the Audit Committees current charter may be found at http://www.pro-dex.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Audit-Committee-Charter-Approved-2019.pdf. The Audit Committee and Board have confirmed that the Audit Committee does and will continue to include at least three independent directors and has confirmed that Messrs. Hovda, Cabillot and Swenson each meet applicable SEC regulations for designation as an Audit Committee Financial Expert based upon their respective experience noted elsewhere in this proxy statement. The Audit Committee held seven meetings during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 and acted once by unanimous written consent.
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee
Our Board has a Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee (Nominating Committee) that consists of four Board members, Messrs. Cabillot (Chairman), Farrell, Hovda and Swenson. The Nominating Committee is comprised entirely of non-employee, independent directors (as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules) and operates under a written charter adopted by our Board, a copy of which may be found at http://www.pro-dex.com/media/23113/prodex_gov_committee_charter.pdf. In such capacity, the Nominating Committee identifies and reviews the qualifications of candidate nominees to our Board. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the full Board carried out the duties typically ascribed to the Nominating Committee.
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The Nominating Committee works with our Board to determine the appropriate characteristics, skills and experiences for our Board as a whole and its individual members with the objective of having a Board with diverse experience. The Nominating Committee believes that it is desirable that directors possess an understanding of our business environment and have the requisite ethical standards, knowledge, skills, expertise and diversity of experience such that our Boards ability to manage and direct our affairs and business is enhanced. Additional considerations may include an individuals capacity to enhance the ability of committees of our Board to fulfill their duties and/or satisfy any independence requirements imposed by law, regulation or listing requirements. The Nominating Committee may receive candidate nomination suggestions from current Board members, our executive officers, our shareholders or other sources, which may be either unsolicited or in response to requests from our Board for such candidates. The Nominating Committee may also, from time to time, engage firms that specialize in identifying director candidates. Once a person has been identified by the Nominating Committee as a potential candidate, the Nominating Committee may collect and review publicly available information regarding the person to assess whether the person should be considered further. If the Nominating Committee determines that the candidate warrants further consideration, a member of the Nominating Committee may contact the person. Generally, if the person expresses a willingness to be considered and to serve on our Board, the Nominating Committee may request information from the candidate, review the persons accomplishments and qualifications and may conduct one or more interviews with the candidate. The Nominating Committee may consider all such information in light of information regarding any other candidates that it might be evaluating for nomination to our Board. The Nominating Committee or other Board members may also contact one or more references provided by the candidate or may contact other members of the business community or other persons that may have greater first-hand knowledge of the candidates qualifications and accomplishments. With the candidates consent, the Nominating Committee may also engage an outside firm to conduct background checks on the candidate as part of the evaluation process. The Nominating Committees evaluation process does not vary based on the source of the recommendation.
Shareholder nominations for director should be sent to our Secretary and should include the candidates name and qualifications and a statement from the candidate that he or she consents to being named in the proxy statement and will serve as a director if elected. In order for any such candidate to be considered for nomination and, if nominated, to be included in our proxy statement, such recommendation must satisfy the requirements discussed later in this proxy statement under the heading Proposals of Shareholders.
In compiling the list of our Board nominees appearing in this proxy statement, nominee referrals as well as nominee recommendations were received from existing directors and members of managementboth solicited and unsolicited. No paid consultants were engaged by us, our Board or any of our Boards committees for the purposes of identifying qualified, interested Board candidates.
Compensation Committee
Our Board has a Compensation Committee that consists of three Board members, Messrs. Swenson (Chairman), Cabillot and Farrell. The Compensation Committee is comprised entirely of non-employee, independent directors (as defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules) and operates under a written charter adopted by our Board. A copy of the Compensation Committees current charter may be found at http://www.pro-dex.com/media/23092/compensation_committee_charter.pdf. The Compensation Committee establishes compensation policies applicable to our executive officers and directors. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the Compensation Committee acted three times by unanimous written consent.
From time to time, various members of management and other employees, as well as outside advisors or consultants, may be invited by the Compensation Committee to make presentations, provide financial or other background information or advice, or otherwise participate in Compensation Committee meetings or executive sessions of the Board. Among other things, the charter of the Compensation Committee grants the Compensation Committee authority to obtain, at our expense, advice and assistance from internal and external legal, accounting or other advisors and consultants and other external resources that the Compensation Committee considers necessary or appropriate in the performance of its duties. In particular, the Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain compensation consultants to assist in its evaluation of executive and director compensation, including the authority to approve the consultants reasonable fees and other retention terms.
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Investment Committee
The Investment Committee was formed in April 2013 and is currently comprised of one management director, Mr. Van Kirk, and two non-management directors, Mr. Cabillot and Mr. Swenson, who chairs the committee. The purpose of the Investment Committee is to administer and invest surplus capital from time to time, in such amounts as approved by our Board, in authorized investments. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the Investment Committee met twice and acted once by unanimous written consent.
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
There are no family relationships among our executive officers and directors.
BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE
Our Board has separated the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Swenson, an independent director, serves as Chairman of our Board and presides at all Board and shareholder meetings. Mr. Van Kirk, our Chief Executive Officer, serves as our primary spokesperson and supervises our business, subject to the direction of our Board. The independent Board members annually assess Mr. Van Kirks performance as Chief Executive Officer. We believe that an independent Chairman of the Board is better able to provide oversight and guidance to management, especially in relation to the Boards essential role in risk management oversight, and to ensure the efficient use and accountability of resources. Furthermore, this separation provides for focused engagement between these two roles in their respective areas of responsibility, while still providing for collaborative participation. The separation of the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer roles, together with our other comprehensive corporate governance practices, are designed to establish and preserve management accountability, provide a structure that allows the Board to set objectives and monitor performance, and enhance shareholder value.
BOARDS ROLE IN RISK OVERSIGHT
Our Board has an active role, as a whole and also at the committee level, in overseeing management of our risks. Our Board regularly reviews information regarding our credit, liquidity and operations, as well as the risks associated with each. The Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation plans and arrangements. The Audit Committee oversees management of financial risks. The Nominating Committee manages risks associated with the independence of our Board and potential conflicts of interest. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire Board is regularly informed through committee and management reports about such risks and their mitigation. Our Board believes the division of risk management responsibilities described above is an effective approach for evaluating and addressing the risks we face and that the structure allows our Board to exercise effective oversight of the actions of management.
COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND MANAGEMENT
Compensation Committee Procedures
The Compensation Committee makes its most significant determinations with respect to annual compensation, bonus awards, and new financial and other corporate performance objectives for executive compensation purposes, at one or more meetings held during the fiscal year for which the targets and compensation levels are applicable. At various meetings throughout the year, the Compensation Committee also considers matters related to individual compensation, such as compensation for new executive hires, as well as high-level strategic issues, such as the efficacy of, and any risks relating to, our compensation strategies, policies and practices, potential modifications to those strategies, policies and practices, and new trends, plans or approaches to compensation.
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Generally, the Compensation Committees process consists of three related elements: (i) the determination of compensation levels, (ii) the approval of discretionary cash bonus awards based upon company and personal performance, and (iii) the review and determination of equity incentive awards. For executive officers other than our CEO, the Compensation Committee solicits and considers evaluations and recommendations submitted to the Compensation Committee by our CEO. In the case of our CEO, the evaluation of his performance is conducted by the Compensation Committee, which determines any adjustments to his compensation. Our CEO may not participate in, or be present during, any deliberations or determinations of the Compensation Committee regarding his compensation. For all executive officers and directors, as part of its deliberations, the Compensation Committee may review and consider, as appropriate, materials such as financial reports and projections, operational data, tax and accounting information, tally sheets that set forth the total compensation that may become payable to executive officers in various hypothetical scenarios, our stock performance data, and analyses of historical executive compensation levels and our current compensation levels. Periodically, the Compensation Committee reviews all of our incentive compensation plans in order to evaluate the level of risk that such plans may encourage and, along with managements report concerning such matters and their mitigation, to ensure that each plan is properly monitored and evaluated.
Compensation Committee Philosophy
Our compensation philosophy is predicated upon the following concepts:
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We pay competitively. We are committed to providing a pay program that helps attract and retain highly qualified people in the industry. To ensure that pay is competitive, we compare our pay practices with those of other leading companies of similar size and location(s) and set our pay parameters based on this review.
·
We pay for sustained performance. Executive officers are rewarded based upon corporate performance and individual performance. Corporate performance is evaluated by the Compensation Committee by reviewing the extent to which strategic and business plan goals are met, including such factors as revenues, operating profit, cash flow, and stock price.
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We strive for fairness in the administration of pay and to achieve a balance of the compensation paid to a particular individual as compared to the compensation paid to both our executives and executives at comparable companies.
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We believe that employees should understand the performance evaluation and pay administration process.
The Compensation Committee believes that it is important that our executives be compensated in a manner that closely links compensation with performance and yet does not incent excessive risk-taking. To that end, the Compensation Committee has developed a comprehensive and balanced compensation plan that includes a base salary; discretionary bonuses upon evaluation of Company and personal performance; performance awards generally payable in shares of Common Stock upon the satisfaction of various service periods and the market price of our Common Stock achieving certain pre-determined prices; and, a package of benefits similar in scope and nature to those offered to all our other employees. Additionally, all employees, including the Named Executive Officers, are eligible to participate in our 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP), which allows employees to purchase shares of Common Stock from us at 15% discount from the applicable market price as calculated under the terms of the ESPP.
The Compensation Committee believes that there are no risks related to our compensation plans that would result in a material adverse impact on us. This conclusion is based upon managements risk analysis and the Compensation Committees belief that the following mitigating factors also serve to reduce such risks:
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Incentives are capped at a maximum amount regardless of the degree to which objectives may be exceeded.
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Payments are based upon audited year end results.
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Multiple objectives are used as performance targets.
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Computations are reviewed at regular intervals during the year and are subject to multiple levels of review at the management, committee, and full Board level.
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Compensation of Executive Officers
The following table sets forth certain compensation information for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, for our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, who were the only executive officers during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 (collectively, the Named Executive Officers).
Summary Compensation Table
(1)
The Bonus amount for fiscal 2020 includes bonuses awarded to Mr. Van Kirk and Ms. Charlton, in the amount of $270,000 and $32,500, respectively which were accrued for during fiscal 2020 but paid during fiscal 2021. The Bonus amount for fiscal 2019 includes bonuses awarded to Mr. Van Kirk and Ms. Charlton, respectively, in the amount of $25,000 each which were accrued for during fiscal 2019 but paid during fiscal 2020.
(2)
The amounts reported above under the heading Stock Awards represent the aggregate grant date value of awards under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of these stock awards can be found under Note 9 to the Financial Statements in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2020 and have no relation to amounts or periods in which earnings may be reported in the Named Executive Officers W-2.
(3)
The amounts reported above under the heading All Other Compensation consist of the following:
Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers
Employment Arrangement with Richard L. Van Kirk
On January 12, 2015, Mr. Van Kirk began service as our Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, in addition to continuing to serve as our Chief Operating Officer, a position he has held since April 23, 2013. In connection with that appointment, Mr. Van Kirk continues his at-will employment arrangement with the Company. Mr. Van Kirks compensation consists of the following:
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A base annual salary of $305,000 (previously $225,000 through October 31, 2018).
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Mr. Van Kirk is eligible to participate in any program of stock options or other equity grants that we provide key employees from time to time, including our 2016 Equity Incentive Plan and ESPP.
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Health, dental, disability and life insurance, qualified retirement plans, and optional employee benefits on the same terms as other employees.
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Employment Arrangement with Alisha K. Charlton
On January 12, 2015, Ms. Charlton began service as our Chief Financial Officer. In connection with that appointment, Ms. Charlton continued her at-will employment arrangement with the Company. Ms. Charltons compensation consists of the following:
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A base annual salary of $215,000 (previously $205,000 through October 31, 2019).
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Ms. Charlton is eligible to participate in any program of stock options or other equity grants that we provide key employees from time to time, including our 2016 Equity Incentive Plan and ESPP.
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Health, dental, disability and life insurance, qualified retirement plans, and optional employee benefits on the same terms as other employees.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
The following table sets forth information about outstanding equity awards held by our Named Executive Officers as of June 30, 2020.
| Option Awards | |||
| Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options | Option | Option | |
Name | Exercisable (#) | Unexercisable (#) | Exercise Price ($) | Expiration Date |
Richard L. Van Kirk | 20,000 | | $ 1.97 | 10/07/2020 |
| 25,000 | | $ 1.80 | 09/12/2021 |
| 5,000 | | $ 1.73 | 09/11/2022 |
| Stock Awards | |
Name | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of (#)(1) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market ($)(2) |
Richard L. Van Kirk | 59,200 | $1,054,944 |
Alisha K. Charlton | 29,200 | $ 520,344 |
(1)
Represents performance awards which, upon vesting, will generally be paid in shares of our Common Stock. Whether any performance awards vest, and the amount that does vest, is tied to the completion of various service periods that range from July 1, 2020 to July 2, 2027 and the achievement of our Common Stock trading at certain pre-determined prices.
(2)
The payout value of unearned shares is based upon the closing market price of our Common Stock on June 30, 2020 on the Nasdaq Capital Market of $17.82 per share.
Compensation of Directors
In May 2016, our Board approved the following compensation plan for our non-employee directors:
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A cash fee of $18,000 per fiscal year, paid quarterly in arrears; and
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An additional cash fee of $7,000 per fiscal year for the Audit Committee Chair, paid quarterly in arrears.
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The following table details the cash fees earned by our non-employee directors during fiscal 2020. No stock options or other compensation was issued or paid to our non-employee directors during fiscal 2020.
Name | Fees Earned or | Total |
David C. Hovda | $ 25,000 | $ 25,000 |
Raymond E. Cabillot | $ 18,000 | $ 18,000 |
William J. Farrell III | $ 18,000 | $ 18,000 |
Katrina M.K. Philp | $ 9,000 | $ 9,000 |
Nicholas J. Swenson | $ 18,000 | $ 18,000 |
(1)
The cash amount reported in this column represents amounts earned during fiscal 2020. All amounts were paid in fiscal 2020 accept for the 4th quarter accrual, which was paid in fiscal 2021.
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table provides information as of June 30, 2020 with respect to shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Companys equity compensation plans.
(1)
Represents performance awards issued to employees (including the Named Executive Officers) which, upon vesting, will generally be paid in shares of our Common Stock. Whether any performance awards vest, and the amount that does vest, is tied to the completion of various service periods that range from July 1, 2020 to July 2, 2027 and the achievement of our Common Stock trading at certain pre-determined prices.
(2)
The Second Amended and Restated 2004 Stock Option Plan and the Amended and Restated 2004 Directors Stock Option Plan were terminated in 2014 and, as a result, no further options may be granted under such plans.
Options and Equity Awards Generally
2004 Stock Option Plans
Our Board, as the administrator of each of the 2004 plans listed above, has the discretion to accelerate the vesting of any outstanding options held by the employees and directors in the event of an acquisition of us by a merger or asset sale in which the outstanding options under each such plan are not to be assumed by the successor corporation or substituted with options to purchase shares of such corporation. All 54,000 options outstanding as of June 30, 2020 under the 2004 plans were fully vested. As described above, both of the 2004 plans have been terminated and no further options may be granted under such plans.
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2016 Equity Incentive Plan
Our Compensation Committee, as the administrator of the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan listed above, has the discretion to accelerate the vesting of any outstanding options or Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) held by the employees, consultants and directors in the event of an acquisition of us by a merger or asset sale in which the outstanding options and SARs under the plan are not to be assumed by the successor corporation or substituted with options to purchase shares of such corporation.
In the event of a change of control (as such term is defined in the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, which definition includes, among other items, (a) conditions under which a person or group becomes a beneficial owner of 50% or more of the voting power of our outstanding stock, or (b) a majority change in the composition of our Board occurring within a one-year period, or (c) a change in the ownership of 40% of the Companys assets, or (d) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company), the Board has the discretion to accelerate the vesting of any outstanding options or SARs. The number of shares subject to Restricted Shares and RSU awards would be immediately delivered as a result of a change of control. All performance awards shall immediately become vested and payable to participants within 30 days after a change of control.
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
The Audit Committee reports to and acts on behalf of our Board in providing oversight to our financial management, independent registered public accounting firm, and financial reporting procedures. Our management is responsible for preparing our financial statements and the independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing those statements. In this context, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements contained in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K with management and Moss Adams, LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm engaged to audit such financial statements.
The Audit Committee has discussed with Moss Adams, LLP the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 16 (Communications with Audit Committees). The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from Moss Adams, LLP required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent registered public accounting firms communications with the audit committee concerning independence and has discussed with Moss Adams, LLP its independence. In concluding that Moss Adams, LLP is independent, the Audit Committee considered, among other factors, whether any non-audit services provided by Moss Adams, LLP were compatible with maintaining its independence.
In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to our Board that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, and be filed with the SEC.
The Audit Committee has appointed Moss Adams, LLP to serve as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
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David C. Hovda |
| Raymond E. Cabillot |
| Nicholas J. Swenson |
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CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
Our code of business conduct and ethics, as approved by our Board, can be obtained from http://www.pro-dex.com/media/23086/prodex_code_of_conduct.pdf .
We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K relating to amendments to or waivers from provisions of the code that relate to one of more of the items set forth in Item 406(b) of Regulation S-K and its successor regulation, by describing on our Internet website, within four business days following the date of a waiver or a substantive amendment, the date of the waiver or amendment, the nature of the amendment or waiver, and the name of the person to whom the waiver was granted. There have been no waivers of the ethics policy granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 and through the date of this proxy statement, nor have there been any requests for such waivers during that period.
Information on our Internet site is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this proxy statement or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR APPROVAL OF RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Our Board has the responsibility to review and discuss with management and approve, and has adopted written policies and procedures relating to approval or ratification of, interested transactions with related parties. During this process, the material facts as to the related partys interest in a transaction are disclosed to all Board members or an applicable committee. Under the policies and procedures, the Board is to review each interested transaction with a related party that requires approval and either approve or disapprove of the entry into the interested transaction. An interested transaction is any transaction in which we are a participant and any related party has or will have a direct or indirect interest. Transactions that are in the ordinary course of business and would not require either disclosure pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act or approval of the Board or an independent committee of the Board pursuant to applicable Nasdaq rules would not be deemed interested transactions. No director may participate in any approval of an interested transaction with respect to which he or she is a related party. Our Board intends to approve only those related party transactions that are in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders.
We invest surplus cash from time to time through our Investment Committee, which is comprised of one management director, Mr. Van Kirk, and two non-management directors, Mr. Cabillot and Mr. Swenson, who chairs the committee. Both Mr. Cabillot and Mr. Swenson are active investors with extensive portfolio management expertise. We leverage the experience of these committee members to make investment decisions for the investment of our surplus operating capital or borrowed funds. Additionally, many of our securities holdings include stocks of public companies that either Messrs. Swenson or Cabillot or both may own from time to time either individually or through the investment funds that they manage, or other companies whose boards they sit on, such as Air T, Inc. (described below).
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
We have invested in marketable equity securities at June 30, 2020 in the amount of $847,000 in the common and preferred stock of Air T, Inc. Two of our Board members are also board members of Air T, Inc. and both either individually or through affiliates own an equity interest in Air T, Inc. Our Chairman, one of the two Board members aforementioned, also serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Air T, Inc. The shares have been purchased through 10b5-1 Plans, which in accordance with our internal policies regarding the approval of related party transactions, was approved by our three Board members that are not affiliated with Air T, Inc.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. The indemnification agreements and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws require us to indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Colorado law.
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Director Independence
Our corporate governance guidelines provide that a majority of the Board and all members of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating Committees of the Board will be independent. On an annual basis, each director and executive officer is obligated to complete a Director and Officer Questionnaire that requires disclosure of any transactions with us in which a director or executive officer, or any member of his or her immediate family, have a direct or indirect material interest. Following completion of these questionnaires, the Board, with the assistance of the Nominating Committee, makes an annual determination as to the independence of each director using the current standards for independence established by the SEC and Nasdaq, additional criteria set forth in our corporate governance guidelines and consideration of any other material relationship a director may have with us.
The Board has determined that all of its directors are independent under these standards, except for Mr. Van Kirk, our Chief Executive Officer and President.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH DIRECTORS
Our Board has established a process to receive communications from shareholders. Shareholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of our Board, or the independent directors as a group, any Board committee or any Chair of any such committee by mail or electronically. To communicate with our Board, any individual directors or any group or committee of directors, correspondence should be addressed to our Board or any such individual directors or group or committee of directors by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent c/o Corporate Secretary at 2361 McGaw Avenue, Irvine, California 92614. To communicate with any of our directors electronically, a shareholder should send an email to our Secretary: alisha.charlton@pro-dex.com.
All communications received as set forth in the preceding paragraph will be opened by the Companys Secretary for the sole purpose of determining whether the contents represent a message to one or more of the directors. Any contents that are not in the nature of advertising, promotions of a product or service or patently offensive material will be forwarded promptly to the addressee. In the case of communications to the Board or any group or committee of directors, the Companys Secretary will make sufficient copies (or forward such information in the case of e-mail) of the contents to send to each director who is a member of the group or committee to which the envelope or e-mail is addressed.
It is our policy that our directors are invited and encouraged to attend all of our annual meetings of shareholders either in person or telephonically. All of our directors except for Mr. Hovda and Ms. Philp, who was not a director or director nominee at that time, were in attendance at the 2019 Annual Meeting.
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Proposal No. 2
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Audit Committee has appointed the firm of Moss Adams, LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, and requests our shareholders to ratify this appointment. In the event that our shareholders do not ratify the selection of Moss Adams, LLP as our independent public accountants, our Board will consider the selection of another independent public accounting firm. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in our best interest and the best interest of our shareholders.
A representative of Moss Adams, LLP is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. He or she will have the opportunity to make a statement if such representative desires to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
ACCOUNTING FEES
The Audit Committees policy is to pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services (including the fees and terms thereof) to be performed for us by our independent registered public accounting firm, subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in Section 10A(i)(1)(B) of the Exchange Act, which are approved by the Audit Committee prior to the completion of the audit. The Audit Committee considers whether the performance of any service by our independent registered public accounting firm is compatible with maintaining such firms independence.
The following table sets forth the aggregate fees paid during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 to our independent registered public accounting firm, Moss Adams, LLP, all of which were preapproved by the Audit Committee.
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| Years Ended June 30, | ||||
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| 2020 |
| 2019 | ||
Audit Fees(1) |
| $ | 199,452 |
| $ | 196,209 |
Audit-Related Fees(2) |
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Total |
| $ | 199,452 |
| $ | 196,209 |
(1)
Audit Fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our consolidated annual financial statements and review of the interim consolidated financial statements included in quarterly reports and services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. The amounts above reflect amounts paid during the fiscal year which may include a combination of pre-billings and billings in arrears.
(2)
Audit-Related Fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our consolidated financial statements and are not reported under Audit Fees.
Required Vote and Board Recommendation
Although shareholder ratification is not required for the appointment of Moss Adams, LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, our Board has directed that this appointment be submitted to our shareholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting. Assuming a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting, this proposal will be ratified and approved if the votes cast in favor of this proposal exceed the votes cast opposing this proposal.
OUR BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT OUR SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF MOSS ADAMS, LLP TO SERVE AS OUR INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2021.
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Proposal No. 3
ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act, we are asking our shareholders to vote to approve, on a nonbinding, advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, commonly referred to as the say-on-pay vote. In accordance with the Exchange Act requirements, we are providing our shareholders with an opportunity to express their views on our Named Executive Officers compensation. Although this advisory vote is nonbinding, our Board and the Compensation Committee will review and consider the voting results when making future decisions regarding our Named Executive Officer compensation and related executive compensation programs.
We encourage shareholders to read the Compensation of Executive Officers and Management section in this proxy statement, including the compensation tables and the related narrative disclosure, which describes the structure and amounts of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020. The compensation of our Named Executive Officers is designed to enable us to attract and retain talented and experienced executives to lead us successfully in a competitive environment. The Compensation Committee and our Board believe that our executive compensation strikes the appropriate balance between utilizing responsible, measured pay practices and effectively incentivizing our Named Executive Officers to dedicate themselves fully to value creation for our shareholders.
Accordingly, we ask our shareholders to vote FOR the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:
RESOLVED, that the shareholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the compensation tables and any other related disclosure in the proxy statement.
Required Vote and Board Recommendation
Assuming a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting, this proposal to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers will be approved if the votes cast in favor of this proposal exceed the votes cast opposing this proposal.
OUR BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT OUR SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR, ON AN ADVISORY BASIS, THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.
ANNUAL REPORT
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K containing audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 accompanies this proxy statement. Such report is not incorporated herein and is not deemed to be a part of this proxy solicitation material.
PROPOSALS OF SHAREHOLDERS
Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the SEC, proposals by shareholders and submissions by shareholders of director nominees that are intended for inclusion in our proxy statement and proxy card and to be presented at our next annual meeting must be received by us by June 8, 2021, in order to be considered for inclusion in our proxy materials. Such proposals should be addressed to our Secretary and may be included in next years proxy materials if they comply with certain rules and regulations of the SEC governing shareholder proposals. Proposals by shareholders, as well as shareholder nominees for director, for possible consideration at our next annual meeting that are not intended for inclusion in our proxy materials must also be received by our Secretary no later than June 8, 2021. Every shareholder notice must also comply with certain other requirements set forth in our Bylaws, a copy of which may be obtained by written request delivered to our Secretary.
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OTHER MATTERS
Our Board knows of no other matters which will be acted upon at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters are presented properly for action at the Annual Meeting or at any adjournment or postponement thereof, it is intended that the proxy will be voted with respect thereto in accordance with the best judgment and in the discretion of the proxy holder.
OUR SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO PROMPTLY SUBMIT THEIR PROXY OR VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS, WHICH WAS MAILED TO YOU ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 6, 2020. IF YOU REQUEST PRINTED COPIES OF THE PROXY MATERIALS BY MAIL, YOU CAN ALSO VOTE BY MAIL OR BY TELEPHONE.
| By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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| PRO-DEX, INC. |
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| /s/ Alisha K. Charlton |
| Corporate Secretary |
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| Irvine, California |
SHAREHOLDERS MAY OBTAIN, FREE OF CHARGE, A PAPER COPY OF OUR ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2020, (WITHOUT EXHIBITS) AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION BY WRITING TO: INVESTOR RELATIONS, PRO-DEX, INC., 2361 MCGAW AVENUE, IRVINE, CALIFORNIA 92614 OR CALLING (949) 769-3200.
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PRO-DEX, INC. C/O Broadridge PO BOX 1342 BRENTWOOD, NY 11717 | VOTE BY INTERNET Before The Meeting Go to www.proxyvote.com Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. During The Meeting Go to www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/PDEX2020 |
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You may attend the meeting via the Internet and vote during the meeting. Have the information that is printed in the box marked by the arrow available and follow the instructions. | |
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| VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. |
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| VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. |
TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: ý | KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS | |
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| THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. | DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY |
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| For | Withhold | For All | To withhold authority to vote for any individual | ||||||||||||
| All | All | Except | nominee(s), mark For All Except and write the | ||||||||||||
The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following: |
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| number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below. | ||||||||||||
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| 1. | Election of Directors | ¨ | ¨ | ¨ |
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| Nominees: |
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| 01) Raymond E. Cabillot | 04) Katrina M. K. Philp |
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| 02) William J. Farrell III | 05) Nicholas J. Swenson |
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| 03) David C. Hovda | 06) Richard L. Van Kirk |
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| The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR proposals 2 and 3. |
| For | Against | Abstain | |||||||||||
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| 2. | To ratify the appointment of Moss Adams, LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. |
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| 3. | Advisory vote to approve the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. |
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| NOTE: In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. |
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| Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by authorized officer. |
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| Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] | Date |
| Signature (Joint Owners) | Date |
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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting: |
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PRO-DEX, INC. Annual Meeting of Shareholders November 19, 2020 9:30 AM This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors |
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The undersigned hereby appoints Richard L. Van Kirk as attorney and proxy, with full power of substitution, to represent and vote, as designated below, all shares of Common Stock of Pro-Dex, Inc. held of record by the undersigned on September 22, 2020,at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held in a virtual meeting format at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/PDEX2020, on November 19, 2020 at 9:30 a.m., local time, and at any and all adjournments or postponements thereof. |
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This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein by the undersigned shareholder. If no direction is made, this proxy will be voted "FOR" each of the director nominees listed inproposal 1 and "FOR" each of proposals 2 and 3. |
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Continued and to be signed on reverse side |
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