Mar. 11, 2019
Mr. Brent J. Fields Secretary A Coalition of Growth Companies U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, NE Washington, DC 20549-1090 Re: File Number 4-725; SEC Staff Roundtable on the Proxy Process I am writing to you to voice my concern over the role of proxy advisory firms. I grew up surrounded by good people in the financial industry and now as an adult I am a shareholder. In theory I support proxy votes as I know firsthand that shareholders are not always able to attend the meetings and do our due diligence on proposals that pop up when you are in the middle of life. Therefore, I really had no choice but to put my trust and vote in proxy advisory firms. No, not a bad problem to have at first but overtime it certainly has become a very big concern and worry to me. The services provided to me is an assessment of the vote at hand, research and recommendations on how to vote on shareholder proposals at publicly traded companies. This is supposed to help me know what if any risks involved are so that I am able to make the best decision for me and my family. It seems to me that over time this process has taken on a life of its own and the proxy firms have gained more control and power than I would like. Shares that I have in companies at times are very active and there is so much information for me to know at any given time that it is impossible for me to do it on my own and I have had to rely more and more on the firms who are representing my interests. I am not writing to throw anyone under the bus but I am writing to express my frustration that the proxy firms don’t always have the resources it needs tothoroughly research each proposal and may put their own personal interests ahead of mine. Also, what may be good for one investor could be bad for others. I would like to see more regulation so that I as an investor, is acutely aware of any conflict of interests and biases the proxy advisory firm may have. Again, I do need the advisory firms involved and am thankful for the work they do but it has become more and more evident that while some are truly well meaning and take their job seriously others have their own agenda and take themselves too seriously. Thank you for your time and for what you do. Respectfully, Rasa Mokhoff Sea Cliff, NY [redacted]