Feb. 21, 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: SEC Staff Roundtable on the Proxy Process Dear Mr. Fields, As a shareholder I want to thank you and the SEC for looking into the proxy voting issue. This is an issue very interesting to me having worked several years in the legislative field. I am outraged and frustrated that my retirement account is being used to promote social and political causes. The two proxy advisory firms that dominate corporate governance and make these recommendations, were not elected by me or any other shareholder, although we somehow are stuck with what they decide. How did this happen and where is the oversight for this process? With this type of trickery going on what happens to my investment? This type of scheming can cost shareholders hundreds of thousands of dollars from our retirement funds. Enough is enough. I believe being silent about what is going on with our hard-earned retirement funds is really saying it’s okay, keep doing what you’re doing. Now is certainly not the time to turn a blind eye to what is happening. This process needs additional oversight and transparency and folks need to know who and why proxies are voting the way they are. There must be checks and balances in this process. The current fiduciary obligation of my fund managers to look after my best financial interests is not enough when they are relying so heavily on the recommendations of proxy advisory firms to recommend how the companies in my portfolio should be governed. I urge you to please thoroughly examine this problem and bring about a fair and open process. Respectfully, Jane Mattoon Falls Church, VA