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3235-0059 |
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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Filed by the Registrant þ |
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant
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Check the appropriate box: |
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o Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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þ Definitive Proxy Statement |
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o Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
AmREIT
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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o No fee required. |
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11. |
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1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
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2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the
filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): |
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4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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o Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
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1) Amount Previously Paid: |
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2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AmREIT
8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000
Houston, Texas 77046
Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders
To be Held May 30, 2007
To Our Shareholders:
You are invited to attend the annual meeting of shareholders of AmREIT, to be held at 8
Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., Central
Daylight Time. The purpose of the meeting is to vote on the following proposals:
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Proposal 1:
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To elect five trust managers to serve until their successors are elected and
qualified. |
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Proposal 2:
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To transact any other business that may properly be brought before the annual
meeting or any adjournments thereof. |
The board of trust managers has fixed the close of business on April 2, 2007 as the record
date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual meeting. A form
of proxy card and a copy of our annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2006 are enclosed with this notice of annual meeting and proxy statement.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
Submitting your proxy does not affect your right to vote in person if you attend the Annual
Meeting. Instead, it benefits us by reducing the expenses of additional proxy solicitation.
Therefore, you are urged to submit your proxy as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not you
expect to attend the Annual Meeting. You may revoke your proxy at any time before its exercise by
(i) delivering written notice of revocation to our Corporate Secretary, Chad C. Braun, at the above
address, (ii) submitting to us a duly executed proxy card bearing a later date, (iii) voting via
the telephone at a later date, or (iv) appearing at the Annual Meeting and voting in person;
provided, however, that no such revocation under clause (i) or (ii) shall be effective until
written notice of revocation or a later dated proxy card is received by our Corporate Secretary at
or before the Annual Meeting, and no such revocation under clause (iii) shall be effective unless
received on or before 11:59 p.m., Central Daylight Time, on May 29, 2007.
When you submit your proxy, you authorize H. Kerr Taylor and Chad C. Braun or either one of
them, each with full power of substitution, to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting in accordance
with your instructions or, if no instructions are given, to vote for the election of the director
nominees and to vote on any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. The Companys
Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2006 is also enclosed, although it does not
constitute part of this proxy statement.
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUST MANAGERS
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/s/ H. Kerr Taylor
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H. Kerr Taylor |
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Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer,
and President |
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April 15, 2007
Houston, Texas
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
AmREIT
8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000
Houston, Texas 77046
The board of trust managers of AmREIT is soliciting proxies to be used at the 2007 Annual
Meeting of shareholders to be held at 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas, on Wednesday,
May 30, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., Central Daylight Time. This proxy statement, accompanying proxy and
annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 are first being mailed to
shareholders on or about April 18, 2007. Although the annual report is being mailed to
shareholders with this proxy statement, it does not constitute part of this proxy statement.
Who Can Vote
Only shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 2, 2007, are entitled to
notice of and to vote at the annual meeting. As of April 2, 2007, we had approximately 6,583,177
class A common shares, 1,047,098 class B common shares, 4,168,672 class C common shares and
11,062,015 class D common shares outstanding (collectively, the shares). Each holder of record
of the shares on the record date is entitled to one vote on each matter properly brought before the
annual meeting for each share held. All classes of common shares vote as a single class on all
matters properly brought before the annual meeting.
How You Can Vote
Shareholders cannot vote at the annual meeting unless the shareholder is present in person or
represented by proxy. You may vote using any of the following methods:
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BY MAIL: Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope
we have provided. The named proxies will vote your shares according to your directions.
If you submit a signed proxy card without indicating your vote, the person voting the proxy
will vote your shares in favor of proposal one. |
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BY PHONE: Call 1-800-560-1965 and use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting
instruction up until 12:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time on May 29, 2007. Have your proxy
card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions as prompted. |
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BY INTERNET: Go to www.eproxy.com/amy/ and use the Internet to transmit your voting
instructions and for electronic delivery of information until 12:00 P.M. Central Daylight
Time on May 29, 2007. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the Web site and then
follow the instructions. |
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BY ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON: The Annual Meeting will be held at 10:00
a.m., Central Daylight Time, at 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000 Houston, Texas 77046. You may
revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised by: |
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Giving written notice of revocation to our Executive Vice President and
Secretary, Chad C. Braun, at AmREIT, 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston,
Texas 77046; |
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Timely delivering a properly executed, later-dated proxy; or |
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Voting in person at the annual meeting. |
Voting by proxy will in no way limit your right to vote at the annual meeting if you later
decide to attend in person. If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder
of record, you must obtain a proxy, executed in your favor, to be able to vote at the annual
meeting. If no direction is given and the proxy is validly executed, the shares represented by the
proxy will be voted in favor of proposal one. The persons authorized under the proxies will vote
upon any other business that may properly come before the annual meeting according to their best
judgment to the same extent as the person delivering the proxy would be entitled to vote. We do
not anticipate that any other matters will be raised at the annual meeting.
Required Vote
The presence, in person or represented by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the shares
(11,430,482 shares) entitled to vote at the annual meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum at
the annual meeting. However, if a quorum is not present at the annual meeting, a majority of the
shareholders, present in person or represented by proxy, have the power to adjourn the annual
meeting until a quorum is present or represented.
The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present in person or
represented by proxy is required to elect trust managers.
Votes cast by proxy or in person will be counted by two persons appointed by us to act as
inspectors for the annual meeting. The election inspectors will treat shares represented by
proxies that reflect abstentions as shares that are present and entitled to vote for the purpose of
determining the presence of a quorum and of determining the outcome of any matter submitted to the
shareholders for a vote; however, abstentions will not be deemed outstanding and, therefore, will
not be counted in the tabulation of votes cast on proposals presented to shareholders.
The Texas Real Estate Investment Trust Act and our bylaws do not specifically address the
treatment of abstentions and broker non-votes. The election inspectors will treat shares referred
to as broker non-votes (i.e., shares held by brokers or nominees as to which instructions
have not been received from the beneficial owners and as to which the broker or nominee does not
have discretionary voting power on a particular matter) as shares that are present and entitled to
vote for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum. However, for the purpose of
determining the outcome of any matter as to which the broker or nominee has indicated on the proxy
that it does not have discretionary authority to vote, those shares will be treated as not present
and not entitled to vote with respect to that matter (even though those shares are considered
entitled to vote for quorum purposes and may be entitled to vote on other matters).
Cost of Proxy Solicitation
The cost of soliciting proxies will be borne by us. Proxies may be solicited on our behalf by
our trust managers, officers or employees in person, by telephone, facsimile or by other electronic
means. None of such persons shall receive compensation for such services.
In accordance with SEC regulations, we will reimburse brokerage firms and other custodians,
nominees and fiduciaries for their expenses incurred in sending proxies and proxy materials and
soliciting proxies from the beneficial owners of shares.
2
PROPOSAL ONE
ELECTION OF TRUST MANAGERS
Pursuant to the Texas Real Estate Investment Trust Act, our amended and restated declaration
of trust and our amended and restated bylaws, our business, property and affairs are managed under
the direction of the board of trust managers. At the annual meeting, five trust managers will be
elected by the shareholders, each trust manager to serve until his successor has been duly elected
and qualified, or until the earliest of his death, resignation or retirement. Regardless of the
number of votes each nominee receives, pursuant to the Texas Real Estate Investment Trust Act, each
trust manager will continue to serve unless another nominee receives the affirmative vote of the
holders of 66 2/3% of our outstanding common shares.
The persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote your shares as you specify on the enclosed
proxy form. If you return your properly executed proxy but fail to specify how you want your shares
voted, the shares will be voted in favor of the nominees listed below. Our board of trust managers
has proposed the following nominees for election as trust managers at the annual meeting.
Nominees
H. Kerr Taylor. For a description of the business experience of Mr. Taylor, see Management.
Age 56.
Robert S. Cartwright, Jr. - Mr. Cartwright has been a trust manager or director of our
company or our predecessor corporation since 1993. Mr. Cartwright is a Professor of Computer
Science at Rice University. Mr. Cartwright earned a bachelors degree magna cum laude in Applied
Mathematics from Harvard College (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1971 and a doctoral degree in Computer Science
from Stanford University in 1977. Mr. Cartwright has been a member of the Rice faculty since 1980
and twice served as department Chair. Mr. Cartwright has compiled an extensive record of
professional service. He is a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), a member of
the Sun Microsystems Developer Advisory Council, and the Computer Science Advisory Committee for
Prairie View A&M University. He served on the ACM Education Board from 1997 to 2006 and the Board
of Directors of the Computing Research Association from 1994 to 2000. Mr. Cartwright has served as
a charter member of the editorial boards of two professional journals and has also chaired several
major ACM conferences. From 1991-1996, he was a member of the ACM Turing Award Committee, which
selects the annual recipient of the most prestigious international prize for computer science
research. Age 57.
G. Steven Dawson - Mr. Dawson has been a trust manager or director of AmREIT or our
predecessor corporation since 2000. He also has been designated by our board as the audit
committee financial expert, as such term is defined in the Rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Since 2003, he has been a private investor who is active on the boards of four real
estate investment trusts in addition to his service to us: American Campus Communities (NYSE:
ACC), Alesco Financial (NYSE: AFN), Desert Capital REIT (a non-listed public mortgage company), and
Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW). He serves as the audit committee chairman of three of these
companies and he serves on governance/nominating committees and compensation committees for some of
these as well. From 1990 to 2003, Mr. Dawson was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Camden Property Trust (or its predecessors), a large multi-family REIT. Prior to 1990,
Mr. Dawson served in various related capacities with companies involved in commercial real estate
including land and office building development as well as the construction and management of
industrial facilities located on airports throughout the US. Age 49.
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Philip Taggart - Mr. Taggart has been a trust manager or director of AmREIT or our predecessor
corporation since 2000. Mr. Taggart has specialized in investor relations activities since 1964
and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Taggart Financial Group, Inc. He is the
co-author of the book Taking Your Company Public, and has provided communications services for 58
initial public offerings, more than 200 other new issues, 210 mergers and acquisitions, 3,500
analyst meetings and annual and quarterly reports for over 25 years. Mr. Taggart serves on the
boards of International Expert Systems, Inc. and Salon Group International and served on the board
of the Foundation of Texas State Technical College for 10 years. A distinguished alumnus of the
University of Tulsa, he also has been a university instructor in investor relations at the
University of Houston. Age 76.
H. L. Hank Rush, Jr. Mr. Rush has been a trust manager of AmREIT since 2006. Mr. Rush
presently serves as Executive Vice President and a member of the Compensation Committee of the
Board of Directors of PropertyInfo Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stewart Information
Services Corp. (NYSE: STC). Additionally he serves as President & CEO of Property Information
Services, a division of PropertyInfo Corporation. This division is comprised of several real
estate data and online services companies and units of PropertyInfo Corporation. He has over 20
years of senior executive and start-up management experience in IT development and outsourcing,
residential and commercial construction and energy. For 10 years prior to joining PropertyInfo
Corporation, Mr. Rush served as chairman and co-founder of EC Power, Inc., an internet transaction
services company. In addition, he founded and served for eight years as President and Chief
Executive Officer of a high-end residential construction company in Houston and served as a senior
executive with BMC Software, Inc., where he managed the initial phase of BMCs new headquarters
land acquisition and construction. Texas Eastern Corp., now a part of Duke Energy, was his
professional home for almost 20 years prior to his move to BMC. Age 55.
The governance committee will consider trust manager candidates nominated by shareholders.
Recommendations, including the nominees name and an explanation of the nominees qualifications
should be sent to Robert Cartwright, Governance and Nominating Committee Chairman, 8 Greenway
Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046. The procedure for nominating a person for election as a
trust manager is described under Shareholder Nominees on page 8.
Our board of trust managers unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the election of trust
managers as set forth in Proposal One.
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Meetings and Committees of the Board of Trust Managers
General. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, our board of trust managers held
four regular quarterly meetings and five special meetings. Each of the trust managers attended all
meetings held by our board of trust managers and all meetings of each committee of our board of
trust managers on which such trust managers served during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Our board of trust managers has an audit committee, compensation committee, pricing committee, and
nominating and corporate governance committee.
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Nominating and |
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Executive |
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Pricing |
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Audit |
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Corporate |
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Compensation |
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Governance |
H. Kerr Taylor* |
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Robert S. Cartwright, Jr. |
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G. Steven Dawson |
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Philip Taggart |
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H. L. Hank Rush, Jr. |
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Pricing Committee. The pricing committee is authorized to exercise all the powers of the
board of trust managers in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of our securities. The
pricing committee did not meet during 2006.
Audit Committee. Our audit committee consists of Mr. Dawson (chairman), Mr. Cartwright, Mr.
Taggart, and Mr. Rush. Our audit committee met five times during the fiscal year ended December
31, 2006. Our audit committee is comprised entirely of trust managers who meet the independence
and financial literacy requirements of the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) listing standards as well
as the standards established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. In addition, our board has
determined that Mr. Dawson qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined in SEC
rules. Our audit committee operates under its charter, which is available on our website at
www.amreit.com. Our audit committees responsibilities include preparing the audit committee
report for inclusion in the annual proxy statement, reviewing the audit committee charter and the
audit committees performance, providing assistance to our board in fulfilling its responsibilities
with respect to oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, our compliance with legal
and regulatory requirements, the independent auditors qualifications, performance and
independence, and the performance of our internal audit function. In accordance with its charter,
the audit committee has sole authority to appoint and replace the independent auditors, who report
directly to the committee, approve the engagement fee of the independent auditors and pre-approve
the audit services and any permitted non-audit services they may provide to us. In addition, our
audit committee reviews the scope of audits as well as the annual audit plan, evaluates matters
relating to our audit and internal controls and approves all related party transactions. The audit
committee also oversees investigations into complaints concerning financial matters. Our audit
committee holds separate executive sessions, outside the presence of senior management, with our
independent auditors.
Compensation Committee. Our compensation committee consists of Mr. Taggart (chairman), Mr.
Dawson, Mr. Cartwright, and Mr. Rush. Our compensation committee is comprised entirely of trust
managers who meet the independence requirements of the AMEX listing standards. Our compensation
committee operates under its charter, which is available on our website at www.amreit.com. The
compensation committees responsibilities include establishing our general compensation philosophy,
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overseeing our compensation programs and practices, including incentive and equity-based
compensation plans, reviewing and approving executive compensation plans in light of corporate
goals and objectives, evaluating the performance of our chief executive officer in light of these
criteria and establishing our chief executive officers compensation level based on such
evaluation, evaluating the performance of the other executive officers and their salaries, bonus
and incentive and equity compensation, reviewing and making recommendations concerning proposals by
management regarding compensation, bonuses, employment agreements, loans to non-executive employees
and other benefits and policies respecting such matters for employees. The compensation committee
prepares the Compensation Committee Report, which among other things includes the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis, prepared by management, for inclusion in the Annual Report. The
compensation committee met seven times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The nominating and corporate governance
committee consists of Mr. Cartwright (chairman), Mr. Dawson, Mr. Rush, and Mr. Taggart. Our
nominating and corporate governance committee operates under its charter, which is available on our
website at www.amreit.com. The committees duties include adopting criteria for recommending
candidates for election or re-election to our board and its committees, retaining consultants or
advisors to assist in the identification or evaluation of prospective trust managers, considering
issues and making recommendations regarding the size and composition of our board. During 2006,
the nominating and corporate governance committee engaged The Trovato Group to assist it in the
evaluation, qualification and interview process of prospective trust manager candidates. The
committee will also consider nominees for trust manager suggested by shareholders in written
submissions to Mr. Cartwright, our committee chairman. The committee met two times during the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY
Board of Trust Managers
Pursuant to our declaration of trust and our bylaws, our business, property and affairs are
managed under the direction of our board of trust managers. Members of our board are kept informed
of our business through discussions with the chairman of the board and our officers, by reviewing
materials provided to them and by participating in meetings of our board and its committees. Board
members have complete access to the Companys management team and the independent auditors. Our
board and each of the key committeespricing, audit, compensation, nominating and corporate
governancealso have authority to retain, at our expense, outside counsel, consultants or other
advisors in the performance of their duties. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that a
majority of the trust managers be independent within the meaning of the AMEX standards.
Statement on Corporate Governance
We are dedicated to establishing and maintaining the highest standards of corporate
governance. The board has implemented many corporate governance measures designed to serve the
long-term interests of our shareholders and further align the interests of trustees and management
with our shareholders. The major measures approved by the board, through the adoption of a Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics and Corporate Governance Guidelines and enacted by us include:
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prohibiting the re-pricing of options under our incentive plan; |
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increasing the overall independence of our board and its committees; |
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scheduling executive sessions of the non-management trust managers on a regular
basis; |
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conducting annual evaluations of our board, the Committees and individual trust
managers; |
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establishing share ownership guidelines for our senior officers and trust managers; |
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requesting trust managers to visit properties every year; |
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limiting members of our audit committee to service on not more than three other
public company audit committees without prior board approval; |
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adopting a pre-approval policy for audit and non-audit services; |
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limiting the CEOs service to not more than three other public company boards; |
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reviewing and revising the existing audit committee charter; and |
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adopting formal charters for our board committees. |
Executive Sessions. Pursuant to the our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our non-management
trust managers meet in separate executive sessions at least three times a year. These trust
managers may invite the chief executive officer or others, as they deem appropriate, to attend a
portion of these sessions.
Contacting the Board. Our board welcomes your questions and comments. If you would like to
communicate directly with our board, or if you have a concern related to our business ethics or
conduct, financial statements, accounting practices or internal controls, then you may submit your
correspondence to the chairman of our audit committee at our principal executive office.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Our board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics that applies to all trust managers, officers and employees, including our principal
executive officer, principal financial officers and principal accounting officers. The purpose of
the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is to promote honest and ethical conduct, including the
ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional
relationships to promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in periodic
reports required to be filed by us; and to promote compliance with all applicable rules and
regulations that apply to the Company and our officers and trust managers. If our board amends any
provisions of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that apply to our chief executive officer or
senior financial officers or grants a waiver in favor of any such persons, it will promptly publish
the text of the amendment or the specifics of the waiver on its website.
As you may be aware, there has been a dramatic and continuing evolution of ideas about sound
corporate governance. We intend to continue to act promptly to incorporate not only the actual
requirements of rules adopted but additional voluntary measures we deem appropriate. Charters for
our board committees and our Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics may be viewed on our website at www.amreit.com under the Investor section. In addition, we
will mail copies of our Corporate Governance Guidelines to shareholders upon their request.
Trust Manager Nomination Procedures
Trust Manager Qualifications. Our nominating committee has established policies for the
desired attributes of our board as a whole. The board seeks to ensure that a majority of its
members are independent within AMEX listing standards. Each trust manager generally may not serve
as a member of more than six other public company boards. Each member of our board must possess
the individual qualities of integrity and accountability, informed judgment, financial literacy,
maintain high performance standards, and must be committed to representing our long-term interests.
Above all, we look to people who possess high character, competence, communication skills and the
ability to engender chemistry among peers. In addition, trust managers must be committed to
devoting the time and effort necessary to be responsible and productive members of our board. Our
board values diversity, in its broadest sense, reflecting, but not limited to, profession,
geography, gender, ethnicity, skills and experience.
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Identifying and Evaluating Nominees. Our nominating committee regularly assesses the
appropriate number of trust managers comprising our board, and whether any vacancies on our board
are expected due to retirement or otherwise. The nominating committee may consider those factors
it deems appropriate in evaluating trust manager candidates including judgment, skill, diversity,
strength of character, experience with businesses and organizations comparable in size or scope to
us, experience and skill relative to other board members, and specialized knowledge or experience.
Depending upon the current needs of our board, certain factors may be weighed more or less heavily
by the nominating committee. In considering candidates for our board, the nominating committee
evaluates the entirety of each candidates credentials and, other than the eligibility requirements
established by our nominating committee, does not have any specific minimum qualifications that
must be met by a nominee. The nominating committee considers candidates for the board from any
reasonable source, including current board members, shareholders, professional search firms or
other persons. The nominating committee does not evaluate candidates differently based on who has
made the recommendation. The nominating committee has the authority under its charter to hire and
pay a fee to consultants or search firms to assist in the process of identifying and evaluating
candidates.
Shareholder Nominees. Our bylaws permit shareholders to nominate trust managers for
consideration at an annual meeting of shareholders. The nominating committee will consider
properly submitted shareholder nominees for election to our board and will apply the same
evaluation criteria in considering such nominees as it would to persons nominated under any other
circumstances. Such nominations may be made by a shareholder entitled to vote who delivers written
notice along with the additional information and materials required by the bylaws to the corporate
secretary not later than the close of business on the 70th day, and not earlier than the
close of business on the 90th day, prior to the anniversary of the preceding years
annual meeting. For our annual meeting in the year 2008, the secretary must receive this notice
after the close of business on March 1, 2008, and prior to the close of business on March 22, 2008.
You can obtain a copy of the full text of the bylaw provision by contacting the Secretary of
AmREIT, 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046.
Any shareholder nominations proposed for consideration by the nominating committee should
include the nominees name and sufficient biographical information to demonstrate that the nominee
meets the qualification requirements for board service as set forth under Trust Manager
Qualifications. The nominees written consent to the nomination should also be included with the
nomination submission, which should be addressed to: AmREIT, 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston,
Texas 77046, Attn: Chief Financial Officer and Secretary.
Independence of Trust Managers
Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which require that a majority of our trust
managers be independent within the meaning of AMEX corporate governance standards, our board
undertook a review of the independence of trust managers nominated for election at the meeting.
During this review, our board considered any transactions and relationships during the prior year
between us and each trust manager or any member of his or her immediate family, of which there were
none. As provided in the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the purpose of this review was to
determine whether any such relationships or transactions were inconsistent with a determination
that the trust manager is independent.
As a result of this review, our board affirmatively determined that all the trust managers
nominated for election at the 2007 annual meeting are independent with the exception of Mr. Taylor.
8
Trust Manager Compensation Table
The following table provides compensation information for the one year period ended December
31, 2006 for each non-officer member of our board of trust managers.
Trust Manager Compensation for the Year Ended December 31, 2006
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Change in |
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Pension Value |
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and Non- |
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Fees |
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Qualified |
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Earned or |
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Non-Equity |
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Deferred |
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Paid in |
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Share |
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Option |
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Incentive Plan |
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Compensation |
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All Other |
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Cash (1) |
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Awards (2) |
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Awards |
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Compensation |
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Earnings |
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Compensation |
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Total |
Name |
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($) |
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($) |
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($) |
|
($) |
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($) |
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($) |
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($) |
G. Steven Dawson * |
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$ |
22,750 |
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$ |
49,489 |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
72,239 |
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Robert Cartwright |
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20,750 |
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35,524 |
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56,274 |
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Philip Taggart |
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27,750 |
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29,941 |
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57,691 |
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H. L. Hank Rush, Jr. |
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10,250 |
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4,667 |
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14,917 |
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* |
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- Lead Independent Trust Manager |
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(1) |
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Each non-employee trust manager received an annual retainer fee of
$12,000. Additionally, each non-employee trust manager received
fees for attending meeting and committee meetings as follows:
$1,000 for each board meeting attended in person, $750 for each
audit committee meeting attended in person, $500 for each
compensation, governance or pricing committee meetings, and $500
for each board or committee meeting attendee via teleconference.
The audit committee chairman received $5,000. The chairman for
all other committees received $3,000. Each non-employee trust
manager can elect to defer up to $10,000 of cash compensation into
restricted shares with a 25% premium ($10,000 of cash deferred
into $12,500 in shares). The restricted shares vest 33% on the
date of grant and equally on each of the next two anniversaries. |
|
(2) |
|
Each non-employee trust manager received an award of 2,000
restricted shares that vest 33% on the date of grant and equally
on each of the next two anniversaries. Additionally, the Lead
Independent Trust Manager receives an additional award of 2,000
restricted shares that vest the same way. The amounts reflected
in the table above reflects the value of the restricted share
awards that vested during 2006. |
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
During our 2006 fiscal year, all of our independent trust managers served on the compensation
committee: Mr. Taggart (Chair), Mr. Dawson, Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Rush. No member of the
compensation committee has any interlocking relationship with any other company that requires
disclosure under this heading.
9
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our
common shares as of April 2, 2007 by (1) each person known by us to own beneficially more than 5%
of our outstanding class A common shares, (2) all current trust managers, (3) each current named
executive officer, and (4) all current trust managers and current named executive officers as a
group. The number of shares beneficially owned by each entity, person, trust manager or executive
officer is determined under the rules of the SEC, and the information is not necessarily indicative
of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under such rules, beneficial ownership includes any
shares as to which the individual has the sole or shared voting power or investment power and also
any shares that the individual has a right to acquire as of June 2, 2007 (60 days after April 2,
2007) through the exercise of any share option or other right. Unless otherwise indicated, each
person has sole voting and investment power (or shares such powers with his spouse) with respect to
the shares set forth in the following table.
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Amount and Nature of |
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Percent of Voting |
Name |
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Beneficial Ownership |
|
Common shares |
H. Kerr Taylor Chairman, President & CEO |
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1,136,333 |
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4.97 |
% |
Robert S. Cartwright Trust Manager |
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31,806 |
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* |
|
G. Steven Dawson Trust Manager |
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31,225 |
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* |
|
Philip Taggart Trust Manager |
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21,632 |
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* |
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H. L. Hank Rush, Jr. Trust Manager |
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6,000 |
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* |
|
Chad C. Braun Secretary, CFO and Executive VP |
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87,949 |
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* |
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All trust managers and executive officers as a group |
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1,314,945 |
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5.75 |
% |
All other employees combined |
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372,806 |
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1.63 |
% |
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All trust managers, executive officers, and
employees as a group |
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1,687,751 |
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7.38 |
% |
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our trust managers and executive
officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities, to file
reports of holdings and transactions in our securities with the SEC. Executive officers, trust
managers and greater than 10% beneficial owners are required by applicable regulations to furnish
us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file with the SEC. Based solely upon a review of
the reports furnished to us, or filed by us, with respect to fiscal 2006, we believe that all SEC
filing requirements applicable to our trust managers, executive officers and 10% beneficial owners
were satisfied.
10
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth our executive officers and management.
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Name |
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Age |
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Principal Occupation |
H. Kerr Taylor *
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56 |
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President and CEO |
Chad C. Braun *
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35 |
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EVP & CFO |
Tenel H. Tayar
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37 |
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Senior Vice President Acquisitions |
Preston Cunningham
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30 |
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Managing VP-Development |
John Anderson
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32 |
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Managing VP-Asset Management |
David M. Thailing
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36 |
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Managing VP-Asset Advisory |
Anne Newtown
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60 |
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General Counsel |
Brett Treadwell
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38 |
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Vice President Finance & Chief Accounting Officer |
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* |
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- Indicates our Executive Officers |
Business Experience
H. Kerr Taylor. Mr. Taylor is our founder and serves as our chairman of the board, chief
executive officer and president. For over 22-years he has guided our growth and our predecessors.
His primary responsibilities include overseeing strategic initiatives as well as building, coaching
and leading our team of professionals. Mr. Taylor has over 30-years of experience within the real
estate industry, has participated in over 300 transactions involving brokerage, development and
management of premier real estate projects. He attended Trinity University, graduating with a
Bachelor of Arts degree and then attended Southern Methodist University where he received his
Masters Degree in Business Administration. Mr. Taylor also attended law school at South Texas
College of Law where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence and was admitted to the State Bar of
Texas. Mr. Taylor is a past board member of Park National Bank (now Frost Bank) and Millennium
Relief and Development, Inc. He is currently chairman of the board of Pathways for Little Feet.
He serves as a board member of Life House, Inc., Uptown District and as an Elder of First
Presbyterian Church. Mr. Taylor is a lifetime member of the International Council of Shopping
Centers, Urban Land Institute and the State Bar of Texas. Mr. Taylor is one of our two executive
officers.
Chad C. Braun. Mr. Braun serves as our executive vice president, chief financial officer,
treasurer, and secretary. Mr. Braun is responsible for corporate finance, capital markets,
investor relations, accounting, SEC reporting, and oversees investment sponsorship and product
creation. Mr. Braun has over 13 years of accounting, financial, and real estate experience and
prior to joining us in 1999, served as a manager in the real estate advisory services group at
Ernst & Young, LLP. He has provided extensive consulting and audit services, including financial
statement audits, portfolio acquisition and disposition, portfolio management, merger integration
and process improvement, financial analysis, and capital markets and restructuring transactions, to
a number of Real Estate Investment Trusts and private real estate companies. Mr. Braun graduated
from Hardin Simmons University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and
finance and subsequently earned the CPA designation and his Series 63, 7, 24, and 27 securities
licenses. He is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and the
Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Braun is one of our two executive officers.
11
Tenel Tayar. Mr. Tayar serves as our managing vice president of acquisitions and is
responsible for overseeing all existing retail property acquisitions. Mr. Tayar has over 14 years
of real estate experience. Prior to joining us in 2003, he served as the director of finance at
The Woodlands Operating Company where he sourced, negotiated and closed over $225 million in real
estate transactions and participated in over $500 million. Mr. Tayar has analyzed over $2 billion
of real estate investment and has directed all aspects of real estate capitalization and investment
transactions. While at AmREIT, Mr. Tayar has completed over $325 million in acquisitions. Mr.
Tayar received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at
Austin and earned a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Mr.
Tayar is a Texas licensed Real Estate Broker and is a member of the Urban Land Institute,
International Council of Shopping Centers, and Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals.
Preston Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham serves as our managing vice president of development. His
responsibilities include managing the underwriting, due diligence, leasing and construction phases
of ground up developments and re-developments of existing centers. In addition, he is responsible
for managing our development leasing team, brokerage department, and the legal department. Mr.
Cunningham has been employed with us since 2002, during which time he has developed over $100
million in projects. Mr. Cunningham received a Bachelor of Business Administration in financial
planning and services from Baylor University and graduated with his Doctor of Jurisprudence from
South Texas College of Law. Mr. Cunningham is a member of the International Council of Shopping
Centers, Urban Land Institute, and the State Bar of Texas.
John Anderson. Mr. Anderson serves as our managing vice president of real estate asset
management. He is responsible for overseeing AmREITs property sales and asset management
activities and for developing and executing the disposition strategy for each property. In
addition, he analyzes property performance, market conditions, and future economic benefits for all
properties under management to determine optimal disposition strategies. Mr. Anderson has over
seven years of experience in real estate investment, development, management, and acquisitions and
dispositions. Prior to joining us in 2004, he handled all dispositions for Fairfield Residential, a
large multi-family developer based in Dallas, Texas. In addition, Mr. Anderson gained real estate
investment experience as an associate with The Archon Group, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, where
he was involved in the acquisition, management and disposition of multi-family assets. Mr.
Anderson received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management from Baylor University
and subsequently earned his Masters of Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business
at the University of Texas in Austin. He holds a Texas real estate salesman license and is an
associate member of the Dallas Real Estate Council and the McCombs School of Business Center for
Real Estate Finance. He is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
David M. Thailing. Mr. Thailing serves as the managing vice president of securities. Mr.
Thailing is responsible for raising non-traded private equity in AmREIT as well as capital for the
Companys merchant development investment programs, primarily through the financial planning
community. Since joining AmREIT the securities team has raised two series of non-traded common
stock and the Companys asset advisory business has launched five new funds. Mr. Thailing has over
thirteen years of combined financial advisory and real estate investment experience. Mr. Thailing
gained extensive knowledge of the financial services industry with Paine Webber and Members
Financial Services and has broad public speaking experience in the securities industry.
Immediately prior to joining us in 2002, he provided financial consulting expertise as an associate
with Arthur Andersens Corporate Finance and Restructuring practice. Mr. Thailing received a
Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management from Southern Methodist University and
earned a Masters of Business Administration from the Jones School of Management at Rice University.
12
Anne Newtown. Ms. Newtown serves as our General Counsel. She is responsible for overseeing
and managing the legal affairs of the company to ensure the availability of competent, timely, and
cost efficient legal services. In addition, she is responsible for working with outside counsel to
communicate and monitor policies to ensure compliance with law within the company. Ms. Newtown has
over nineteen years of experience in the practice of law with a primary focus on real estate. Prior
to joining us in 2006, she was with Vinson & Elkins, LLP, a Houston-based international law firm,
where she represented clients in all aspects of real estate law. Ms. Newtown received an Associate
of Arts degree in liberal arts from Stephens College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the
University of Colorado (Phi Beta Kappa), and subsequently earned her Juris Doctor degree Cum Laude
from the University of Houston Law Center. She is licensed to practice in the State of Texas. She
is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar Association, the Association of Corporate
Counsel, the Houston Real Estate Lawyers Council, and is a founding member of the Houston chapter
of Commercial Real Estate Women. She has served as Chair of the Planning Committee for the South
Texas College of Law Real Estate Law Seminar in 2005 and 2006, and is currently serving as Chair of
the 2007 Planning Committee. She is a member of the Alumnae Association Board for Stephens College.
Brett P. Treadwell. Mr. Treadwell serves as our vice president of finance. Mr. Treadwell is
responsible for AmREITs financial reporting function as well as for assisting in the setting and
execution of AmREITs strategic financial initiatives. He oversees our filings with the Securities
& Exchange Commission, our periodic internal reporting to management and our compliance with the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Mr. Treadwell has over 12- years of accounting, financial, and SEC
reporting experience and prior to joining us in 2004, he served as a senior manager with Arthur
Andersen LLP and most recently with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. He has provided extensive audit
services, regularly dealt with both debt and equity offerings for publicly traded and privately
owned clients in various industries and has strong experience with SEC reporting and registration
statements and offerings. Mr. Treadwell regularly mentored and coached firm personnel and was named
as a connectivity leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers Houston office. Mr. Treadwell graduated Magna
Cum Laude from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and subsequently earned
the CPA designation.
13
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Overview of Compensation Program
The compensation committee (for purposes of this analysis, the Committee) of our board has
responsibility for establishing, implementing and continually monitoring adherence with our
compensation philosophy. The Committee ensures that the total compensation paid to our executive
leadership team is fair, reasonable and competitive. Generally, the types of compensation and
benefits provided to members of the executive leadership team, including the named executive
officers, are similar to those provided to other executive officers. Throughout this proxy
statement, the individuals who served as President and Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer during fiscal 2006, are referred to as the named executive
officers.
Compensation Objectives and Philosophy
The Committee believes that the most effective executive compensation program is one that is
designed to reward the achievement of specific annual, long-term and strategic goals by us, and
which aligns executives interests with those of the shareholders by rewarding performance above
established goals, with the ultimate objective of improving shareholder value. The Committee
evaluates both performance and compensation to ensure that we maintain our ability to attract and
retain superior employees in key positions and that compensation provided to key employees remains
competitive relative to the compensation paid to similarly situated executives of our peer
companies. To that end, the Committee believes executive compensation packages provided by us to
our executives, including the named executive officers, should include both cash and share-based
compensation that reward performance as measured against established goals and back-end interests
in our advisory funds.
Role of Executive Officers in Compensation Decisions
The Committee makes the compensation decisions for our President and Chief Executive Officer
and establishes the general parameters within which the Chief Executive Officer establishes the
compensation for our other executive officers and management team, including our Chief Financial
Officer. The Committee also approves recommendations regarding equity awards to all of our other
officers and employees.
H. Kerr Taylor, our President and Chief Executive Officer, annually reviews the performance of
our other executive officers. The conclusions reached and recommendations based on these reviews,
including with respect to salary adjustments and annual award amounts, are presented to the
Committee. The Committee can exercise its discretion in modifying any recommended adjustment or
award. The Committee reviews the performance of our named executive officers.
Peer Groups for Executive Compensation Purposes
The Committee used the 2006 NAREIT Compensation and Benefits Survey (the NAREIT Survey) to
assist it in considering compensation for executive officers. The Committee relied on the NAREIT
Survey to provide it with relevant market data to consider when making compensation decisions for
our executive officers.
14
For executive compensation purposes, we compare our compensation programs to the compensation
programs of our retail and size-based REIT peer group. The following REITs comprised our REIT peer
group:
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Acadia Realty Trust
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Kite Realty Group Trust |
Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc.
|
|
New Plan Excel Realty Trust, Inc. |
Developers Diversified Realty Corporation
|
|
Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust |
Equity One, Inc.
|
|
Regency Centers Corporation |
Federal Realty Investment Trust
|
|
Saul Centers, Inc. |
Inland Real Estate Corporation
|
|
Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. |
Kimco Realty Corporation
|
|
Weingarten Realty Trust |
The REIT peer group had total capitalization ranging from approximately $693 million to $16.6
billion, with a median of $2.5 billion. Our total capitalization at that time was $625 million,
including $285 million of total capitalization in our managed funds through our asset advisory
group.
The two most prevalent performance metrics applied to public real estate companies are total
shareholder return (TSR) and funds from operations (FFO). We compared our TSR and FFO per share
growth to those of the REITs in our peer group. The median TSR for our REIT peer group (through
December 31, 2006) was 29.5%. Our TSR for the same period was 29.01%. The median FFO per share
growth for our peer group was 6.0%. Our FFO per share growth was 7.10%.
Total Compensation
Target levels for our named executive officers are set at the percentile of compensation paid
to similarly situated executives in our peer groups. Our 2006 target total compensation is
comprised of the following components:
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|
base salary 47% of target total compensation |
|
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|
|
cash incentives 27% of target total compensation |
|
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|
|
equity incentives 26% of target total compensation |
Annual Cash Compensation
In order to stay competitive with other REITs in our peer group, we pay our named executive
officers commensurate with their experience and responsibilities. Cash compensation is divided
between base salary and cash incentives.
Base Salary. Each of our named executive officers receives a base salary to compensate him
for services performed during the year. When determining the base salary for each of our named
executive officers, the Committee considers the market levels of similar positions at the peer
group companies, through the data provided to them by the NAREIT Survey, the performance of the
executive officer and the experience of the executive officer in his position. The base salaries
of our named executive officers are established by the terms of their employment agreements. The
named executive officers are eligible for annual increases in their base salaries as determined by
the Committee. The base salaries paid to our named executive officers in 2006 are set forth below
in the Executive Compensation Summary Compensation Table.
15
Annual Non-Equity Compensation. The Committees practice is to provide a significant portion
of each named executive officers compensation in the form of an annual cash bonus. These annual
bonuses are primarily based upon company performance objectives. This practice is consistent with
our compensation objective of supporting a performance-based environment. Each year, the
Committee sets for the named executive officers the threshold target and maximum bonus that may be
awarded to those officers if the threshold goals are achieved. For 2006, the Committee established
the following goals for our Chief Executive Officer:
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|
|
% of |
|
|
Goal |
|
Company Goal |
|
% Attained |
Increase FFO |
|
|
50 |
% |
|
|
100 |
% |
Increase net income within real estate development segment |
|
|
20 |
% |
|
|
65 |
% |
Build and retain management team |
|
|
20 |
% |
|
|
85 |
% |
Grow partnership business |
|
|
10 |
% |
|
|
100 |
% |
For our Chief Financial Officer, 2006 performance was based 40% on company-wide performance
and 60% on the achievement of goals for which the executive was responsible. The Committee makes
an annual determination as to the appropriate split between company-wide and executive specific
goals based on its assessment of the appropriate balance.
The Committee approved annual non-equity incentive compensation payments to the Chief
Executive Officer of 90% of his goals. Based on the assessment of the Chief Executive Officer of
the performance of our other executive officers against their executive specific goals, the
Committee approved payments to other executive officers, including the Chief Financial Officer, of
88% of the individual targets. The annual non-equity compensation paid to each of the named
executive officers are set forth below in the Executive Compensation Summary Compensation
Table.
The named executive officers are required by us to invest 30% of their non-equity compensation
in common shares they purchase from us. The shares they purchase vest 25% immediately and the
remainder vests in equal annual installments over four years.
Long-Term Incentive Compensation. We award long-term equity incentive grants to our named
executive officers as part of our overall compensation package. These awards are consistent with
our policies of fostering a performance-based environment and aligning the interests of our senior
management with the financial interests of our shareholders. When determining the amount of
long-term equity incentive awards to be granted to our named executive officers, the Committee
considered, among other things, the following factors: our business performance, the
responsibilities and performance of the executive, our share price performance, and other market
factors, including the data provided by the NAREIT Survey.
We compensate our named executive officers for long-term service to the Company and for
sustained increases in our share performances, through grants of restricted shares that vest evenly
over four years for the CEO and that vest 70% in the fifth year and 15% in each of the sixth and
seventh years for the CFO. The aggregate value of the long-term incentive compensation granted is
based on established goals of our relative and absolute FFO and TSR growth. The Committee decided
that during periods of truly outstanding performance, the ceiling on total annual stock rewards for
management should be set at 2.5% of the shares outstanding. Because these grants are part of an
annual compensation program designed to establish our total compensation, equity grants from prior
years were not considered when setting our 2006 grants.
16
The Committee determines the number of restricted shares and the period and conditions for
vesting. In 2006, the Committee awarded an aggregate of 35,210 restricted share awards to our
named executive officers. Information regarding restricted shares granted to our named executive
officers can be found below under Grants of Plan Based Awards.
Participation in Back-End Interests of Partnerships. Under the Committees compensation plan,
the Chief Executive Officer will receive general partner interest equaling 22.5% of the economic
interest in the advisor of the to be formed private REIT offering, as and if it is received by the
Company. The Chief Executive Officer will then be required to take 70% of such economic interest
and acquire company shares in the open market. Such shares must be purchased or exchanged for
Company issued shares within 12-months of receipt of cash. The Chief Executive Officer must be an
employee at the time the applicable general partner receives its liquidation interest in the
partnership in order to have the right to this compensation. Additionally, 10% of the economic
interest in the advisor of the to be formed private REIT offering, as and if it is received by the
Company, has been contributed to a pool to be awarded to senior management. Of this, the CFO has
been awarded a total of 2% of the economic interest in the advisor of the to be formed private
REIT. The named executive officers, including our Chief Executive Officer, did not receive any
payments in connection with their ownership of back-end interests in this or the general partner of
any previously awarded partnerships.
Perquisites and Other Personal Benefits. We provide the named executive officers with
perquisites and other personal benefits that we and the Committee believe are reasonable and
consistent with our overall compensation program to better enable us to attract and retain superior
employees for key positions. The Committee periodically reviews the levels of perquisites and
other personal benefits provided to the named executive officers.
We maintain a 401(k) retirement savings plan for all of our employees on the same basis.
Executive officers are also eligible to participate in all of our employee benefit plans, such as
medical, dental, group life, disability and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, in each
case on the same basis as other employees.
We have entered into employment agreements with our named executive officers, which provide
severance payments under specified conditions within one year following a change in control. These
severance agreements are described below under Employment Agreements. We believe these
agreements help us to retain executives who are essential to our long-term success.
17
Tax and Accounting Implications
Deductibility of Executive Compensation. Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code limits
the deductibility on our tax return of compensation over $1 million to any of our named executive
officers. However, compensation that is paid pursuant to a plan that is performance-related,
non-discretionary and has been approved by our shareholders is not subject to section 162(m). We
have such a plan and may utilize it to mitigate the potential impact of section 162(m). We did not
pay any compensation during 2006 that would be subject to section 162(m). We believe that, because
we qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code and therefore are not subject to federal
income taxes on our income to the extent distributed, the payment of compensation that does not
satisfy the requirements of section 162(m) will not generally affect our net income. However, to
the extent that compensation does not qualify for deduction under section 162(m) or under our short
term incentive plan approved by shareholders to, among other things, mitigate the effects of
section 162(m), a larger portion of shareholder distributions may be subject to federal income
taxation as dividend income rather than return of capital. We do not believe that section 162(m)
will materially affect the taxability of shareholder distributions, although no assurance can be
given in this regard due to the variety of factors that affect the tax position of each
shareholder. For these reasons, the compensation committees compensation policy and practices are
not directly governed by section 162(m).
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation. Beginning on January 1, 2006, we began accounting
for share-based payments to employees in accordance with the requirements of FASB Statement 123(R).
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
The Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by
Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, the
Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in
this Proxy Statement.
THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
Philip Taggart, Chairman
Robert Cartwright, Jr.
Steven Dawson
H. L. Hank Rush, Jr.
18
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table includes information concerning compensation for the one-year period ended
December 31, 2006.
Summary Compensation Table
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Change in |
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Pension Value |
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and Preferential |
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Nonqualified |
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Non-Equity |
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Deferred |
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All Other |
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Share |
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Option |
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Incentive Plan |
|
Compensation |
|
Compensation |
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Bonus |
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Awards |
|
Awards |
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Compensation |
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Earnings |
|
(1) |
|
Total |
Name |
|
Year |
|
Salary |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
H. Kerr Taylor |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
350,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
279,356 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
157,500 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
23,705 |
|
|
$ |
810,561 |
|
Chad C. Braun |
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|
2006 |
|
|
|
175,000 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
132,663 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
107,188 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
9,920 |
|
|
|
424,771 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
All Other Compensation includes amounts paid on behalf of each
named executive for employer matching contributions to the tax
qualified 401(k) plan and insurance premiums paid as part of the
employer sponsored group benefit plans such as medical, dental,
group life, and disability insurance, offered by us to our
associates. |
Employment Agreements
As of December 31, 2006, we had entered into employment agreements with each of our executive
officers (Mr. Taylor and Mr. Braun) and certain of our management team (Mr. Tayar, Mr. Thailing and
Mr. Cunningham) that provide that during the term of the respective agreements, that executives
base salary will not be reduced and that the executive will remain eligible for participation in
our executive compensation and benefit programs. The employment agreements provide that each
executive receive a base salary, is eligible to participate in our annual cash and share incentive
awards as provided for in our pay for performance incentive plans as approved by our compensation
committee, and to participate in all other employee benefit programs (such as medical insurance and
401K plan), which are applicable to all our employees.
Each employment agreement provides that the respective executive may terminate the agreement
at any time by delivering written notice of termination to us at least 30 days prior to the
effective date of such termination, in which case he will be subject to a 12 month non-competition
agreement and entitled to payment of his base salary through the effective date of termination,
plus all other benefits to which he has a vested right at that time. Additionally, each employment
agreement provides that he may terminate the agreement for good reason, which is defined in the
employment agreement, in general, as any substantial change by us in the nature of his employment
without his express written consent; the requirement that he be based at a location at least 50
miles further than from his current principal location of employment; our failure to obtain a
satisfactory agreement from any successor to assume the terms of the employment agreement; and our
breach of any material provision of the employment agreement.
The employment agreements provide that, if we terminate an executives employment without
cause or the executive terminates his employment for good reason (each as defined in the
applicable employment agreement), the executive will be entitled to the following payments and
benefits, subject to his execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims:
19
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a cash payment equal to one times executives annual base salary and one times
the executives annual bonus, computed on the average of the last three years bonus
received by the executive, payable in equal monthly installments over twelve
months; |
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|
all unvested restricted shares and equity interests will immediately vest; and |
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health and medical benefits shall continue for a period of one year. |
The employment agreements also provide for a change of control (as defined in the applicable
employment agreement) provision. On the date of a change of control, all of executives unvested
restricted shares and equity interest will immediately vest. Additionally, if within a period
beginning six months before, and ending twelve months after, the date of a change of control, the
executives employment is terminated without cause or terminated for good reason, then the
executive will be entitled to the following payments and benefits, subject to his execution and
non-revocation of a general release of claims:
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a cash payment equal to two times for Mr. Taylor, one and a half times for Mr.
Braun and one times for Mr. Tayar, Mr. Thailing and Mr. Cunningham, the executives
annual base salary and annual bonus, computed on the average of the last three
years bonus received by the executive, payable in equal monthly installments over
twelve months; and |
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health and medical benefits shall continue for a period of one year. |
Each employment agreement will expire on December 31, 2007, and will automatically renew for
successive one-year periods unless either party gives written notice of non-renewal, which will be
subject to the terms and conditions of the employment agreement.
As part of All Other Compensation, we are required to report any payments that were made to
named executives due to any obligation under our employment contracts and any amounts accrued by us
for the benefit of the named executives relating to any obligation under our employment contracts.
There have been no payments, nor have there been any amounts accrued as of December 31, 2006.
The following table includes information concerning grants of plan based awards for the one
year period ended December 31, 2006.
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
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All |
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Other |
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All Other |
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Grant |
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Share |
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Option |
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Date |
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Awards: |
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Awards: |
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Exercise |
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Close |
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Fair |
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Estimated Possible Payments |
|
Estimated Possible Payouts |
|
Number |
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Number of |
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or Base |
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Price |
|
Value |
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|
Under Non-Equity Incentive |
|
Under Equity Incentive |
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Of |
|
Securities |
|
Price of |
|
of Shares |
|
of |
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|
|
|
|
|
Plan Awards |
|
Plan Awards |
|
Shares |
|
Underlying |
|
Option |
|
on Date |
|
Share and |
|
|
Grant |
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Threshold |
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Target |
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Maximum |
|
Threshold |
|
Target |
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Maximum |
|
or Units |
|
Options |
|
Awards |
|
of |
|
Option |
Name |
|
Date |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
(#) |
|
(#) |
|
(#) |
|
(#) (1) |
|
(#) |
|
($/sh) |
|
Grant |
|
Awards |
H. Kerr Taylor |
|
|
2/27/2006 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
175,000 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
2/28/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,960 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.48 |
|
|
|
67,500 |
|
|
|
|
2/28/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24,983 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.48 |
|
|
|
211,855 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chad C. Braun |
|
|
2/27/2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
122,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
2/28/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,417 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.48 |
|
|
|
45,936 |
|
|
|
|
2/28/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,227 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.48 |
|
|
|
86,725 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The number of restricted shares issued represents 30% of the cash
incentive that is required to be deferred into restricted shares as
well as the performance based long term restricted share grant. Both
grants were made on February 28, 2007 based on performance measurement
and goals for 2006 that were established on February 27, 2006. |
20
The Grants of Plan-Based Awards table sets forth information concerning grants of
non-equity incentive plan awards, and all other share awards during 2006. Estimated payouts under
non-equity incentive plan awards include the target payout of the annual non-equity incentive
awards established by the board for the named executive officers on February 27, 2006. When the
targets were established and communicated to the named executive officers, no maximum payout was
specified; however, amounts above the target payout may be paid if performance goals are exceeded.
Specific criteria used to determine the target was set forth above in the Compensation Discussion
and Analysis Annual Non-Equity Compensation. The annual incentive that was established in
February 2006 was subsequently paid in February 2007 as set forth in the Summary Compensation
Table.
Share awards granted to the CEO vest annually over four years beginning on the grant date for
the deferred annual incentive and annually over four years, after one year, for the long term
incentive compensation. Share awards granted to the CFO vest annually over four years beginning on
the grant date for the deferred annual incentive and 70% on the fifth anniversary of grant and 15%
on the sixth and seventh anniversary of grant for the long term incentive compensation.
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS TABLE
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the value of all
shares previously awarded to the named executive officers as of December 31, 2006. Our board has
not previously granted options to our named executive officers.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards |
|
Share Awards |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity |
|
Incentive |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Incentive |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Incentive |
|
Plan Awards: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plan |
|
Market or |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awards: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awards: |
|
Payout Value |
|
|
Number of |
|
Number of |
|
Number of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
of Unearned |
|
|
Securities |
|
Securities |
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market |
|
Shares, |
|
Shares, Units, |
|
|
Underlying |
|
Underlying |
|
Underlying |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Value of |
|
Units, or |
|
or Other |
|
|
Unexercised |
|
Unexercised |
|
Unexercised |
|
Option |
|
|
|
|
|
Shares that |
|
Shares that |
|
Other Rights |
|
Rights that |
|
|
Options |
|
Options |
|
Unearned |
|
Exercise |
|
Option |
|
Have Not |
|
Have Not |
|
that Have |
|
Have Not |
|
|
(#) |
|
(#) |
|
Options |
|
Price |
|
Expiration |
|
Vested |
|
Vested |
|
Not Vested |
|
Vested |
Name |
|
Exercisable |
|
Unexercisable |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
|
Date |
|
(#) (1) |
|
($) |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
H. Kerr Taylor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
92,590 |
|
|
$ |
785,163 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chad C. Braun |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
42,442 |
|
|
|
359,908 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Includes restricted share awards issued in February 2007 pursuant to the 2006 incentive and long term compensation plan. |
21
OPTIONS EXERCISED AND STOCK VESTED
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the shares held by the
named executive officers that vested during the year ended December 31, 2006.
Options Exercised and Stock Vested
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards |
|
Share Awards |
|
|
Number of |
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
|
|
Acquired on |
|
Value Realized |
|
Acquired on |
|
Value Realized |
|
|
Exercise |
|
on Exercise |
|
Vesting |
|
on Vesting |
Name |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
H. Kerr Taylor |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
22,042 |
|
|
$ |
186,916 |
|
Chad C. Braun |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,919 |
|
|
|
50,193 |
|
NON-QUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION TABLE
We do not offer, and the named executive officers did not participate in, any non-qualified
deferred compensation programs during 2006.
22
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
The audit committee is composed of four independent non-employee trust managers and operates
under a written charter adopted by the board (a copy of which is available on our web site). The
board has determined that each committee member is independent within the meaning of the applicable
AMEX listing standards currently in effect.
Management is responsible for the financial reporting process, including the preparation of
the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Our independent registered public
accounting firm is responsible for auditing those financial statements and expressing an opinion as
to their conformity with GAAP. The committees responsibility is to oversee and review this
process. We are not, however, professionally engaged in the practice of accounting or auditing,
and do not provide any expert or other special assurances as to such financial statements
concerning compliance with the laws, regulations or GAAP or as to the independence of the
registered public accounting firm. The committee relies, without independent verification, on the
information provided to us and on the representations made by management and the independent
registered public accounting firm. We held five meetings during 2006. The meetings were designed,
among other things, to facilitate and encourage communication among the committee, management and
our independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP. We discussed with KPMG LLP the
overall scope and plans of their audit. We met with KPMG LLP, with and without management present,
to discuss the results of their examinations.
We have reviewed and discussed the audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2006 with management and KPMG LLP. We also discussed with management and
KPMG LLP the process used to support certifications by our Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer that are required by the SEC and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to accompany our
periodic filings with the SEC. In addition, we reviewed and discussed our progress on complying
with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Boards (PCAOB) Auditing Standard No. 2 regarding the audit of internal control over
financial reporting.
The audit committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with
management and KPMG LLP, our independent auditors. The audit committee has also discussed with the
independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No.
61, written communication from the independent auditors required by Independence Standards Board
Standard No. 1, and has discussed their independence with the independent auditors. When
considering the independence of KPMG LLP, we considered whether their array of services to the
company beyond those rendered in connection with their audit of our consolidated financial
statements and reviews of our consolidated financial statements, including our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q, was compatible with maintaining their independence. We also reviewed, among other
things, the audit and non-audit services performed by, and the amount of fees paid for such
services to, KPMG LLP. Based on the foregoing review and discussions and relying thereon, we have
recommended to our board of trust managers that the audited financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2006 be included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The members of the audit committee are independent, as independence is defined in Rule
4200(a)(15) of the National Association of Securities Dealers Listing Standards. This section of
the proxy statement is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not incorporated by reference into
our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
This audit committee report is given by the following members of the audit committee:
G. Steven Dawson Chairman, Robert S. Cartwright, Jr., Philip Taggart, H. L. Hank Rush, Jr.
23
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FEES
Aggregate fees billed to us for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 by our principal
accounting firm, KPMG LLP, were as follows:
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2006 |
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2005 |
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Audit Fees |
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$ |
321,970 |
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$ |
329,655 |
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Audit Related Fees |
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$ |
28,715 |
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$ |
95,250 |
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Tax Fees |
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$ |
185,215 |
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$ |
60,000 |
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All Other Fees |
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$ |
-0- |
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$ |
-0- |
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Total Fees |
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$ |
535,900 |
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$ |
484,905 |
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Pre-Approval Policies
Our audit committee, pursuant to its exclusive authority, has reviewed and approved all of the
fees described above for 2006. The audit committee has also adopted pre-approval policies for all
other services KPMG LLP may perform for us. The pre-approval policies detail with specificity the
services that are authorized within each of the above-described categories of services and provide
for aggregate maximum dollar amounts for such pre-approved services. Any additional services not
described or otherwise exceeding the maximum dollar amounts prescribed by the pre-approval policies
will require the further advance review and approval of the audit committee. The audit committee
has delegated the authority to grant any such additional required approval to its chairman between
meetings of the committee, provided that the chairman reports the details of the exercise of any
such delegated authority at the next meeting of the audit committee.
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
To be included in the proxy statement, any proposals of holders of shares intended to be
presented at our annual meeting of shareholders to be held in 2008 must be received by us,
addressed to Mr. Chad C. Braun, 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas, 77046, no later than
February 1, 2008 and must otherwise comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.
ANNUAL REPORT
We have provided without charge a copy of the annual report to shareholders for fiscal year
2006 to each person being solicited by this proxy statement. Upon the request by any person being
solicited by this proxy statement, we will provide without charge a copy of the annual report on
Form 10-K as filed with the SEC (excluding exhibits, for which a reasonable charge shall be
imposed). All requests should be directed to: H. Kerr Taylor, chairman of the board, chief
executive officer and president at AmREIT, 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046, or
by phone to 713-850-1400.
24
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
10:00 A.M. Houston Time
Eight Greenway Plaza
Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77046
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AmREIT Eight Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000 Houston, TX 77046 |
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proxy |
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This Proxy is Solicited to all Class A, B, C and D Common Shareholders on Behalf of the Board of Trust Managers. |
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The shareholder of AmREIT, a Texas real estate investment trust, whose name and signature appear on the reverse side of this card, having received the notice of the Annual Meeting of shareholders and the related proxy statement for AmREITs Annual Meeting of shareholders to be held at Eight Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 10:00 A.M., Houston time, hereby
appoints H. Kerr Taylor and Chad Braun, or each of them, the proxies of the shareholder, each with full power of substitution, to vote at the Annual Meeting, and at any adjournments of the Annual Meeting, all common shares, par value $0.01 per share, held of record by the shareholder on April 2, 2007 in the manner shown on the reverse side of this card. |
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This
proxy is solicited by the Board of Trust Managers and the common
shares represented hereby will be voted in accordance with the
shareholders directions on the reverse side of this card. If no direction is given, then the shares represented by this proxy will be voted FOR proposal 1, and in the proxies discretion on any other matters that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments thereof, subject to limitations set forth in applicable regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
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Please mark, sign, date, and return this proxy card promptly using the enclosed envelope.
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See reverse for voting instructions.
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COMPANY #
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There are three ways to vote your Proxy |
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Your telephone or Internet vote authorizes the Named Proxies to vote your
shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
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VOTE BY PHONE TOLL FREE 1-800-560-1965 QUICK *** EASY *** IMMEDIATE
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Use any touch-tone telephone to vote your proxy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until 12:00
p.m. (CT) on May 29, 2007. |
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Please have your proxy card and the last four digits of your Social Security Number or Tax
Identification Number available. Follow the simple instructions the voice provides you. |
VOTE BY INTERNET http://www.eproxy.com/amy/ QUICK *** EASY *** IMMEDIATE
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Use the Internet to vote your proxy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until 12:00 p.m. (CT) on May 29, 2007. |
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Please have your proxy card and the last four digits of your Social Security Number or Tax
Identification Number available. Follow the simple instructions to obtain your records and
create an electronic ballot. |
VOTE BY MAIL
Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope weve provided or
return it to AmREIT, c/o Shareowner ServicesSM, P.O. Box 64873, St. Paul, MN
55164-0873.
If you vote by Phone or Internet, please do not mail your Proxy Card
ò Please detach here ò
The Board of Trust Managers Recommends a Vote FOR Item 1.
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1.
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Election of trust
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01 |
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Robert J. Cartwright
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04 |
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H.L. Hank Rush, Jr.
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Vote FOR
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Vote WITHHELD |
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managers:
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02 |
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G. Steven Dawson
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05 |
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H. Kerr Taylor
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all nominees
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from all nominees |
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03 |
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Philip Taggart
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(except as marked) |
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(Instructions: To withhold authority to vote for any indicated nominee, write the number(s) of the nominee(s) in the box provided to the right.)
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2. To transact any other business that may properly be brought before the annual meeting or any adjournments thereof. |
This proxy, when properly executed and delivered, will be voted as specified. If no specification is made, this proxy will be voted FOR proposal 1. The proxies cannot vote your shares unless you sign and return this card.
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Address Change? Mark Box o Indicate changes below:
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Date
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The undersigned hereby revokes any proxy previously given with respect to our common shares and hereby ratifies and confirms all that the proxies, their substitutes or any of them may lawfully do by virtue hereof. Note: Please sign exactly as name(s) appear(s) on this card. When shares are held jointly, both must sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full titles as such. When executed by a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by a duly authorized officer or partner, giving title. Please sign, date and mail this proxy promptly whether or not you expect to attend the meeting. You may nevertheless vote in person if you do attend. |
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Signature(s) in Box |