PFS Bancorp, Inc DEF 14A, filed Apr 17, 2025
PFS Bancorp, Inc. (PFSB)
About this DEF 14A
PFS Bancorp, Inc filed this DEF 14A on April 17, 2025.
INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. ____)
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| ☐ | Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12 |
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April 17, 2025
Dear Fellow Stockholder:
We will hold our annual meeting of stockholders at the main office of Peru Federal Savings Bank, located at 1730 Fourth Street, Peru, Illinois, at 3:00 p.m., local time, on May 22, 2025. The notice of annual meeting and the proxy statement appearing on the following pages describe the formal business to be transacted at the meeting.
It is important that your shares are represented at this meeting, regardless of the number of shares you own. To ensure your shares are represented, we urge you to vote promptly by completing and mailing the enclosed proxy card or by voting via the Internet or by telephone. Internet and telephone voting instructions appear on the enclosed proxy card.
| Sincerely, | |
| Eric J. Heagy | |
| President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer |
PFS BANCORP, INC.
1730 Fourth Street
Peru, Illinois 61354
(815) 223-4300
NOTICE OF 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
| DATE AND TIME | Thursday, May 22, 2025 |
| 3:00 p.m., local time | |
| PLACE | Peru Federal Savings Bank Main Office |
| 1730 Fourth Street | |
| Peru, Illinois | |
| ITEMS OF BUSINESS | (1) | To elect two directors to serve for a term of three years; |
| (2) | To vote to approve the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan; |
| (3) | To vote to ratify the appointment of Wipfli LLP to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025; and |
| (3) | To transact any other business that may properly come before the meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the meeting. (Note: The Board of Directors is not aware of any other business to come before the meeting.) |
| RECORD DATE | To be eligible to vote, you must have been a stockholder as of the close of business on March 27, 2025. |
| PROXY VOTING | It is important that your shares be represented and be voted at the meeting. You can vote your shares via the Internet, by telephone, or by mail by completing the accompanying proxy card and returning it in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Voting instructions are printed on the proxy card. You may revoke a proxy at any time before its exercise at the meeting by following the instructions in the accompanying proxy statement. |
| BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |
| Dale R. Tieman | |
| Corporate Secretary |
Peru, Illinois
April 17, 2025
PFS BANCORP, INC.
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR
2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
GENERAL INFORMATION
PFS Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Peru Federal Savings Bank. In this proxy statement, we may also refer to PFS Bancorp, Inc. as “PFS Bancorp,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” and to Peru Federal Savings Bank as “Peru Federal” or the “Bank.”
We are providing this proxy statement to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board of Directors for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and for any adjournment or postponement of the annual meeting. We will hold the annual meeting at Peru Federal’s main office, located at 1730 Fourth Street, Peru, Illinois, on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., local time.
We intend to mail this proxy statement and a proxy card to stockholders of record beginning on or about April 17, 2025.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials
for the STOCKholder Meeting to Be Held on MAY 22, 2025
This proxy statement is available at https://www.cstproxy.com/pfsbancorp/2025. Also available at this website address is our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which includes the audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.
INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING
Who May Vote at the Meeting
You are entitled to vote your shares of PFS Bancorp common stock if our records show that you held your shares as of the close of business on March 27, 2025. As of the close of business on that date, a total of 1,660,265 shares of common stock were outstanding. Each share of common stock has one vote.
Our Articles of Incorporation provide that record holders of our common stock who beneficially own, either directly or indirectly, more than 10% of our outstanding shares of common stock are not entitled to any vote with respect to the shares held in excess of the 10% limit.
Ownership of Shares
You may own your shares of PFS Bancorp common stock in one or more of the following ways:
| ● | Directly in your name as stockholder of record; |
| ● | Indirectly through a broker, bank or other holder of record in “street name;” or |
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| ● | Indirectly through the Peru Federal Savings Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the “ESOP”). |
If your shares are registered directly in your name, you are the holder of record of those shares, and we are sending these proxy materials directly to you. As the holder of record, you have the right to give your proxy directly to us to vote at the annual meeting or you may vote in person at the annual meeting.
If you hold your shares in street name, your broker, bank or other holder of record is sending these proxy materials to you. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other holder of record how to vote by completing a voting instruction form that accompanies your proxy materials. Your broker, bank or other holder of record may allow you to provide voting instructions by telephone or by the Internet. Refer to the instruction form provided by your broker, bank or other holder of record that accompanies your proxy materials. If you want to vote your shares of common stock held in street name in person at the annual meeting, you must obtain a written proxy in your name from the broker, bank or other holder who is the record holder of your shares.
If you own shares of common stock indirectly through the ESOP, see “Participants in the ESOP” below.
Attending the Meeting
Stockholders are invited to attend the annual meeting. If you hold your shares in street name, you will need proof of ownership to be admitted to the meeting. Examples of proof of ownership are a recent brokerage account statement or a letter from your bank or broker.
Quorum and Vote Required
Quorum. We will have a quorum and be able to conduct the business of the annual meeting if a majority of the outstanding shares of PFS Bancorp common stock entitled to vote, represented in person or by proxy, are present at the meeting.
Votes Required for Proposals. In voting on the election of directors (Item 1), you may vote in favor of the nominees or withhold your vote as to the nominees. There is no cumulative voting for the election of directors. Directors must be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at the annual meeting. This means that the nominees receiving the largest number of votes cast will be elected up to the maximum number of directors to be elected at the annual meeting. The maximum number of directors to be elected at the annual meeting is two.
In voting on the proposal to approve the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan (Item 2), you may vote in favor of the proposal, vote against the proposal, or abstain from voting. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve this proposal.
In voting on the ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm (Item 3), you may vote in favor of the proposal, vote against the proposal, or abstain from voting. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the annual meeting and entitled to vote is required to approve this proposal.
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Effect of Not Casting Your Vote
If you hold your shares in street name through a broker, bank or other nominee of record, it is critical that you cast your vote if you want it to count in the election of directors (Item 1) and in the vote on the approval of the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan (Item 2). Your broker, bank or other holder of record does not have discretion to vote your uninstructed shares with respect to these matters. Therefore, if you hold your shares in street name and you do not instruct your broker or other holder of record on how to vote on Items 1 and 2, no votes will be cast on your behalf. These are referred to as “broker non-votes.” Your broker, bank or other holder of record, however, does have discretion to vote any uninstructed shares on the ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm (Item 3). If you are a stockholder of record and you do not cast your vote, no votes will be cast on your behalf on any of the items of business at the annual meeting.
How We Count the Votes
If you return valid proxy instructions or attend the meeting in person, we will count your shares to determine whether there is a quorum, even if you abstain from voting. Broker non-votes also will be counted to determine the existence of a quorum.
In counting votes for the election of directors, votes that are withheld and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the election.
In counting votes on the proposal to approve the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan, we will not count abstentions and broker non-votes as votes cast. Therefore, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on the proposal.
In counting votes on the proposal to ratify the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm, we will not count abstentions and broker non-votes as votes cast. Therefore, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on the proposal.
Voting by Proxy
We are sending you this proxy statement to request that you allow your shares of PFS Bancorp common stock to be represented at the annual meeting by the designated proxies named by the Board of Directors. All shares of common stock represented at the annual meeting by properly executed and dated proxies will be voted according to the instructions indicated on the proxy card. If you sign, date and return a proxy card without giving voting instructions, your shares will be voted as recommended by our Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote:
| ● | “FOR” the election of all nominees for director; |
| ● | “FOR” the approval of the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan; and |
| ● | “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Wipfli LLP to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm. |
If any matters not described in this proxy statement are properly presented at the annual meeting, the persons named in the proxy card will use their own best judgment as to how to vote your shares. This would include a motion to adjourn or postpone the annual meeting to solicit additional proxies. If the annual meeting is postponed or adjourned, your common stock may be voted by the persons named in the proxy card on the new meeting date as well, unless you have revoked your proxy. We do not know of any other matters to be presented at the annual meeting.
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Instead of voting by completing and mailing a proxy card, registered stockholders can vote their shares of PFS Bancorp common stock via the Internet or by telephone. The Internet and telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate stockholders’ identities, allow stockholders to provide their voting instructions and confirm that their instructions have been recorded properly. Specific instructions for Internet and telephone voting appear on the enclosed proxy card. The deadline for voting via the Internet or by telephone is 11:59 p.m., Central time, on May 21, 2025.
Revoking Your Proxy
Whether you vote by mail, via the Internet or by telephone, if you are a registered stockholder, unless otherwise noted, you may later revoke your proxy by:
| ● | sending a written statement to that effect to our Corporate Secretary; |
| ● | submitting a properly signed proxy card with a later date; |
| ● | voting via the Internet or by telephone at a later time (if initially able to vote in that manner) so long as such vote is received by the applicable time and date set forth above for registered stockholders; or |
| ● | voting in person at the annual meeting (Note: Attendance at the annual meeting will not, in itself, constitute revocation of your proxy). |
If you hold your shares through a bank, broker, trustee or nominee and you have instructed the bank, broker, trustee or nominee to vote your shares, you must follow the directions received from your bank, broker, trustee or nominee to change those instructions.
Participants in the ESOP
If you participate in the ESOP, you will receive a voting instruction card that reflects all shares that you may direct the trustees to vote on your behalf under the ESOP. Under the terms of the ESOP, the ESOP trustee votes all shares held by the ESOP, but each participant in the ESOP may direct the trustee how to vote the shares of common stock allocated to his or her account. The ESOP trustee, subject to the exercise of its fiduciary duties, will vote all unallocated shares of common stock held by the ESOP and all allocated shares for which no timely voting instructions are received in the same proportion as shares for which it has received valid voting instructions. The deadline for returning your voting instruction card is May 15, 2025.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
General
PFS Bancorp periodically reviews its corporate governance policies and procedures to ensure that it meets the highest standards of ethical conduct, reports results with accuracy and transparency and fully complies with the laws, rules and regulations that govern its operations. As part of this periodic corporate governance review, the Board of Directors reviews and adopts best corporate governance policies and practices for PFS Bancorp.
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Director Independence
The Board of Directors currently consists of six members. The Board of Directors refers to the definition of “independent director” contained in the listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market when determining the independence of directors. The Board of Directors has determined that each director, except for Eric J. Heagy and Dale R. Tieman, is an “independent director” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards. Messrs. Heagy and Tieman are not considered independent because they are employed by PFS Bancorp and Peru Federal. In determining the independence of directors, the Board of Directors considered the relationships between Peru Federal and our directors that are not required to be reported under “Other Information Relating to Directors and Executive Officers – Transactions with Certain Related Persons,” consisting of loans and deposit accounts that our directors maintain at Peru Federal.
Board Leadership Structure and Board’s Role in Risk Oversight
The Board of Directors has determined that the separation of the offices of Chairman of the Board and of President and Chief Executive Officer enhances Board independence and oversight. Moreover, the separation of those offices allows the President and Chief Executive Officer to better focus on his increasing responsibilities of managing PFS Bancorp, enhancing shareholder value, and expanding and strengthening PFS Bancorp’s franchise while allowing the Chairman of the Board to lead the Board in its fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of management. Consistent with this determination, Michael J. Rooney serves as Chairman of the Board and Eric J. Heagy serves as President and Chief Executive Officer.
To further strengthen the regular oversight of the full Board of Directors, the standing committees of the Board of Directors are comprised solely of independent directors. These committees are the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. See “Committees of the Board of Directors.”
Risk is inherent with every business, and how well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. We face several risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, strategic risk and reputation risk. Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of risks PFS Bancorp faces, while the Board of Directors, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In its risk oversight role, the Board of Directors has the responsibility to satisfy itself that the risk management processes designed and implemented by management are adequate and functioning as designed. Senior management also attends Board meetings and is available to address any questions or concerns raised by the Board of Directors on risk management and any other matters.
Committees of the Board of Directors
The following table identifies PFS Bancorp’s standing committees and their members. The members of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are considered independent according to the relevant listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The charter of each committee is available in the Investors section of Peru Federal’s website (www.perufederalsavings.com).
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| Director | Audit Committee | Compensation Committee | Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | |||
| James J. Brady, IV | X (Chair) | |||||
| Jonathan F. Brandt | X | |||||
| Eric J. Heagy, CPA | ||||||
| Cynthia L. Kurkowski, CPA | X | X | ||||
| Michael J. Rooney | X (Chair) | X (Chair) | ||||
| Dale R. Tieman | ||||||
| Number of Meetings in Fiscal Year 2024 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is established according to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Audit Committee meets periodically with the independent registered public accounting firm and management to review accounting, auditing, internal control structure and financial reporting matters. The Board of Directors has determined that Cynthia L. Kurkowski, CPA qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report of the Audit Committee required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission is included in this proxy statement. See “Report of the Audit Committee.”
Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee approves the compensation objectives for PFS Bancorp and Peru Federal, establishes the compensation for PFS Bancorp’s and Peru Federal’s senior management and conducts the performance review of the President and Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee reviews all components of compensation, including salaries, cash incentive plans, long-term incentive plans and various employee benefit matters. The Committee also assists the Board of Directors in evaluating potential candidates for executive positions.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee assists the Board of Directors in: (i) identifying individuals qualified to become Board members, consistent with criteria approved by the Board of Directors; (ii) recommending to the Board of Directors the director nominees for the next annual meeting; (iii) implementing policies and practices relating to corporate governance, including implementation of and monitoring adherence to corporate governance guidelines; (iv) leading the Board of Directors in its annual review of the Board’s performance; and (v) recommending director nominees for each committee.
Minimum Qualifications for Director Nominees. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has adopted a set of criteria that it considers when it selects individuals to be nominated for election to the Board of Directors. A candidate must meet the eligibility requirements set forth in our Bylaws, which include a requirement that the candidate had not been subject to certain criminal or regulatory actions, a residency requirement, and an age limitation. A candidate also must meet any qualification requirements set forth in any Board of Directors or committee governing documents.
If a candidate is deemed eligible for election to the Board of Directors, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will then evaluate the following criteria in selecting nominees:
| ● | contributions to the range of talent, skill and expertise of the Board of Directors; |
| ● | financial, regulatory and business experience, knowledge of the banking and financial service industries, familiarity with the operations of public companies and ability to read and understand financial statements; |
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| ● | familiarity with our market area and participation in and ties to local businesses and local civic, charitable and religious organizations; |
| ● | personal and professional integrity, honesty and reputation; |
| ● | the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders and the best interests of PFS Bancorp; |
| ● | the ability to devote sufficient time and energy to the performance of his or her duties; and |
| ● | independence, as that term is defined under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission and stock exchange listing criteria. |
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will also consider any other factors it deems relevant, including diversity, competition, size of the Board of Directors and regulatory disclosure obligations.
When nominating an existing director for re-election to the Board of Directors, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider and review an existing director’s attendance and performance at Board meetings and at meetings of committees on which he serves; length of Board service; the experience, skills and contributions that the existing director brings to the Board; and independence.
Director Nomination Process. The process that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee follows to identify and evaluate individuals to be nominated for election to the Board of Directors is as follows:
For purposes of identifying nominees for the Board of Directors, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee relies on personal contacts of the committee members and other members of the Board of Directors, as well as its knowledge of members of the communities the Bank serves. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will also consider director candidates recommended by stockholders according to the policy and procedures set forth below. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has not used an independent search firm to identify nominees.
In evaluating potential nominees, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines whether the candidate is eligible and qualified for service on the Board of Directors by evaluating the candidate under the criteria set forth above. If such individual fulfills these criteria, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will conduct a check of the individual’s background and interview the candidate to further assess the qualities of the prospective nominee and the contributions he or she would make to the Board of Directors.
Consideration of Director Candidates Recommended by Stockholders. The policy of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is to consider director candidates recommended by stockholders who appear to be qualified to serve on the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may choose not to consider an unsolicited recommendation if no vacancy exists on the Board of Directors and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not perceive a need to increase the size of the Board of Directors. To avoid the unnecessary use of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s resources, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider only those director candidates recommended in accordance with the procedures set forth below.
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Procedures to be Followed by Stockholders. To submit a recommendation of a director candidate to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, a stockholder should submit the following information in writing, addressed to the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, care of the Corporate Secretary, at our main office address:
| ● | A statement that the writer is a stockholder and is proposing a candidate for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; |
| ● | The name and address of the stockholder as they appear on PFS Bancorp’s books, and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made; |
| ● | The class or series and number of shares of PFS Bancorp capital stock that are owned beneficially or of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner; |
| ● | A description of all arrangements or understandings between such stockholder and each proposed nominee and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by such stockholder; |
| ● | A representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the nominee named in the stockholder’s notice; |
| ● | The name, age, personal and business address of the candidate, the principal occupation or employment of the candidate; |
| ● | The candidate’s written consent to serve as a director; |
| ● | A statement of the candidate’s business and educational experience and all other information relating to such person that would indicate such person’s qualification to serve on the Board of Directors; and |
| ● | Such other information regarding the candidate or the stockholder as would be required to be included in PFS Bancorp’s proxy statement pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
For a director candidate to be considered for nomination at PFS Bancorp’s annual meeting of stockholders, the recommendation must be received by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee at least 120 calendar days before the date on which the proxy statement for the previous year’s annual meeting was released to stockholders, advanced by one year.
Board and Committee Meetings
The business of PFS Bancorp and Peru Federal is conducted through meetings and activities of their respective Board of Directors and committees. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Board of Directors of PFS Bancorp held six meetings and the Board of Directors of Peru Federal held 24 meetings. No director attended fewer than 75% of the total meetings of the Boards of Directors and of the committees on which he served.
Director Attendance at Annual Meeting
The Board of Directors encourages each director to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. All the directors then serving attended last year’s annual meeting of stockholders.
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Codes of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics for Senior Officers and a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Both are designed to ensure that our directors and employees meet the highest standards of ethical conduct. The Code of Ethics for Senior Officers, which applies to our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, addresses conflicts of interest, the treatment of confidential information, and compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to all employees and directors, addresses conflicts of interest, the treatment of confidential information, general employee conduct and compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. In addition, both codes are designed to deter wrongdoing and promote honest and ethical conduct, the avoidance of conflicts of interest, full and accurate disclosure and compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Code of Ethics for Senior Officers and the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are available in the Investors section of Peru Federal’s website (www.perufederalsavings.com).
Anti-Hedging Policy
PFS Bancorp has adopted a policy that prohibits directors, officers and employees of PFS Bancorp or any of its subsidiaries, and their related persons, from purchasing or selling, or offering to purchase or offering to sell, derivative securities relating to PFS Bancorp’s common stock, whether or not issued by PFS Bancorp, that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of PFS Bancorp’s common stock.
Report of the Audit Committee
PFS Bancorp’s management is responsible for PFS Bancorp’s internal control over financial reporting. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an independent audit of the consolidated financial statements and issuing an opinion on the conformity of the financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The Audit Committee oversees PFS Bancorp’s internal controls and financial reporting process on behalf of the Board of Directors.
In this context, the Audit Committee has met and held discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm. Management represented to the Audit Committee that the financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the financial statements with management and with the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) Auditing Standard No. 1301, Communications with Audit Committees, which include the quality, and not just the acceptability, of the accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments and the clarity of the disclosures in the financial statements.
In addition, the Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the firm’s independence from PFS Bancorp and its management. In concluding that the independent registered public accounting firm is independent, the Audit Committee considered, among other factors, whether the non-audit services provided by the firm were compatible with its independence.
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The Audit Committee discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the overall scope and plans for their audit. The Audit Committee meets with the independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examination, their evaluation of PFS Bancorp’s internal control over financial reporting and the overall quality of its financial reporting process.
In performing these functions, the Audit Committee acts only in an oversight capacity. In its oversight role, the Audit Committee relies on the work and assurances of management, which has the primary responsibility for financial statements and reports, and of the independent registered public accounting firm who, in their report, express an opinion on the conformity of the financial statements to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The Audit Committee’s oversight does not provide it with an independent basis to determine that management has maintained appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles or policies, or appropriate internal control over financial reporting designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. Furthermore, the Audit Committee’s considerations and discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm do not assure that the financial statements are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, that the audit of the financial statements has been carried out in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or that the independent registered public accounting firm is in fact “independent.”
In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee has recommended to the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors has approved the recommendation, that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in PFS Bancorp’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Audit Committee has appointed, subject to stockholder ratification, Wipfli LLP to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2025.
Audit Committee of the Board of Directors
of
PFS Bancorp, Inc.
Michael J. Rooney (Chair)
Cynthia L. Kurkowski, CPA
Directors’ Compensation
The following table provides the compensation received by the individuals who served as our directors during the year ended December 31, 2024, other than for Messrs. Heagy and Tieman whose compensation, including director compensation, is disclosed later in the proxy statement under “Executive Compensation.” The table excludes perquisites, which did not exceed $10,000 in the aggregate for each director. Each director of PFS Bancorp also serves as a director of Peru Federal. All fees disclosed in the table below were paid by Peru Federal. No separate fees were paid by PFS Bancorp.
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| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | All Other Compensation | Total | ||||||||||
| Michael J. Rooney | $ | 38,000 | (1) | $ | — | (1) | $ | 38,000 | ||||
| Jonathan F. Brandt | 35,000 | 75,100 | (2) | 110,100 | ||||||||
| Cynthia L. Kurkowski, CPA | 35,000 | — | 35,000 | |||||||||
| James F. Brady, IV | 35,000 | — | 35,000 | |||||||||
| (1) | Cash fees of $38,000 were deferred pursuant to the Peru Federal Savings Bank Deferred Compensation Plan, and the earnings on Mr. Rooney’s account balance in the plan were based on an interest rate below the applicable market interest rate. |
| (2) | Represents a retainer of $60,000 and loan document preparation fees of $15,100 paid to Mr. Brandt’s law firm, Duncan & Brandt P.C. |
Deferred Compensation Plan. Peru Federal maintains the Peru Federal Savings Bank Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan, pursuant to which directors may elect to defer a portion of their director’s fees each year. Peru Federal credits the deferred amounts with earnings at a rate equivalent to the Moody’s Aaa seasoned bond rate as of December 31 of the previous year. Directors may elect to receive their deferred fees and earnings when they separate from service or at a specified date and have the benefits paid in a lump sum or installments. In connection with the PFS Bancorp’s initial public offering, Peru Federal’s board of directors amended and restated the deferred compensation plan to (i) permit the amounts credited on behalf of a participant to be invested in the common stock of PFS Bancorp and (ii) allow certain executives to participate and defer salary and cash bonuses. In addition, the board of directors adopted a rabbi trust to hold shares of common stock of PFS Bancorp that may be purchased with the amounts credited under the deferred compensation plan. Shares of common stock of PFS Bancorp purchased with amounts credited under the deferred compensation plan will be distributed in the form of common stock of PFS Bancorp.
Stock Ownership
The following table provides information, as of March 27, 2025, about the beneficial owners known to PFS Bancorp that own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock. A person may be considered to beneficially own any shares of common stock over which the person has, directly or indirectly, sole or shared voting or investment power.
| Name and Address | Number of Shares Owned | Percent of Common Stock Outstanding (1) | ||||||
| Peru Federal Savings Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan 1730 Fourth Street Peru, Illinois 61354 | 138,000 | (2) | 8.3 | % | ||||
| (1) | Based on 1,660,265 shares outstanding as of the close of business on March 27, 2025. |
| (2) | Bason on a Schedule 13G filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 6, 2025. |
The following table provides information, as of March 27, 2025, about the shares of common stock beneficially owned by each nominee for director, by each director continuing in office, by each executive officer, and by all directors and executive officers as a group. A person may be considered to beneficially own any shares of common stock over which he has, directly or indirectly, sole or shared voting or investment power. Unless otherwise indicated, each of the named individuals has sole voting power and sole investment power with respect to the shares shown and none of the named individuals has pledged his or her shares.
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| Number of Shares Owned (1) | Percent of Common Stock Outstanding (2) | |||||||
| Director Nominees and Directors Continuing in Office: | ||||||||
| James J. Brady, IV | 35,250 | (3) | 2.1 | % | ||||
| Jonathan F. Brandt | 40,000 | (4) | 2.4 | |||||
| Eric J. Heagy, CPA | 13,716 | (5) | * | |||||
| Cynthia L. Kurkowski, CPA | 25,000 | (6) | 1.5 | |||||
| Michael J. Rooney | 40,000 | (7) | 2.4 | |||||
| Dale R. Tieman | 6,180 | (8) | * | |||||
| Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors: | ||||||||
| Christopher J. Vaske | 3,095 | (9) | * | |||||
| All directors and executive officers as a group (7 persons) | 163,241 | 9.8 | % | |||||
| * | Less than 1%. |
| (1) | For each individual, indirect holdings, if any, are disclosed in a footnote. |
| (2) | Based on 1,660,265 shares outstanding as of the close of business on March 27, 2025. |
| (3) | Includes 25,000 shares held through a corporation, 250 shares held through a partnership and 10,000 shares through a trust. |
| (4) | Includes 25,000 shares held through an Individual Retirement Account and 15,000 shares held by spouse. |
| (5) | Includes 10,000 shares held through Peru Federal’s Deferred Compensation Plan, 1,900 shares held by spouse’s Individual Retirement Account, 50 shares held by child, and 1,716 shares held indirectly through the ESOP. |
| (6) | Includes 25,000 shares held through an Individual Retirement Account. |
| (7) | Includes 25,000 shares held through Peru Federal’s Deferred Compensation Plan and 15,000 shares owned by spouse. |
| (8) | Consists of shares held through Peru Federal’s Deferred Compensation Plan and 1,180 shares held indirectly through the ESOP. |
| (9) | Includes 1,095 shares held indirectly through the ESOP. |
BUSINESS Items to be Voted on by STOCKHOLDERs
Item 1 — Election of Directors
PFS Bancorp’s Board of Directors consists of six members. The Board of Directors is divided into three classes with three-year staggered terms, with approximately one-third of the directors elected each year. Each director of PFS Bancorp serves as a director of Peru Federal. The nominees for election are Jonathan F. Brandt and Michael J. Rooney.
The Board of Directors intends to vote the proxies solicited by it in favor of the election of the nominees named above. If either nominee is unable to serve, the persons named in the proxy card will vote your shares to approve the election of any substitute proposed by the Board of Directors. Alternatively, the Board of Directors may adopt a resolution to reduce the size of the Board of Directors. At this time, the Board of Directors knows of no reason why either nominee might be unable to serve.
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” all nominees for director.
Set forth below is information regarding the Board of Directors’ nominees and the directors continuing in office. Unless otherwise stated, everyone has held his or her current occupation for the last five years. The indicated age for everyone is as of December 31, 2024. The indicated period for service as a director includes service as a director of Peru Federal. There are no family relationships among the directors.
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Director Nominees for Terms Expiring in 2028
Jonathan F. Brandt (age 66; director since 2007) has served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Peru Federal since 2009. He is an attorney-at-law and primary shareholder of the law firm Duncan & Brandt, P.C. He graduated from Illinois State University before earning his law degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. He has been practicing law for 36 years with a strong emphasis on real estate law. His legal expertise provides Peru Federal’s board of directors with invaluable legal insight with respect to Peru Federal’s real estate lending operations.
Michael J. Rooney (age 69; director since 1995) is a Doctor of Optometry. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Peru Federal since 2008. Mr. Rooney joined Peru Federal in 1996 and serves on the Audit and Compensation Committees. He graduated from Creighton University in 1977 and the Illinois College of Optometry in 1981 when he entered private practice. He has been in active management of Eye Care Professionals, a multi-doctor group practice, since 1999. His community involvement has placed him on many boards of directors of not-for-profit organizations including church council, hospital, school boards and foundations. He is currently the Chair of the Lighted Way Foundation and is active in the Peru Rotary Club. His experience in health care and serving on many boards of directors over the past 42 years brings knowledge of the financial and humanitarian needs of the community to Peru Federal to facilitate Peru Federal’s ability to serve its community.
Directors Continuing in Office with Terms Expiring in 2026
James J. Brady, IV (age 56; director since 2016) is part owner and President of JB Contracting Corporation in LaSalle, IL. JB Contracting is an electrical, plumbing, and mechanical and industrial contractor that has been in business for 48 years. It was started by Mr. Brady’s father, Jim Brady, Sr., in May 1976 and now has been operated by Mr. Brady and his two brothers since 2019. JB Contracting does large, medium and small commercial and industrial projects in a 100-mile radius of LaSalle/Peru, IL. Mr. Brady started working at the age of 14 in the JB Contracting shop after school. He graduated from St. Bede Academy and attended Illinois Valley Community College and Joliet Junior College where he took electrical courses. He began his electrical apprenticeship program in 1988 with the IBEW Local 176. He worked as an electrician in the field for over 15 years before taking the role of estimator, superintendent and project manager for the electrical projects. Mr. Brady is a member of Will/Grundy Contractors Association and the Illinois Valley Contractors Association and serves on the City of Peru planning commission committee. With his 35 years of experience in the construction industry, he provides Peru Federal’s board of directors with invaluable construction insight into building and construction lending operations.
Eric J. Heagy, CPA (age 50; director since 2008) has served as President, Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer of Peru Federal since 2007. He also serves as President, Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer of PFS Bancorp. Mr. Heagy graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He joined Peru Federal in 2002 following four years in public accounting, auditing various entities including financial institutions. He began his career at Peru Federal as Controller, was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2004, and then to President and Chief Executive Officer in 2007. During his time at Peru Federal, in addition to his primary responsibilities, Mr. Heagy has guided Peru Federal in other operational areas as compliance officer, IT officer, lending officer and human resources officer. He has served the community in leadership roles of many local organizations and currently is the Board Treasurer of the Illinois Valley YMCA and Treasurer of the Peru Elementary School District 124. His 22 years of community banking experience and knowledge of Peru Federal’s business and market area provides Peru Federal’s board of directors with valuable insight to the business of Peru Federal.
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Directors Continuing in Office with Terms Expiring in 2027
Cynthia L. Kurkowski, CPA (age 66; director since 2015), now retired and inactive as a CPA, became a CPA after earning a BS in Accounting from Northern Illinois University in 1981. She began her career in the public accounting sector. In 1984, she moved to the manufacturing sector as a staff accountant. She held a variety of accounting and leadership positions in the manufacturing and retail industries before retiring in 2019. Ms. Kurkowski provides Peru Federal’s board of directors with over 36 years of financial, audit and managerial experience, with more than 20 years at the executive level. She is currently sharing her passion for accounting as a professional tutor at Illinois Valley Community College.
Dale R. Tieman (age 61; director since 2015) is the Corporate Secretary of PFS Bancorp and the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Peru Federal. Mr. Tieman has been with Peru Federal since 2001. He began his career with Peru Federal as a Financial Advisor and has advanced to different positions with Peru Federal. In 2009, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. Mr. Tieman serves on the boards of several local non-for-profit organizations. Mr. Tieman holds Series 7, 63 and 65 securities licenses and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking, Madison. With his over 26 years of community banking experience and knowledge of Peru Federal’s business and market area, Mr. Tieman provides Peru Federal’s board of directors with valuable insight into the business of Peru Federal.
Executive Officers Who Do Not Serve as Directors
Set forth below is information regarding our executive officers who do not serve as directors of PFS Bancorp. They have held their current position for at least the last five years, unless otherwise stated. The age presented is as of December 31, 2024.
Christopher J. Vaske, age 55, has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of Peru Federal since 2012. Before joining Peru Federal, he served as a commercial lending officer, commercial underwriter and credit officer for two regional financial institutions. He received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing, with a minor in finance, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. Mr. Vaske has served the community in leadership roles for many local organizations and currently is the Board Treasurer of the Lighted Way Association, Autism Foundation of the Illinois Valley, LPHS Band Parent Association, LaSalle Rotary Park Foundation and the Depue Community Unit School District 103.
Item 2 — Approval of PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan
Overview
The Company’s Board of Directors unanimously recommends that stockholders approve the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2025 Equity Plan” or “Plan”). Our Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2025 Equity Plan on February 18, 2025. The 2025 Equity Plan will become effective on May 22, 2025 (the “Plan Effective Date”) if stockholders approve the Plan on that date. No awards have been made under the 2025 Equity Plan. However, initial awards to our non-employee directors are set forth in the 2025 Equity Plan and will be self-executing on the day following the approval of the Plan by stockholders.
No awards may be granted under the 2025 Equity Plan after the day immediately before the tenth anniversary of the Plan Effective Date. However, awards outstanding under the 2025 Equity Plan at that time will continue to be governed by the 2025 Equity Plan and the award agreements under which they were granted.
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Best Practices
The 2025 Equity Plan reflects the following equity compensation plan best practices:
| ● | The Plan limits the maximum number of shares that may be issued to any one employee or one non-employee director, respectively, and to all non-employee directors as a group. For these purposes, we have generally adopted the limits set forth under the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for equity plans adopted no earlier than six months and no later than one year after a conversion stock offering, even though the 2025 Equity Plan, which is being submitted to our stockholders more than one year after the completion of our mutual-to-stock conversion, is not otherwise subject to these limits; |
| ● | The Plan provides for a minimum vesting requirement of one year for all equity-based awards, except that up to 5% of the awards may be issued (or accelerated) pursuant to awards that do not meet this requirement and any award may provide for accelerated vesting for death, disability or an involuntary termination without cause or resignation for good reason in connection with a change in control; |
| ● | Under the Plan, the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) may establish performance goals in connection with the grant of any award; |
| ● | The Plan prohibits grants of stock options with a below-market exercise price; |
| ● | The Plan prohibits repricing of stock options and cash buyout of underwater stock options without prior stockholder approval; |
| ● | The Plan prohibits the payment of dividends on restricted stock or dividend equivalent rights on restricted stock units (sometimes referred to herein as “RSUs”) until the vesting or settlement date of the underlying award and does not permit the payment of dividend equivalent rights on stock options; |
| ● | The Plan does not contain a liberal change in control definition; |
| ● | The Plan does not permit liberal share recycling. Shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding or to pay the exercise price of a stock option will not be available for future grants; |
| ● | The Plan requires “double trigger” vesting of awards upon a change in control, requiring both a change in control plus an involuntary termination or a resignation for “good reason,” except to extent an acquiror fails or refuses to assume the awards or replace them with awards issued by the acquiror; and |
| ● | Awards under the Plan may be subject to Company’s clawback policies, including under Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as well as the Company’s trading policy restrictions and hedging/pledging policy restrictions. |
| ● | The full text of the 2025 Equity Plan is attached as Appendix A to this proxy statement, and the description of the 2025 Equity Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to it. |
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Why the Company Believes You Should Vote to Approve the 2025 Equity Plan
The Board of Directors believes that equity-based incentive awards will play a key role in the success of the Company by encouraging and enabling employees, officers and non-employee directors of the Company and its subsidiaries, including Peru Federal Savings Bank (as used in this section, the Company, Peru Federal Savings Bank and their respective subsidiaries are collectively referred to as the “Company”), upon whose judgment, initiative and efforts the Company has depended and continues to largely depend for the successful conduct of its business, to acquire an ownership stake in the Company, thereby stimulating their efforts on behalf of the Company and strengthening their desire to remain with the Company. The details of the key design elements of the 2025 Equity Plan are set forth in the section entitled “Plan Summary,” below.
We view the ability to use Company common stock as part of our compensation program as an important component to our future success because we believe it will enhance a pay-for-performance culture that is an important element of our overall compensation philosophy. Equity-based compensation will further align the compensation interests of our employees and directors with the investment interests of our stockholders as it promotes a focus on long-term value creation through time-based and/or performance-based vesting criteria.
If stockholders do not approve the 2025 Equity Plan, the Company will have to rely on the cash component of its employee compensation program to attract new employees and to retain our existing employees, which may not align our employees’ interests with the investment interests of the Company’s stockholders. In addition, if the 2025 Equity Plan is not approved and the Company is not able to use stock-based awards to recruit and compensate its directors, officers and other key employees, it could be at a competitive disadvantage for key talent, which could impede our future growth plans and other strategic priorities. The inability to provide equity-based awards would likely increase cash compensation expense over time and use up cash that might be better utilized if reinvested in the Company’s business or returned to the Company’s stockholders.
Equity Awards Will Enable Us to Better Compete for Talent in Our Marketplace. Most of our competitors offer equity-based compensation to their employees and non-employee directors. We view the ability to offer equity-based compensation as important to our ability to compete for talent within our highly competitive talent marketplace. If the 2025 Equity Plan is not approved, we will be at a significant disadvantage as compared to our competitors to attract and retain our executives as well as directors and, as noted above, this could impede our ability to achieve our future growth plans and other strategic priorities.
Financial Institutions That Have Completed a Conversion Transaction Routinely Adopt Equity Based Incentive Plans. A substantial majority of financial institutions that complete a mutual-to-stock conversion have adopted equity-based compensation plans to attract, retain and reward qualified personnel and management.
Our Share Reserve is Generally Consistent with Banking Regulations and Industry Standards Disclosed in Connection with our Conversion Stock Offering. The number of restricted stock awards (including RSUs) and stock options that we may grant under the 2025 Equity Plan, measured as a percentage of total outstanding shares sold in the mutual-to-stock conversion, is consistent with that which was disclosed in connection with our stock offering in the offering prospectus. The share pool under the 2025 Equity Plan represents 14% of the 1,725,000 shares of the Company common stock sold in the mutual to stock conversion, of which a number equal to 4% of the shares sold in the stock offering (the “4% Limit”) will be available to grant as awards of restricted stock and/or RSUs (collectively, or separately, sometimes referred to herein as “full value awards”) and a number equal to 10% of shares sold in the stock offering (the “10% Limit”) is comprised of stock options (the “stock option award pool”). This share reserve size, including the limits on award types described above, is also consistent with the amounts permitted under federal banking regulations for equity plans adopted within the first year following a mutual to stock conversion. Although we are not bound by these regulatory limits because we are implementing our plan more than one year following the completion of our mutual to stock conversion, we have generally determined to maintain the size of the share reserve at that limit, subject to the following important exception.
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Determination of Shares Available under the 2025 Equity Plan
The Company is requesting approval of a pool of shares of its common stock (referred to in this proxy statement as the “share reserve” or “share pool”) for awards under the 2025 Equity Plan, subject to adjustment as described in the 2025 Equity Plan. The shares of common stock to be issued by the Company under the 2025 Equity Plan will be currently authorized but unissued shares or shares that may subsequently be acquired by the Company, including shares that may be purchased on the open market or in private transactions.
In determining the size of the share pool under the 2025 Equity Plan, the Company considered a number of factors, including: (i) industry practices related to the adoption of equity-based incentive plans by recently converted institutions; (ii) applicable banking regulations related to the adoption of equity based incentive plans; and (iii) guidelines issued by proxy advisory firms with respect to equity incentive plans, including the potential cost and dilution to stockholders associated with the share pool.
The Company disclosed to stockholders in its prospectus for its mutual to stock conversion that it expected to adopt an equity incentive plan that, if adopted within the first year following the mutual to stock conversion, would include restricted stock awards and stock options equal to 4% and 10%, respectively, of the total shares sold in the offering. Based on these percentages and the 1,725,000 shares sold in the offering, the total amount of shares available for issuance under the equity incentive plan is 241,500. As noted, this is the same number of shares we would be permitted to issue under applicable federal regulations if our equity plan had been implemented within the one-year period following our mutual-to-stock conversion. Even though we are implementing the 2025 Equity Plan more than one year after our offering, we have determined to maintain the size of the 2025 Equity Plan at the amount disclosed in our offering prospectus.
Application of Share Pool. The Company has determined that of the shares available under the Plan, 69,000 shares may be issued as restricted stock or restricted stock units, including performance shares and performance share units (representing the 4% Limit described above) and 172,500 shares may be issued upon the exercise of stock options (representing the 10% Limit described above).
Current Stock Price. The closing price of the Company common stock on the OTCQB Market on April 3, 2025 (the most recent practicable date before the printing of this proxy statement), was $10.08 per share.
Plan Summary
The following summary of the material terms of the 2025 Equity Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the 2025 Equity Plan, which is attached as Appendix A to this proxy statement.
Purpose of 2025 Equity Plan. The purpose of the 2025 Equity Plan is to promote the long-term financial success of the Company and its subsidiaries, including Peru Federal Savings Bank, by providing a means to attract, retain and reward individuals who contribute to that success and to further align their interests with those of the Company stockholders through the ownership of shares of common stock of the Company and/or through compensation tied to the value of the Company’s common stock.
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Administration of 2025 Equity Plan. The 2025 Equity Plan will be administered by the Committee or such other committee consisting of at least two “Disinterested Board Members” defined as directors who, with respect to the Company or any subsidiary: (i) are not current employees; (ii) are not former employees who continue to receive compensation (other than through a tax-qualified plan); (iii) are not officers at any time in the past three years; (iv) do not receive compensation for which disclosure would be required pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K in accordance with the proxy solicitation rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission; and (v) do not possess an interest in any other transaction and or engaged in a business relationship for which disclosure would be required under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. To the extent permitted by law, the Committee may also delegate its authority, including its authority to grant awards, to one or more persons who are not members of the Company’s Board of Directors, except that no such delegation will be permitted with respect to awards to officers who are subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Eligible Participants. Employees and non-employee members of the Boards of Directors of the Company and its subsidiaries, including Peru Federal Savings Bank, will be eligible for selection by the Committee for the grant of awards under the 2025 Equity Plan. As of [*], 2025 (the most recent practicable date before the printing of this proxy statement), approximately [*] employees of the Company and its subsidiaries and [*] non-employee directors of the Company’s Board of Directors would be eligible for awards under the 2025 Equity Plan.
Types of Awards. The 2025 Equity Plan provides for the grant of restricted stock, RSUs, non-qualified stock options (also referred to as “NQSOs”), and incentive stock options (also referred to as “ISOs”), any or all of which can be granted with performance-based vesting conditions. ISOs may be granted only to employees of the Company’s subsidiaries and affiliates.
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. A restricted stock award is a grant of common stock to a participant for no consideration, or such minimum consideration as may be required by applicable law. Restricted stock awards under the 2025 Equity Plan will be granted only in whole shares of common stock and will be subject to vesting conditions and other restrictions established by the Committee consistent with the 2025 Equity Plan. Before the awards vest, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the recipient of a restricted stock award may exercise voting rights with respect to the common stock subject to the award. Cash dividends declared on unvested restricted stock awards will be withheld by the Company and distributed to a participant at the same time the underlying restricted stock vests to the participant. Stock dividends on shares of restricted stock will be subject to the same vesting conditions as those applicable to the restricted stock on which the dividends were paid.
Restricted stock units are similar to restricted stock awards in that the value of an RSU is denominated in shares of common stock. However, unlike a restricted stock award, no shares of stock are transferred to the participant until certain requirements or conditions associated with the award are satisfied. A participant who receives an RSU award will not possess voting rights but may accrue dividend equivalent rights to the extent provided in the award agreement evidencing the award. If dividend equivalent rights are granted with respect to an RSU award, the Company will withhold the dividend equivalent rights, and they will not be distributed before the underlying RSU settles. At the time of settlement, restricted stock units can be settled in Company common stock or in cash, in the discretion of the Committee. The same limitation on the number of shares that are available to be granted as restricted stock awards available under the 2025 Equity Plan, referred to above as the 4% Limit, also applies to RSUs.
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The Committee will specify the terms applicable to a restricted stock award or an RSU award in the award agreement including the number of shares of restricted stock or number of RSUs, as well as any restrictions applicable to the restricted stock or RSU such as continued service or achievement of performance goals, the length of the restriction period and the circumstances under which the vesting of such award will accelerate.
Stock Options. A stock option gives the recipient the right to purchase shares of common stock at a specified price (referred to as the “exercise price”) for a specified period of time. The exercise price may not be less than the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. “Fair Market Value” for purposes of the 2025 Equity Plan means, if the common stock of the Company is listed on a securities exchange, the closing sales price of the common stock on that date, or, if the common stock was not traded on that date, then the closing price of the common stock on the immediately preceding trading date. If the common stock is not traded on a securities exchange, the Committee will determine the Fair Market Value in good faith and on the basis of objective criteria consistent with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Under the Plan, no stock option can be exercised more than 10 years after the date of grant and the exercise price of a stock option must be at least equal to the fair market value of a share on the date of grant of the option. However, with respect to an ISO granted to an employee who is a shareholder holding more than 10% of the Company’s total voting stock, the ISO cannot be exercisable more than five years after the date of grant and the exercise price must be at least equal to 110% of the fair market value of a share on the date of grant. Stock option awards will be subject to vesting conditions and restrictions as determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable award agreement.
Grants of stock options under the 2025 Equity Plan will be either ISOs or NQSOs. ISOs have certain tax advantages and must comply with the requirements of Code Section 422. Only employees will be eligible to receive ISOs. One of the requirements to receive favorable tax treatment available to ISOs under the Code is that the 2025 Equity Plan must specify, and the Company stockholders must approve, the number of shares available to be issued as ISOs. As a result, in order to provide flexibility to the Committee, the 2025 Equity Plan provides that all of the stock options may be issued as ISOs. Dividend equivalent rights will not be paid with respect to awards of stock options.
Shares of common stock purchased upon the exercise of a stock option must be paid for in full at the time of exercise: (1) either in cash or with stock valued at fair market value as of the day of exercise; (2) by a “cashless exercise” through a third party; (3) by a net settlement of the stock option using a portion of the shares obtained on exercise in payment of the exercise price; (4) by personal, certified or cashiers’ check; (5) by other property deemed acceptable by the Committee; or (6) by a combination of the foregoing.
Performance Awards. The Committee will specify the terms of any performance awards issued under the 2025 Equity Plan in the accompanying award agreements. Any award granted under the plan, including stock options, restricted stock (referred to herein as a “performance share”) and restricted stock units (referred to herein as a “performance share unit”) may be granted subject to the satisfaction of performance conditions determined by the Committee. A performance share or performance share unit will have an initial value equal to the fair market value of a share on the date of grant. In addition to any non-performance terms applicable to the performance share or performance share unit, the Committee will set one or more performance goals which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will generally determine the number of performance shares or performance share units that will vest in the participant (unless subject to further time-based vesting conditions). The Committee may provide for payment of earned performance share units in cash, shares of the Company’s common stock, or a combination thereof. The Committee will also specify any restrictions applicable to the performance share or performance share unit award such as continued service, the length of the restriction period (subject to the one-year minimum described above) and whether any circumstances, such as death, disability, or involuntary termination in connection with or following a change in control, shorten or terminate the restriction period.
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Performance Measures. A performance objective may be described in terms of company-wide objectives or objectives that are related to a specific subsidiary or business unit of the Company, and may be measured relative to a peer group, an index or business plan and based on absolute measures or changes in measures. An award may provide that partial achievement of performance measures results in partial payment or vesting of an award. Achievement of the performance measures may be measured over more than one period or fiscal year. In establishing performance measures applicable to a performance-based award, the Committee may provide for the exclusion of the effects of certain items, including but not limited to: (i) extraordinary, unusual, and/or nonrecurring items of gain or loss; (ii) gains or losses on the disposition of a business; (iii) dividends declared on the Company’s stock; (iv) changes in tax or accounting principles, regulations or laws; or (v) expenses incurred in connection with a merger, branch acquisition or similar transaction. Moreover, if the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of the Company or the manner in which the Company or its Subsidiaries conducts its business or other events or circumstances render current performance measures to be unsuitable, the Committee may modify the performance measures, in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate.
The Committee will specify the period over which the performance goals for a particular award will be measured and will determine whether the applicable performance goals have been met with respect to a particular award following the end of the applicable performance period. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, performance measures relating to any award granted under the Plan will be modified, to the extent applicable, to reflect a change in the outstanding shares of stock of the Company by reason of any stock dividend or stock split, or a corporate transaction, such as a merger of the Company into another corporation, any separation of a corporation or any partial or complete liquidation by the Company or a subsidiary.
Individual Limits. The Board of Directors has chosen to adopt the overall limitations set forth in federal regulations for individual and aggregate awards to employees and non-employee directors under equity plans adopted within the first year after a mutual to stock conversion. The Committee will determine the individuals to whom awards will be granted, the number of shares subject to an award, and the other terms and conditions of an award, subject to the limits set forth herein. Subject to adjustment as described in the 2025 Equity Plan:
| ● | Employee Limits. Any individual employee will not receive shares issued under any award in excess of 25% of the aggregate shares available under the 2025 Equity Plan. |
| ● | Non-Employee Director Limits. The maximum number of shares of the Company common stock that may be granted over the life of the plan to any one non-employee director shall not exceed 5% of the aggregate shares available under the 2025 Equity Plan. In addition, the maximum number of shares that may be issued, in the aggregate, to all non-employee directors under awards granted under the 2025 Equity Plan shall not exceed 30% of the aggregate shares available under the Plan. |
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Non-Employee Director Grants. Subject to approval of the 2025 Equity Plan, the Committee has determined to grant to each non-employee director of the Company a number of shares of restricted stock and stock options. If the 2025 Equity Plan is approved, these grants will be self-executing and will be granted on the day following the approval of the 2025 Equity Plan by the Company’s stockholders.
| Restricted Stock Awards | ||||||||
| Name of Non-Employee Director | Number of Awards | Dollar Value ($) (1) | ||||||
| Michael J. Rooney | 3,450 | 34,776 | ||||||
| Jonathan F. Brandt | 3,450 | 34,776 | ||||||
| James J. Brady, IV | 3,450 | 34,776 | ||||||
| Cynthia L. Kurkowski | 3,450 | 34,776 | ||||||
| Non-Employee Directors as a Group (4 persons) | 13,800 | 139,104 | ||||||
| (1) | Based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on April 3, 2025 (the latest practicable date before the printing of this proxy statement) of $10.08 per share. The actual value of the awards is not determinable since their value will depend upon the fair market value of PFS Bancorp, Inc.’s common stock on the date of grant. |
| Stock Option Awards | ||||
| Name of Non-Employee Director | Number of Awards (1) | |||
| Michael J. Rooney | 8,625 | |||
| Jonathan F. Brandt | 8,625 | |||
| James J. Brady, IV | 8,625 | |||
| Cynthia L. Kurkowski | 8,625 | |||
| Non-Employee Directors as a Group (4 persons) | 34,500 | |||
| (1) | The actual value of the stock option awards is not determinable since their value will depend upon the fair market value of the Company common stock on the date the stock option is exercised. |
The Committee determined to grant these one-time awards in this amount, in part, in recognition of the significant efforts and dedication of each such director, including in connection with the Company’s mutual-to-stock conversion. Although the grants are, in part, in recognition of past service, the initial awards to directors are expected to vest in equal annual installments over a period of five years from the date of grant, subject to the directors continued dedication and service to the Company during that time, subject to acceleration due to death, disability, involuntary termination of service in connection with a change in control or other circumstance which, in the discretion of the Committee, would warrant acceleration.
Employee Grants. At the present time, no specific determination has been made as to the grant or allocation of awards to officers and employees. However, the Committee intends to grant equity awards to senior executives and will meet after stockholder approval is received to determine the specific terms of the awards, including the allocation of awards to officers and employees.
Certain Restrictions with Respect to Awards. No dividend equivalent rights will be granted or paid with respect to any stock option. Additionally, no dividends or dividend equivalent rights will be paid on unvested awards contemporaneously with dividends paid on shares of the Company’s common stock. Instead, any dividends (or dividend equivalent rights, to the extent granted), with respect to an unvested award will be accumulated or deemed reinvested until such time as the underlying award becomes vested (including, where applicable, upon the achievement of performance goals).
The Committee will establish the vesting schedule or market or performance conditions of each award at the time of grant. However, at least 95% of the awards will vest no earlier than one year after the date of grant, unless accelerated due to death, disability or an involuntary termination of service at or following a change in control.
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Adjustments. The Committee will make equitable adjustments in the number and class of securities available for issuance under the 2025 Equity Plan (including under any awards then outstanding), the number and type of securities subject to the individual limits set forth in the 2025 Equity Plan, and the terms of any outstanding award, as it determines are necessary and appropriate, to reflect any merger, reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off combination, exchange of shares, distribution to stockholders (other than an ordinary cash dividend), or similar corporate transaction or event.
Termination of Service. Subject to certain exceptions, generally, if a participant ceases to perform services for the Company and its subsidiaries for any reason: (i) a participant will immediately forfeit any restricted stock, RSUs, performance shares and performance share units that were not vested on the date of termination; (ii) all of the participant’s stock options that were exercisable on the date of termination will remain exercisable for, and shall otherwise terminate at the end of, a period of 90 days after the date of termination, but in no event after the expiration date of the stock options; and (iii) all of the participant’s stock options that were not exercisable on the date of termination will be forfeited immediately upon termination. If a participant terminates service due to death, disability (as defined in the plan), retirement after age 65 or involuntary termination at or following a change in control, the participant or the participant’s beneficiary, as applicable, has up to one year to exercise outstanding stock options, provided that the period does not exceed the stock option award’s original term. Unless the Committee specifies otherwise in the award agreement, the 2025 Equity Plan provides that a participant shall vest in his or her dividends upon termination of the participant’s service due to death, disability, involuntary termination without cause or resignation for “good reason” (as defined in the 2025 Equity Plan) at or following a change in control.
Change in Control. Unless the Committee provides otherwise in the award agreement, any time-based vesting requirement applicable to an award will be deemed satisfied in full if (i) both a change in control occurs and a participant has an involuntary termination of service (including a resignation for good reason) with the Company or (ii) the surviving entity in the change in control does not assume or replace the award with a comparable award issued by the surviving entity. With respect to an award that is subject to one or more performance objectives, unless the Committee specifies otherwise in the award agreement, in the event of a change in control and involuntary termination of service (including a resignation for good reason) or if the surviving entity fails to assume or replace the award with a comparable award issued by the surviving entity, achievement of the performance objective will be deemed achieved at the greater of target or the actual level of performance measured as of the most recent completed fiscal quarter.
Transferability. Generally, awards granted under the 2025 Equity Plan are not transferable before death, except in limited circumstances with respect to stock options. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, stock options, including ISOs, are transferable to certain grantor trusts established by the participant in which the participant is the sole beneficiary or between spouses’ incident to divorce, in the latter case, however, any ISOs so transferred will become NQSOs. In the Committee’s sole discretion, an individual may transfer non-qualified stock options to certain family members or to a trust or partnership established for the benefit of such family member or to a charitable organization, in each case, provided no consideration is paid to the participant in connection with the transfer. However, a participant may designate a beneficiary to exercise stock options or receive any rights that may exist upon the participant’s death with respect to awards granted under the 2025 Equity Plan. Any transferee is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and applicable award agreement.
Amendment and Termination. The Board of Directors may at any time amend or terminate the 2025 Equity Plan, and the Board of Directors or the Committee may amend any award agreement for any lawful purpose, but no such action may materially adversely affect any rights or obligations with respect to any awards previously granted under the 2025 Equity Plan, except to the extent described herein. The Board of Directors or Committee may also amend the 2025 Equity Plan or an outstanding award agreement to conform the plan or award agreement to applicable law (including but not limited to Code Section 409A) or to avoid an accounting treatment resulting from an accounting pronouncement or interpretation issued by the SEC or Financial Accounting Standards Board after adoption of the plan or the grant of the award, which may materially and adversely affect the financial condition or operations of the Company. Neither the Board of Directors nor the Committee can reprice a stock option without prior stockholder approval, except in accordance with the adjustment provisions of the 2025 Equity Plan (as described above). Notwithstanding the foregoing any amendment that would materially (i) increase the benefits available under the Plan, (ii) increase the aggregate number of securities under the Plan, or (iii) materially modify the requirements for participation in the Plan must be approved by the Company’s stockholders.
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Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following is intended only as a brief summary of the federal income tax rules relevant to the primary types of awards available for issuance under the 2025 Equity Plan and is based on the terms of the Code as currently in effect. The applicable statutory provisions are subject to change in the future (possibly with retroactive effect), as are their interpretations and applications. Because federal income tax consequences may vary as a result of individual circumstances, participants are encouraged to consult their personal tax advisors with respect to their tax consequences. The following summary is limited only to United States federal income tax treatment. It does not address state, local, gift, estate, social security or foreign tax consequences, which may be substantially different.
Restricted Stock Awards. A participant generally will recognize taxable ordinary income upon the receipt of shares as a stock award or restricted stock award if the shares are not subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture,” which is generally considered to require the performance of substantial future services. The income recognized will be equal to the fair market value of the shares at the time of receipt less any purchase price paid for the shares. If the shares are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, the participant generally will recognize taxable ordinary income when the substantial risk of forfeiture lapses. If the substantial risk of forfeiture lapses in installments over several years, the participant will recognize income in each year in which the substantial risk of forfeiture lapses as to that installment. If the participant cannot sell the shares without being subject to suit under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, also known as the short swing profits rule, the shares will be treated as subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. The income recognized upon lapse of a substantial risk of forfeiture will be equal to the fair market value of the shares determined as of the time that the substantial risk of forfeiture lapses less any purchase price paid for the shares. The Company generally will be entitled to a deduction in an amount equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant, subject to the requirements of Code Section 162(m), as applicable.
Alternatively, unless prohibited by the Committee, a participant may make a timely election under Code Section 83(b) to recognize ordinary income for the taxable year in which the participant received the shares underlying an award in an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares at that time. That income will be taxable at ordinary income tax rates. If a participant makes a timely Code Section 83(b) election, the participant will not recognize income at the time the substantial risk of forfeiture lapses with respect to the shares. At the time of disposition of the shares, a participant who has made a timely Code Section 83(b) election will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized upon sale and the ordinary income recognized upon receipt of the share (increased by the amount paid for the shares, if any). If the participant forfeits the shares after making a Code Section 83(b) election, the participant will not be entitled to a deduction with respect to the income recognized as a result of the election but will be entitled to a capital loss limited to the actually amount paid for the shares (if any). To be timely, the Code Section 83(b) election must be made within 30 days after the participant receives the shares. The Company will generally be entitled to a deduction in an amount equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant at the time of the election.
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Restricted Stock Units. A participant generally is not taxed upon the grant of an RSU. Generally, if an RSU is designed to be settled on or shortly after the RSU is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, then at the time of settlement in stock or cash the participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of the shares received by the participant (subject to the short swing profits rule) and the Company will be entitled to an income tax deduction for the same amount, subject to the requirements of Code Section 162(m), as applicable. However, if an RSU is not designed to be settled on or shortly after the RSU is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, the RSU may be deemed a nonqualified deferred compensation plan under Code Section 409A. In that case, if the RSU is designed to meet the requirements of Code Section 409A, then at the time of settlement the participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of the shares received by the participant, and the Company will be entitled to an income tax deduction for the same amount. However, if the RSU is not designed to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 409A, the participant may be subject to income taxes and penalties under Code Section 409A in the event of a violation of Code Section 409A.
Nonqualified Stock Options. A participant generally is not taxed upon the grant of an NQSO. However, the participant must recognize ordinary income upon exercise of the NQSO in an amount equal to the difference between the NQSO exercise price and the fair market value of the shares acquired on the date of exercise (subject to the short swing profits rule). The Company generally will have a deduction in an amount equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant in the Company’s tax year during which the participant recognizes ordinary income, subject to the requirements of Code Section 162(m).
Upon the sale of shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an NQSO, the participant will recognize capital gain or loss to the extent that the amount realized from the sale is different than the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise. This gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year after exercise.
Incentive Stock Options. A participant is not taxed on the grant or exercise of an ISO. The difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the shares covered by the ISO on the exercise date will, however, be a preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. If a participant holds the shares acquired upon exercise of an ISO for at least two years following the ISO grant date and at least one year following exercise, the participant’s gain or loss, if any, upon a subsequent disposition of the shares is long-term capital gain or loss. The amount of the gain or loss is the difference between the proceeds received on disposition and the participant’s basis in the shares (which generally equals the ISO exercise price). If a participant disposes of shares acquired pursuant to exercise of an ISO before satisfying these holding periods and realizes an amount in excess of the exercise price, the amount realized will be taxed to the participant as ordinary income up to the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date and any additional amount realized will be taxable to the participant as capital gain in the year of disposition; however, if the exercise price exceeds the amount realized on sale, the difference will be taxed to the participant as a capital loss. The Company is not entitled to a federal income tax deduction on the grant or exercise of an ISO or on the participant’s disposition of the shares after satisfying the holding period requirement described above. If the holding periods are not satisfied, the Company will be entitled to a deduction in the year the participant disposes of the shares in an amount equal to any ordinary income recognized by the participant, subject to the requirements of Code Section 162(m).
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For an option to qualify as an ISO for federal income tax purposes, the grant of the stock option must satisfy various other conditions specified in the Code. If a stock option is intended to be an ISO but fails to qualify as an ISO, it will be taxed as an NQSO as described above.
Performance Awards. A participant generally is not taxed upon the grant of restricted stock or restricted stock units granted subject to the satisfaction of performance conditions (such restricted stock or restricted stock units will be referred to herein as “performance shares” or “performance share units”). The participant will recognize taxable income at the time of settlement of the performance share/unit in an amount equal to the amount of cash and the fair market value of the shares received upon settlement. The income recognized will be taxable at ordinary income tax rates. The Company generally will be entitled to a deduction in an amount equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant, subject to the requirements of Code Section 162(m). Any gain or loss recognized upon the disposition of the shares acquired pursuant to settlement of a performance share/unit will qualify as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year after settlement.
Code Section 280G. The terms of the award agreement evidencing an award under the 2025 Equity Plan may provide for accelerated vesting or accelerated payout of the award in connection with a change in ownership or control of the Company. In such event, certain amounts with respect to the award may be characterized as “parachute payments” under Code Section 280G. Under Code Section 280G, no federal income tax deduction is allowed to the Company for “excess parachute payments” made to “disqualified individuals,” and receipt of such payments subjects the recipient to a 20% excise tax under Code Section 4999. For this purpose, “disqualified individuals” are generally officers, shareholders or highly compensated individuals performing services for the Company, and the term “excess parachute payments” includes payments in the nature of compensation which are contingent on a change in ownership or effective control of the Company, to the extent that such payments (in present value) equal or exceed three times the recipient’s average annual taxable compensation from the Company for the previous five years. If payments or accelerations may occur with respect to awards granted under the 2025 Equity Plan, certain amounts in connection with such awards may constitute “parachute payments” and be subject to these “golden parachute” tax provisions.
Compensation of Covered Employees. The ability of the Company (or, if applicable, the ability of one of its subsidiaries) to obtain a deduction for amounts paid under the 2024 Equity Plan could be limited by Code Section 162(m). Code Section 162(m) limits the Company’s ability to deduct compensation, for federal income tax purposes, paid during any year to a “covered employee” in excess of $1,000,000. “Covered employees” for a fiscal year include any person who served as CEO or CFO of a company at any time during that fiscal year, the three other most highly compensated company executive officers for that fiscal year (whether or not employed on the last day of that fiscal year) and any other person who was a covered employee in a previous taxable year. Any awards that the Company grants pursuant to the 2024 Equity Plan to covered employees, whether performance-based or otherwise, will be subject to the $1.0 million annual deduction limitation. While the Committee intends to consider the deductibility of compensation when making equity awards, it is only one factor it considers. Because of the elimination of the performance-based compensation exemption, the Committee expects that a portion of the compensation paid to covered employees in the form of equity grants under the 2025 Equity Plan may not be deductible by the Company.
New Plan Benefits Under 2025 Equity
Except as disclosed above with respect to the self-executing grants to non-employee directors upon approval of the 2025 Equity Incentive Plan, any future awards to executive officers, non-employee directors or employees of the Company under the 2025 Equity Plan are discretionary and cannot be determined at this time. As a result, the benefits and amounts that will be received or allocated under the 2025 Equity Plan are not determinable at this time, and the Company has not included a table that reflects such future awards.
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Board Recommendation
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” approval of the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan.
Item 3 — Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Wipfli LLP served as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has appointed Wipfli LLP to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm for the 2025 fiscal year, subject to ratification by stockholders. A representative of Wipfli LLP is expected to be present at the annual meeting to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders and will have the opportunity to make a statement should he or she desire to do so.
If the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm is not ratified by a majority of the votes cast by stockholders at the annual meeting, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors will consider other independent registered public accounting firms.
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” ratification of the appointment of Wipfli LLP to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm.
Audit Fees. The following table sets forth the fees that Wipfli LLP billed for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Audit Fees (1) | $ | 101,988 | $ | 78,500 | ||||
| Audit-Related Fees (2) | 28,000 | 11,467 | ||||||
| Tax Fees | — | — | ||||||
| All Other Fees | — | 12,000 | ||||||
| (1) | Consists of fees for professional services rendered for the audit of the consolidated financial statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K and for services normally provided by the independent registered public accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. |
| (2) | Includes fees for services associated with the review of financial statements included in the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and assistance with review of documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing, setting compensation and overseeing the work of the independent registered public accounting firm. In accordance with its charter, the Audit Committee approves, in advance, all audit and permissible non-audit services to be performed by the independent registered public accounting firm. This approval process ensures that the independent registered public accounting firm does not provide any non-audit service to us prohibited by law or regulation.
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Executive Compensation
Summary Compensation Table
The following information is furnished for our principal executive officer and the two most highly compensated executive officers (other than the principal executive officer) serving during the year ended December 31, 2024, whose total compensation exceeded $100,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024. These individuals are sometimes referred to in this proxy statement as the “named executive officers.”
| Name and Principal Position(s) | Year | Salary | Bonus | All Other Compensation (2) | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Eric J. Heagy, CPA | 2024 | $ | 211,000 | $ | 25,000 | $ | 23,850 | $ | 259,850 | ||||||||||
| President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer | 2023 | 205,000 | 100,000 | (1) | 11,410 | 316,410 | |||||||||||||
| Dale R. Tieman | 2024 | $ | 150,000 | $ | 10,000 | $ | 16,012 | $ | 176,012 | ||||||||||
| Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer and Corporate Secretary | 2023 | 146,000 | 50,000 | (1) | 8,221 | 204,221 | |||||||||||||
| Christopher J. Vaske | 2024 | $ | 135,000 | $ | 10,000 | $ | 14,596 | $ | 159,596 | ||||||||||
| Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer | 2023 | 130,000 | 10,000 | 8,018 | 148,018 | ||||||||||||||
| (1) | Messrs. Heagy and Tieman elected to defer their 2023 bonuses to the Deferred Compensation Plan. |
| (2) | For 2024, All Other Compensation consists of the following: |
| Name | 401(k) Plan Matching Contribution | ESOP Allocation | Life Insurance Imputed Income | Total All Other Compensation | ||||||||||||
| Eric J. Heagy, CPA | $ | 13,264 | $ | 10,438 | $ | 148 | $ | 23,850 | ||||||||
| Dale R. Tieman | 8,845 | 6,690 | 207 | 16,012 | ||||||||||||
| Christopher J. Vaske | 7,970 | 6,272 | 354 | 14,596 | ||||||||||||
Executive Compensation
Employment Agreement with Eric J. Heagy. Peru Federal has entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Heagy, with a term of three years. On January 1st of each year, the term of the agreement will extend for an additional year, so that the term again becomes three years. However, at least 30 days before a January 1st renewal date of the term of the agreement, the disinterested members of the board of directors must conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation of Mr. Heagy and affirmatively approve any extension of the agreement for an additional year or determine not to extend the term of the agreement. If the board of directors determines not to extend the term, it must notify the executive before the applicable January 1st renewal date and the term of the agreement will expire at the end of the then current term. If a change in control occurs during the term of the employment agreement, the term of the agreement will automatically renew for three years from the date of the change in control.
The employment agreement provides Mr. Heagy with an annual base salary of $211,000. The board of directors will review the executive’s base salary at least annually and the base salary may be increased, but not decreased, except for a decrease that is generally applicable to all employees. In addition to receiving base salary, Mr. Heagy will participate in any bonus programs and benefit plans made available to senior management employees. Peru Federal will also reimburse Mr. Heagy for all reasonable business expenses incurred in performing his duties.
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If Mr. Heagy’s employment involuntary terminates for reasons other than cause, disability or death, or if he resigns for “good reason,” in either event other than in connection with a change in control, he will receive a severance payment, paid in a lump sum, equal to: (i) the base salary and bonuses (based on the highest bonus paid during the prior three years) he would have received during the remaining term of the respective employment agreement, (ii) the present value of the contributions that would have been made on his behalf under Peru Federal’s defined contribution plans as if he had continued working for Peru Federal for the remaining term of the agreement, and (iii) continued nontaxable medical and dental coverage and life insurance coverage substantially comparable, as reasonably available, to the coverage maintained by Peru Federal for him, at no cost to him, for the remaining unexpired term of the agreement.
If Mr. Heagy’s employment involuntary terminates for reasons other than cause, disability or death, or if he resigns for “good reason,” (as defined in the agreement) in either event within 18 months following a change in control, he will receive a severance payment, paid in a lump sum, equal to: (i) three times the sum of (a) the highest annual base salary paid to him at any time under the agreement, and (b) the highest bonus paid to him with respect to the three completed fiscal years before the change in control, (ii) the present value of the contributions that would have been made on his behalf under Peru Federal’s defined contribution plans as if he had continued working for Peru Federal for 36 months, and (iii) continued nontaxable medical and dental coverage and life insurance coverage substantially comparable, as reasonably available, to the coverage maintained by Peru Federal for him, at no cost to him, for 36 months. The severance benefits under the employment agreement may be reduced if the severance benefits under the employment agreement or otherwise result in “excess parachute payments” under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code.
If Mr. Heagy becomes disabled during the term of the employment agreement, he will be entitled to receive benefits under all short-term or long-term disability plans maintained by Peru Federal for its executives. To the extent such benefits are less than Mr. Heagy’s base salary, Peru Federal shall pay him an amount equal to the difference between such disability plan benefits, his social security disability benefits and the amount of his base salary for the longer of one year following the termination of his employment due to disability or the remaining term of the employment agreement, payable in accordance with the regular payroll practices of Peru Federal. In addition, he will be entitled to continued non-taxable medical and dental coverage that is substantially comparable, as reasonably available, to the coverage maintained by Peru Federal for him before the termination of his employment until the earlier of (i) the date he returns to the full-time employment of Peru Federal; (ii) his full-time employment by another employer; (iii) expiration of the remaining term of the agreement; or (iv) his death.
If Mr. Heagy dies while employed by Peru Federal, his beneficiaries will receive this base salary, payable in accordance with the regular payroll practices of Peru Federal, for one year from the date of death, and Peru Federal shall continue to provide non-taxable medical, and dental insurance benefits normally provided to his family (in accordance with its customary co-pay percentages) for 12 months after his death.
Upon termination of employment (other than a termination in connection with a change in control), Mr. Heagy will be required to adhere to a one-year non-solicitation restriction and a six month non-competition restriction.
Employment Agreement with Dale R. Tieman. Peru Federal has entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Tieman, with a term of two years. On January 1st of each year, the term of the agreement will extend for an additional year, so that the term again becomes two years. However, at least 30 days before a January 1st renewal date of the term of the agreement, the disinterested members of the board of directors must conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation of Mr. Tieman and affirmatively approve any extension of the agreement for an additional year or determine not to extend the term of the agreement. If the board of directors determines not to extend the term, it must notify Mr. Tieman before the applicable January 1st renewal date and the term of the agreement will expire at the end of the then current term. If a change in control occurs during the term of the employment agreement, the term of the agreement will automatically renew for two years from the date of the change in control.
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The employment agreement provides Mr. Tieman with an annual base salary of $155,000. The board of directors will review the base salary at least annually and it may be increased, but not decreased, except for a decrease that is generally applicable to all employees. In addition to receiving base salary, Mr. Tieman will participate in any bonus programs and benefit plans made available to senior management employees. Peru Federal will also reimburse him for all reasonable business expenses incurred in performing his duties.
If Mr. Tieman’s employment involuntary terminates for reasons other than cause, disability or death, or if he resigns for “good reason,” in either event other than in connection with a change in control, he will receive a severance payment, paid in a lump sum, equal to: (i) the base salary and bonuses (based on the highest bonus paid during the prior three years) he would have received during the remaining term of the employment agreement, (ii) the present value of the contributions that would have been made on his behalf under Peru Federal’s defined contribution plans as if he had continued working for Peru Federal for the remaining term of the agreement, and (iii) continued nontaxable medical and dental coverage and life insurance coverage substantially comparable, as reasonably available, to the coverage maintained by Peru Federal for him, at no cost to him, for the remaining unexpired term of the agreement.
If Mr. Tieman’s employment involuntary terminates for reasons other than cause, disability or death, or if he resigns for “good reason,” (as defined in the agreement) in either event within 18 months following a change in control, he will receive a severance payment, paid in a lump sum, equal to: (i) three times the sum of (a) the highest annual base salary paid to him at any time under the agreement, and (b) the highest bonus paid to him with respect to the three completed fiscal years before the change in control, (ii) the present value of the contributions that would have been made on his behalf under Peru Federal’s defined contribution plans as if he had continued working for Peru Federal, for 36 months, and (iii) continued nontaxable medical and dental coverage and life insurance coverage substantially comparable, as reasonably available, to the coverage maintained by Peru Federal for him, at no cost to him, for 36 months. The severance benefits under Mr. Tieman’s employment agreement may be reduced if the severance benefits under the employment agreement or otherwise result in “excess parachute payments” under Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code.
If Mr. Tieman becomes disabled during the term of the employment agreement, he will be entitled to receive benefits under all short-term or long-term disability plans maintained by Peru Federal for its executives. To the extent such benefits are less than his base salary, Peru Federal shall pay him an amount equal to the difference between such disability plan benefits, his social security disability benefits and the amount of his base salary for the longer of one year following the termination of his employment due to disability or the remaining term of the employment agreement, payable in accordance with the regular payroll practices of Peru Federal. In addition, he will be entitled to continued non-taxable medical and dental coverage that is substantially comparable, as reasonably available, to the coverage maintained by Peru Federal for him before the termination of his employment until the earlier of (i) the date he returns to the full-time employment of Peru Federal; (ii) his full-time employment by another employer; (iii) expiration of the remaining term of the agreement; or (iv) his death.
If Mr. Tieman dies while employed by Peru Federal, his beneficiaries will receive his base salary, payable in accordance with the regular payroll practices of Peru Federal, for one year from the date of death, and Peru Federal shall continue to provide non-taxable medical, and dental insurance benefits normally provided to his family (in accordance with its customary co-pay percentages) for 12 months after his death.
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Upon termination of employment (other than a termination in connection with a change in control), Mr. Tieman will be required to adhere to a one-year non-solicitation restriction and a six month non-competition restriction.
Salary Continuation Agreement. Peru Federal has entered into a salary continuation agreement with Mr. Heagy. Under the agreement, if Mr. Heagy separates from service after reaching the normal retirement age of age 62, he will be entitled to an annual benefit equal to $25,000. This benefit payment will begin on the first business day of the first month following the executive’s separation from service and will be payable monthly for a period of 120 months.
If Mr. Heagy separates from service before reaching normal retirement age (other than on account of death or for cause), he will be entitled to the accrued benefit (i.e., the amount accrued for GAAP purposes), paid in a lump sum on the first business day of the first month following his separation from service. If he experiences a qualifying termination of employment within two years following a change in control and before age 62, he will receive an amount equal to the present value of the normal retirement benefit under the agreement (regardless of his age at the time). The benefit will be paid to him in a lump sum on the first business day of the first month following his separation from service.
If Mr. Heagy dies before a separation from service and before age 62, his beneficiary will receive the accrued benefit paid in a lump sum on the first business day of the first month following his death. If he dies before a separation from service and after age 62, his beneficiary will receive the benefits (at the same time and in the same form) he would have continued to have received under the agreement had he survived. If he dies while receiving benefits, his beneficiary will continue to receive the benefit payments (at the same time and in the same form) he would have continued to have received under the agreement had he survived.
Deferred Compensation Plan. Peru Federal maintains the Peru Federal Savings Bank Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan, pursuant to which directors may elect to defer a portion of their director’s fees each year. Peru Federal credits the deferred amounts with earnings at a rate equivalent to the Moody’s Aaa seasoned bond rate as of December 31 of the previous year. Directors may elect to receive their deferred fees and earnings when they separate from service or at a specified date and have the benefits paid in a lump sum or installments. The plan also allows certain executives to participate and defer salary and cash bonuses. In addition, the board of directors has adopted a rabbi trust to hold shares of common stock of PFS Bancorp purchased with the amounts credited under the deferred compensation plan. Shares of common stock of PFS Bancorp purchased with amounts credited under the deferred compensation plan will be distributed in the form of common stock of PFS Bancorp.
Supplemental Life Insurance Agreement. Peru Federal has entered into a Peru Federal Savings Bank Supplemental Life Insurance Agreement with each named executive officer. Peru Federal purchased life insurance policies on the life of each named executive officer in an amount sufficient to provide for the benefits under the agreement. The named executive officer has the right to designate a beneficiary who will receive the executive’s share of the proceeds payable upon the executive’s death. Peru Federal owns the policies and paid the premium due on the policies. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, upon the death of a covered executive before a separation from service, the executive’s beneficiary, would be entitled to the lesser of (i) one times the covered executive’s annual base salary or (ii) the net death proceeds. The “net death proceeds” amount equals the total death benefit of a life insurance policy less the cash surrender value of the policy.
401(k) Plan. Peru Federal maintains the Peru Federal Savings Bank Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plan, a tax-qualified defined contribution plan for eligible employees. The named executive officers are eligible to participate in the 401(k) plan on the same terms as other eligible employees.
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Under the 401(k) plan, a participant may elect to defer, on a pre-tax basis, the maximum amount of compensation permitted by the Internal Revenue Code. In addition to salary deferral contributions, Peru Federal currently makes two types of contributions: (i) a contribution equal to 3.0% of a participant’s compensation, even if such participant does not elect to make salary deferral contributions, and (ii) matching contributions at the level of 50% of the participant’s salary deferral on the first 5% of the participant’s compensation (for a total possible employer match of 2.5%).
A participant is always 100% vested in his or her salary deferral contributions. A participant will vest in matching and other employer contributions at the rate of 20% per year of service, beginning after two years of service, so that a participant will become fully vested after completing six years of credited service.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Peru Federal maintains the Peru Federal Savings Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan (the “ESOP”), a tax-qualified defined contribution plan for eligible employees. The named executive officers are eligible to participate in the ESOP Plan on the same terms as other eligible employees of Peru Federal.
The ESOP trustee holds the shares of PFS Bancorp common stock purchased by the ESOP in an unallocated suspense account, and shares will be released from the suspense account on a pro-rata basis as the trustee repays the loan made by PFS Bancorp used to purchase the shares. The trustee will allocate the shares released among participants based on each participant’s proportional share of compensation relative to all participants. A participant will vest in his or her account balance based on his or her years of service at the rate of 20% per year of service, beginning after two years of service, so that a participant will be fully vested after completing six years of credited service.
Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2024
There were no equity awards outstanding to any of the named executive officers as of December 31, 2024.
Policies and Practices Related to the Grant of Certain Equity Awards
PFS Bancorp did not grant any stock options to its executive officers, including the named executive officers, during the year ended December 31, 2024.
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Other Information Relating to Directors and Executive Officers
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires PFS Bancorp’s executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of any registered class of our equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities Exchange Commission. Executive officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders are required by regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file.
Based solely on our review of the copies of the reports we have received and of written representations provided to us by the individuals required to file the reports, we believe that each executive officer, director and greater than 10% beneficial owner has complied with applicable reporting requirements for transactions in PFS Bancorp common stock during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Transactions with Related Persons
Loans and Extensions of Credit. Federal law generally prohibits publicly traded companies from making loans and extensions of credit to their executive officers and directors, but it contains a specific exemption from such prohibition for loans made by federally insured financial institutions, such as Peru Federal, to their executive officers and directors in compliance with federal banking regulations. Federal regulations permit executive officers and directors to receive the same terms that are widely available to other employees as long as the director or executive officer is not given preferential treatment compared to the other participating employees. All loans made to our executive officers and directors that were outstanding as of December 31, 2024, were made in the ordinary course of business and on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable loans with persons not related to Peru Federal and did not involve more than the normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features. All such other loans were performing according to their original repayment terms as of December 31, 2024, and were made in compliance with federal banking regulations.
Other Transactions. Jonathan F. Brandt, a director of PFS Bancorp and Peru Federal, is an attorney-at-law and the primary shareholder of the law firm of Duncan & Brandt, PC. The law firm performs legal work for Peru Federal. For the year ended December 31, 2024, Peru Federal paid legal fees to the law firm of $75,100. These fees were paid in the ordinary course of business and on substantially the same terms and conditions as for unrelated third parties.
Submission of STOCKHOLDER Business Proposals and Nominations
PFS Bancorp must receive proposals that shareholders seek to include in the proxy statement for its next annual meeting no later than December 18, 2025. If next year’s annual meeting is held on a date that is more than 30 calendar days from May 22, 2026, a shareholder proposal must be received by a reasonable time before we begin to print and mail our proxy solicitation materials for such annual meeting. Any shareholder proposals will be subject to the requirements of the proxy rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Under Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 14a-19, a stockholder intending to engage in a director election contest with respect to the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2026 must give PFS Bancorp notice of its intent to solicit proxies by providing the name(s) of its nominee(s) and certain other information at least 60 calendar days before the anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting. If next year’s annual meeting is held on a date that is more than 30 calendar days from May 22, 2026, then notice must be given by the later of 60 calendar days before the date of the annual meeting or the 10th calendar day following the day on which PFS Bancorp first makes public announcement of the date of the annual meeting.
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In addition to the requirement set forth under Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 14a-19, under PFS Bancorp’s bylaws, for a stockholder to properly bring business before an annual meeting or make nominations for the election of directors, the stockholder must give written notice to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive office not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred (100) days before the anniversary of the prior year’s annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days before the anniversary of the prior year’s annual meeting of stockholders, such written notice shall be timely only if delivered or mailed to and received by the Corporate Secretary at the principal executive office no earlier than the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting is first made and not later than the 10th day following the earlier of the day notice of the meeting was mailed to stockholders or such public disclosure was made. Such written notice must also contain the information specified by the Bylaws. A copy of the Bylaws may be obtained by contacting our Corporate Secretary.
STOCKholder Communications
Stockholders who wish to communicate with the Board of Directors or an individual director should do so in writing to PFS Bancorp, Inc., 1730 Fourth Street, Peru, Illinois 61354. Communications regarding financial or accounting policies may be made, in writing, to the Chair of the Audit Committee, at the same address. All other communications should be sent in writing to the attention of the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee at the same address.
Miscellaneous
PFS Bancorp will pay the cost of this proxy solicitation and will reimburse brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for reasonable expenses they incur in sending proxy materials to the beneficial owners of PFS Bancorp common stock. In addition to soliciting proxies by mail, our directors, officers and regular employees may solicit proxies personally or by telephone without receiving additional compensation. PFS Bancorp has also engaged Laurel Hill Advisory Group, LLC to assist in the proxy solicitation for a fee of $6,500, plus reimbursable expenses.
PFS Bancorp’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, is included with this proxy statement. Any stockholder who has not received a copy of the Form 10-K may obtain a copy by writing to our Corporate Secretary or by accessing a copy online. See “Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be Held on May 22, 2025.” The Form 10-K is not to be treated as part of the proxy solicitation material or as having been incorporated in this proxy statement by reference.
If you and others who share your address own your shares of PFS Bancorp common stock in “street name,” your broker or other holder of record may be sending only one annual report and proxy statement to your address. This practice, known as “householding,” is designed to reduce our printing and postage costs. However, if a stockholder residing at such an address wishes to receive a separate annual report or proxy statement in the future, the stockholder should contact the broker or other holder of record. If you own your shares in “street name” and are receiving multiple copies of our annual report and proxy statement, you can request householding by contacting your broker or other holder of record.
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Please vote by marking, signing, dating and promptly returning a proxy card or by voting via the Internet.
| BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |
| Dale R. Tieman | |
| Corporate Secretary |
Peru, Illinois
April 17, 2025
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Appendix A
PFS BANCORP, INC.
2025 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
ARTICLE 1 — GENERAL
Section 1.1. Purpose, Effective Date and Term. The purpose of the PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to promote the long-term financial success of PFS Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”), and its Subsidiaries, including Peru Federal Savings Bank (the “Bank”), by providing a means to attract, retain and reward individuals who contribute to that success and to further align their interests with those of the Company’s shareholders through the ownership of additional shares of common stock of the Company and/or through compensation tied to the value of the Company’s common stock. The “Effective Date” of the Plan will be the date on which the Plan satisfies the applicable shareholder approval requirements. The Plan will remain in effect for as long as Awards are outstanding; provided, however, that no Awards may be granted under the Plan after the day immediately before the ten-year anniversary date of the Effective Date.
Section 1.2. Administration. The Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) in accordance with Section 5.1.
Section 1.3. Participation. Each individual who is granted or holds an Award in accordance with the terms of the Plan will be a Participant in the Plan (a “Participant”). The grant of Awards will be limited to Employees and Directors of the Company or any Subsidiary.
Section 1.4. Definitions. Capitalized terms used in this Plan are defined in Article 8 and elsewhere in this Plan.
ARTICLE 2 — AWARDS
Section 2.1. General. Any Award under the Plan may be granted singularly or in combination with another Award or other Awards. Each Award under the Plan will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and any additional terms, conditions, limitations and restrictions as the Committee provides with respect to the Award and as evidenced in an Award Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of an Award Agreement and the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.2(d), an Award may be granted as an alternative to or replacement of an existing Award under the Plan or any other plan of the Company or any Subsidiary or as the form of payment for grants or rights earned or due under any other compensation plan or arrangement of the Company or any Subsidiary, including without limitation the plan of any entity acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary. The types of Awards that may be granted under the Plan include Stock Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units, and any Award may be granted as a Performance Award.
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Section 2.2. Stock Options. A Stock Option is a grant that represents the right to purchase shares of Stock at an established Exercise Price.
(a) Grant of Stock Options. Each Stock Option will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that specifies: (i) the number of shares of Stock covered by the Stock Option; (ii) the date of grant of the Stock Option and the Exercise Price; (iii) the vesting period or conditions to vesting or exercisability (whether time- and/or performance-based); and (iv) any other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan, including the effect of termination of a Participant’s employment or Service, as the Committee may, in its discretion, prescribe. Any Stock Option may be either an Incentive Stock Option that is intended to satisfy the requirements applicable to an “Incentive Stock Option” (or “ISO”) described in Code Section 422(b), or a Non-Qualified Option that is not intended to be an ISO; provided, however, that no ISOs may be granted: (i) after the day immediately before the ten-year anniversary of the Effective Date or the date on which the Plan is approved by the Board of Directors, whichever is earlier; or (ii) to a non-Employee. Unless otherwise specifically provided by its terms, any Stock Option granted to an Employee under this Plan will be an ISO to the maximum extent permitted. Any ISO granted under this Plan that does not qualify as an ISO for any reason (whether at the time of grant or as the result of a subsequent event) will be deemed to be a Non-Qualified Option. In addition, any ISO granted under this Plan may be unilaterally modified by the Committee to disqualify it from ISO treatment, so that it becomes a Non-Qualified Option; provided, however, that any such modification will be ineffective if it causes the Option to be subject to Code Section 409A (unless, as modified, the Option complies with Code Section 409A). The maximum number of Shares that can be issued as ISOs under the Plan is set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(b) Other Terms and Conditions. A Stock Option will become exercisable in accordance with its terms and conditions and during the period(s) established by the Committee. In no event, however, will a Stock Option expire later than ten (10) years after the date of its grant (or five (5) years with respect to ISOs granted to a 10% Shareholder). The Exercise Price of each Stock Option may not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant (or, if greater, the par value of a share of Stock); provided, however, that the Exercise Price of an ISO may not be less than 110% of Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant if granted to a 10% Shareholder; provided further, that the Exercise Price may be higher or lower in the case of Stock Options granted or exchanged in replacement of existing Awards held by an employee or director of an acquired entity. The payment of the Exercise Price will be by cash or, subject to limitations imposed by applicable law, by any other means as the Committee may from time to time permit, including: (i) by tendering, either actually or constructively by attestation, shares of Stock valued at Fair Market Value as of the day of exercise; (ii) by irrevocably authorizing a third party, acceptable to the Committee, to sell shares of Stock (or a sufficient portion of the shares) acquired upon exercise of the Stock Option and to remit to the Company a sufficient portion of the sale proceeds to pay the entire Exercise Price and any tax withholding resulting from the exercise; (iii) by a net settlement of the Stock Option, using a portion of the shares of Stock obtained on exercise in payment of the Exercise Price (and if applicable, any tax withholding); (iv) by personal, certified or cashier’s check; (v) by other property deemed acceptable by the Committee; or (vi) by any combination thereof. The total number of shares of Stock that may be acquired upon the exercise of a Stock Option shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share, with cash-in-lieu paid by the Company, at its discretion, for the value of any fractional share.
(c) Prohibition of Cash Buy-Outs of Underwater Stock Options. Under no circumstances will any Stock Option with an Exercise Price as of an applicable date that is greater than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock as of the same date that was granted under the Plan be bought back by the Company without shareholder approval.
(d) Prohibition Against Repricing. Except for adjustments pursuant to Section 3.4, and reductions of the Exercise Price approved by the Company’s shareholders, neither the Committee nor the Board of Directors shall have the right or authority to make any adjustment or amendment that reduces or would have the effect of reducing the Exercise Price of a Stock Option previously granted under the Plan, whether through amendment, cancellation (including cancellation in exchange for a cash payment in excess of the Award’s in-the-money value or in exchange for Options or other Awards), replacement grants, or other means.
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Section 2.3 Restricted Stock.
(a) Grant of Restricted Stock. A Restricted Stock Award is a grant of a share or shares of Stock for no consideration or such minimum consideration as may be required by applicable law, subject to a time-based vesting schedule or the satisfaction of market conditions or performance conditions. Each Restricted Stock Award will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that specifies (i) the number of shares of Stock covered by the Restricted Stock Award; (ii) the date of grant of the Restricted Stock Award; (iii) the vesting period (whether time- and/or performance-based); and (iv) any other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan, including the effect of termination of a Participant’s employment or Service. All Restricted Stock Awards will be in the form of issued and outstanding shares of Stock. Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee determines, including electronically and/or solely on the books and records maintained by the transfer agent. If certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that the certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to the Restricted Stock (including that the Restricted Stock may not be sold, encumbered, hypothecated or otherwise transferred except in accordance with the terms of the Plan and Award Agreement) and/or that the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock.
(b) Terms and Conditions. Each Restricted Stock Award will be subject to the following terms and conditions:
(i) Rights and Restrictions. Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, or as otherwise provided in the Plan. The restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), in such installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. A Participant granted Restricted Stock will have all of the rights of a shareholder, including the right to vote the Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends thereon provided, however, that dividends payable with respect to Restricted Stock Awards (whether paid in cash or shares of Stock) will be subject to the same vesting conditions applicable to the Restricted Stock and will, if vested, be delivered or paid at the same time as the restrictions on the Restricted Stock to which they relate lapse.
(ii) Tender Offers and Merger Elections. Each Participant to whom a Restricted Stock Award is granted will have the right to respond, or to direct the response, with respect to the related shares of Restricted Stock, to any tender offer, exchange offer, cash/stock merger consideration election or other offer made to, or elections made by, the holders of shares of Stock. The direction for any of the shares of Restricted Stock shall be given by proxy or ballot if the Participant is the beneficial owner of the shares of Restricted Stock for voting purposes or, if the Participant is not the beneficial owner for voting purposes, by completing and filing, with the inspector of elections, the trustee or such other person who shall be independent of the Company, as the Committee shall designate in the direction, a written direction in the form and manner prescribed by the Committee. If no direction is given, then the shares of Restricted Stock will not be tendered.
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Section 2.4. Restricted Stock Units.
(a) Grant of Restricted Stock Unit Awards. A Restricted Stock Unit is an Award, the value of which is denominated in shares of Stock that will be paid in Stock, including Restricted Stock, cash (measured based upon the value of a share of Stock) or a combination thereof, at the end of a specified period. A Restricted Stock Unit is subject to a vesting schedule or the satisfaction of market conditions or performance conditions. Each Restricted Stock Unit will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that specifies: (i) the number of Restricted Stock Units covered by the Award; (ii) the date of grant of the Restricted Stock Unit; (iii) the Restriction Period and the vesting period (whether time- and/or performance-based); and (iv) any other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan, including the effect of termination of a Participant’s employment or Service.
(b) Other Terms and Conditions. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award will be subject to the following terms and conditions:
(i) The Committee shall impose any other conditions and/or restrictions on any Restricted Stock Unit Award as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, a requirement that Participants pay a stipulated purchase price for each Restricted Stock Unit, time-based restrictions and vesting following the attainment of performance measures, restrictions under applicable laws or under the requirements of any Exchange or market on which shares of Stock may be listed, or holding requirements or sale restrictions placed by the Company upon vesting of Restricted Stock Units.
(ii) The conditions for grant or vesting and the other provisions of Restricted Stock Units (including without limitation any applicable performance measures) need not be the same with respect to each recipient. An Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be settled as and when the Restricted Stock Units vest or, in the case of Restricted Stock Units subject to performance measures, after the Committee has determined that the performance goals have been satisfied.
(iii) Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement, during the period, if any, set by the Committee, commencing on the date of grant of the Restricted Stock Unit for which the Participant’s continued Service is required (the “Restriction Period”), and until the later of (A) the expiration of the Restriction Period and (B) the date the applicable performance measures (if any) are satisfied, the Participant shall not be permitted to sell, assign, transfer, pledge or otherwise encumber Restricted Stock Units.
(iv) A Participant will have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units. No dividends will be paid on Restricted Stock Units. In the sole discretion of the Committee, exercised at the time of grant, Dividend Equivalent Rights may be assigned to Restricted Stock Units. A Dividend Equivalent Right, if any, will be paid at the same time as the shares of Stock or cash subject to the Restricted Stock Unit are distributed to the Participant and is otherwise subject to the same rights and restrictions as the underlying Restricted Stock Unit.
Section 2.5. Vesting of Awards. The Committee shall specify the vesting schedule or market or performance conditions of each Award at the time of grant. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, at least ninety-five percent (95%) of the Awards available under the Plan shall vest no earlier than one (1) year after the date of grant, unless accelerated due to death, Disability, or an Involuntary Termination at or following a Change in Control.
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Section 2.6. Deferred Compensation. Subject to approval by the Committee before an election is made, an Award of Restricted Stock Units may be deferred pursuant to a valid deferral election made by a Participant. If a deferral election is made by a Participant, the Award Agreement shall specify the terms of the deferral and shall constitute the deferral plan pursuant to the requirements of Code Section 409A. If any Award would be considered “deferred compensation” as defined under Code Section 409A (“Deferred Compensation”), the Committee reserves the absolute right (including the right to delegate such right) to unilaterally amend the Plan or the Award Agreement, without the consent of the Participant, to maintain exemption from, or to comply with, Code Section 409A. Any amendment by the Committee to the Plan or an Award Agreement pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall maintain, to the extent practicable, the original intent of the applicable provision without violating Code Section 409A. A Participant’s acceptance of any Award under the Plan constitutes acknowledgement and consent to the rights of the Committee, without further consideration or action. Any discretionary authority retained by the Committee pursuant to the terms of this Plan or pursuant to an Award Agreement shall not apply to an Award that is determined to constitute Deferred Compensation, if the discretionary authority would contravene Code Section 409A.
Section 2.7. Effect of Termination of Service on Awards. The Committee shall establish the effect of a Termination of Service on the continuation of rights and benefits available with respect to an Award and, in so doing, may make distinctions based upon, among other things, the reason(s) for the Termination of Service and type of Award. Unless otherwise specified by the Committee and set forth in an Award Agreement or as set forth in an employment or severance agreement between the Company and/or a Subsidiary and the Participant, the following provisions will apply to each Award granted under this Plan:
(a) Upon a Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason other than due to Disability, death, Retirement or for Cause, Stock Options shall be exercisable only as to the portion of the Award that was immediately exercisable by the Participant at the date of termination, and the Stock Options may be exercised only for a period of three (3) months following termination and any Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit that has not vested as of the date of Termination of Service shall expire and be forfeited.
(b) In the event of a Termination of Service for Cause, all Stock Options granted to a Participant that have not been exercised (whether or not vested) and all Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units granted to a Participant that have not vested shall expire and be forfeited.
(c) Upon Termination of Service for reason of Disability or death, any Service-based Stock Options shall be fully exercisable, whether or not then exercisable, and all Service-based Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units shall vest as to all shares subject to an outstanding Award, whether or not otherwise immediately vested, at the date of Termination of Service. Upon Termination of Service for reason of Disability or death, any Awards that vest based on the achievement of performance targets shall vest, pro-rata, by multiplying (i) the number of Awards that would be obtained based on achievement at target (or if actual achievement of the performance measures is greater than the target level, at the actual achievement level) as of the date of Disability or death, by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of whole months the Participant was in Service during the performance period and the denominator of which is the number of months in the performance period. Stock Options may be exercised for a period of one (1) year following a Termination of Service due to death or Disability; provided, however, that no Stock Option shall be eligible for treatment as an ISO if the Stock Option is exercised more than one year following Termination of Service due to Disability and provided, further, in order to obtain ISO treatment for Stock Options exercised by heirs or devisees of an optionee, the optionee’s death must have occurred while employed or within three (3) months following Termination of Service.
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(d) In the event of Termination of Service due to Retirement, a Participant’s vested Stock Options will be exercisable for one (1) year following Termination of Service. No Stock Option shall be eligible for treatment as an ISO if the Stock Option is exercised more than three (3) months following Termination of Service due to Retirement. Any Stock Option, Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit that has not vested as of the date of Termination of Service shall expire and be forfeited.
(e) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Stock Option shall be exercisable beyond the last day of the original term of the Stock Option.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 2.7, the effect of a Change in Control on the vesting/exercisability of Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units is set forth in Article 4.
Section 2.8. Holding Period for Vested Awards. As a condition of receipt of an Award, the Award Agreement may require a Participant to agree to hold a vested Award or shares of Stock received upon exercise of a Stock Option for a period of time specified in the Award Agreement (“Holding Period”). In connection with the foregoing, a Participant may be required to retain direct ownership of Covered Shares until the earlier of (i) the expiration of the Holding Period following the date of vesting or (ii) such person’s termination of employment with the Company and any Subsidiary. The foregoing limitation, if applicable, shall not apply to the extent that an Award vests due to death, Disability or an Involuntary Termination at or following a Change in Control, or to the extent that (x) a Participant directs the Company to withhold or the Company elects to withhold shares of Stock with respect to the vesting or exercise, or, in lieu thereof, to retain, or to sell without notice, a sufficient number of shares of Stock to cover the amount required to be withheld or (y) a Participant exercises a Stock Option by a net settlement, and in the case of (x) and (y) herein, only to the extent of the shares are withheld for tax purposes or for purposes of the net settlement.
ARTICLE 3 — SHARES SUBJECT TO PLAN
Section 3.1. Available Shares. The shares of Stock with respect to which Awards may be made under the Plan shall be shares currently authorized but unissued, currently held or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, subsequently acquired by the Company, including shares purchased in the open market or in private transactions.
Section 3.2. Share Limitations.
(a) Share Reserve. Subject to the following provisions of this Section 3.2, the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be delivered to Participants and their beneficiaries under the Plan shall be equal to 241,500 shares of Stock. The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be delivered pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options (all of which may be granted as ISOs) is 172,500 shares of Stock, which represents 10.0% of the number of shares sold in connection with the Bank’s conversion from the mutual form of organization to the stock form of organization and the Company’s related stock offering effective as of October 17, 2023 (the “Conversion”). The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be issued as Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units is 69,000 shares of Stock, which represents 4.0% of the number of shares sold in connection with the Conversion. The aggregate number of shares available for grant under this Plan and the number of shares of Stock subject to outstanding awards shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3.4.
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(b) Computation of Shares Available. For purposes of this Section 3.2 and in connection with the granting of a Stock Option, Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit, the number of shares of Stock available for the grant shall be reduced by the number of shares previously granted, subject to the following provisions of this Section 3.2(b). To the extent any shares of Stock covered by an Award (including Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units) under the Plan are not delivered to a Participant or beneficiary for any reason, including because the Award is forfeited or canceled or because a Stock Option is not exercised, then the shares shall not be deemed to have been delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of shares of Stock available for delivery under the Plan. To the extent that: (i) a Stock Option is exercised by using an actual or constructive exchange of shares of Stock to pay the Exercise Price; (ii) shares of Stock are withheld to satisfy tax withholding upon exercise or vesting of an Award granted hereunder; or (iii) shares are withheld to satisfy the Exercise Price of Stock Options in a net settlement of Stock Options, then the number of shares of Stock available shall be reduced by the gross number of Stock Options exercised or Stock returned to satisfy tax withholding, rather than by the net number of shares of Stock issued.
Section 3.3. Limitations on Grants to Employees and Directors and Automatic Grants to Non-Employee Directors.
(a) Award Limitations. No individual Employee shall receive Awards representing more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the Stock available for issuance under the Plan. Non-Employee Directors (i.e., directors who are not also Employees of the Company or any Subsidiary) shall not receive, individually, Awards representing more than five percent (5%) of the Stock available for issuance under the Plan, and in the aggregate, shall not receive more than thirty percent (30%) of the Stock available for issuance as Awards under the Plan.
(b) Automatic Grant to Non-Employee Directors. Each non-Employee Director of the Board of Directors of the Company who is in the Service of the Company immediately following the Company’s 2025 annual stockholder meeting at which stockholders approve the Plan (“2025 Annual Meeting”) shall automatically be granted an Award of Stock Options and Restricted Stock as follows:
(i) Stock Options – Non-Employee Directors. Each non-Employee Director of the Board of Directors of the Company who is in the Service of the Company immediately following the 2025 Annual Meeting, shall receive, on the day immediately following the Effective Date, a grant of 8,625 Stock Options, which represents 5% of the Stock Options available for issuance under the Plan. These grants will vest at the rate of 20% per year, subject to acceleration in the event of death, Disability or an Involuntary Termination at or following a Change in Control.
(ii) Restricted Stock Awards – Non-Employee Directors. Each non-Employee Director of the Board of Directors of the Company who is in the Service of the Company immediately following the 2025 Annual Meeting shall receive, on the day immediately following the Effective Date, a grant of 3,450 shares of Restricted Stock, which represents 5% of the Restricted Stock available for issuance under the Plan. These grants will vest at the rate of 20% per year, subject to acceleration in the event of death, Disability or an Involuntary Termination at or following a Change in Control.
(c) Awards Subject to Adjustment. The aggregate number of shares available for grant under this Plan and the number of shares subject to outstanding Awards, including the limit on the number of Awards available for grant under this Plan described in this Section 3.3, shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3.4.
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Section 3.4. Corporate Transactions.
(a) General. In the event any recapitalization, reclassification, forward or reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, or exchange of shares of Stock or other securities, stock dividend or other special and nonrecurring dividend or distribution (whether in the form of cash, securities or other property), liquidation, dissolution, or increase or decrease in the number of shares of Stock without consideration, or similar corporate transaction or event, affects the shares of Stock such that an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants under the Plan and/or under any Award granted under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in an equitable manner, adjust any or all of: (i) the number and kind of securities deemed to be available thereafter for grants of Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units in the aggregate to all Participants and individually to any one Participant; (ii) the number and kind of securities that may be delivered or deliverable in respect of outstanding Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units; and (iii) the Exercise Price of Stock Options. In addition, the Committee is authorized to adjust the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units (including, without limitation, cancellation of any such Awards in exchange for the in-the-money value, if any, of the vested portion thereof, or substitution or exchange of any such Awards for similar awards denominated in stock of a successor or other entity) in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, acquisitions and dispositions of businesses or assets) affecting the Company or any parent or Subsidiary or the financial statements of the Company or any parent or Subsidiary, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles.
(b) Merger in Which Company is Not Surviving Entity. In the event of any merger, consolidation, or other business reorganization (including, but not limited to, a Change in Control) in which the Company is not the surviving entity, any Stock Options granted under the Plan which remain outstanding shall be converted into Stock Options to purchase voting common equity securities of the business entity which survives the merger, consolidation or other business reorganization having substantially the same terms and conditions as the outstanding Stock Options under this Plan and reflecting the same economic benefit (as measured by the difference between the aggregate Exercise Price and the value exchanged for outstanding shares of Stock in the merger, consolidation or other business reorganization), all as determined by the Committee before the consummation of the merger, consolidation or other business reorganization. Similarly, any Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units which remain outstanding shall be assumed by and become Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units of the business entity which survives the merger, consolidation or other business reorganization. If the acquiring entity fails or refuses to assume the Company’s outstanding Awards, any Service-based Awards shall vest immediately at or immediately before the effective time of the merger, consolidation or other business reorganization. Any Awards subject to performance-based vesting conditions shall vest in the same manner as required under Section 4.1(c) hereof at the time of the merger, consolidation or other business reorganization, as if the holder thereof incurred an Involuntary Termination of Service on that date. Unless another treatment is specified in the documents governing the merger, consolidation or other business organization, in the case of vested Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, holders thereof shall receive on the effective date of the transaction, the same value as received by a holder of a share of Stock, multiplied by the number of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units held, and in the case of a holder of Stock Options, the holder shall receive the difference, in cash, between the aggregate Exercise Price of the holder’s outstanding Stock Options and the value exchanged for outstanding shares of Stock in the merger, consolidation or other business reorganization.
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Section 3.5. Delivery of Shares. Delivery of shares of Stock or other amounts under the Plan shall be subject to the following:
(a) Compliance with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Company shall have no obligation to deliver any shares of Stock or make any other distribution of benefits under the Plan unless the delivery or distribution complies with all applicable laws (including, the requirements of the Securities Act), and the applicable requirements of any Exchange or similar entity.
(b) Certificates. To the extent that the Plan provides for the issuance of shares of Stock, the issuance may be effected on a non-certificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the applicable rules of any Exchange.
ARTICLE 4 — CHANGE IN CONTROL
Section 4.1. Consequence of a Change in Control. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.5 (relating to vesting and acceleration) and Section 3.4 (relating to the adjustment of shares), and except as otherwise provided in the Plan or determined by the Committee and set forth in an Award Agreement:
(a) At the time of an Involuntary Termination at or following a Change in Control, all service-based Stock Options then held by the Participant shall become fully earned and exercisable (subject to the expiration provisions otherwise applicable to the Stock Option). All Stock Options may be exercised for a period of one (1) year following the Participant’s Involuntary Termination, provided, however, that no Stock Option shall be eligible for treatment as an ISO if the Stock Option is exercised more than three (3) months following a termination of employment.
(b) At the time of an Involuntary Termination at or following a Change in Control, all Service-based Awards of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested immediately.
(c) In the event of an Involuntary Termination at or following a Change in Control, unless otherwise specified in the Award Agreement, any Performance Award will vest based on the greater of the target level of performance or actual annualized performance measured as of the most recent completed fiscal quarter.
Section 4.2. Definition of Change in Control. For purposes of this Plan, the term “Change in Control” shall mean the consummation by the Company or the Bank, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, of any of the following:
(a) Merger. The merger, consolidation or other business combination or similar reorganization of the Company or the Bank, whether in one or a series of related steps (the “Combination”), if, immediately following the effectiveness of the Combination, either (A) less than two-thirds of the board directors or other governing body (the “Surviving Board”) of the entity paying the transaction consideration in such Combination, whether cash and/or securities, is composed of individuals who, immediately before effectiveness of the Combination, were serving on the board of directors or other governing body of the Company or the Bank, or (B) less than sixty percent (60%) of the combined voting power of the securities having the right to vote in an election of the Surviving Board is beneficially owned (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, by persons who, immediately before effectiveness of such Combination, were shareholders of the Company or the Bank;
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(b) Acquisition of Significant Share Ownership. A person or persons acting in concert, other than the Company, has or have become the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the combined voting power of the securities having the right to vote in an election of the board of directors of the Company or the Bank (“Voting Securities”); provided, however, that this clause (b) shall not apply to beneficial ownership of the Company’s or the Bank’s Voting Securities held by an entity of which the Company directly or indirectly beneficially owns fifty percent (50%) or more of its outstanding Voting Securities;
(c) Change in Board Composition. During any period of two consecutive years, individuals who constitute the Board of Directors (or, if the Company ceases to be the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of a majority of the Voting Securities of the Bank, the Bank) at the beginning of such two-year period cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the board of Directors of the Company or the Bank, as applicable; provided, however, that for purposes of this sentence, an individual shall be deemed to have been a Director at the beginning of such period if such individual was elected, or nominated for election, by the board of Directors of the Company or the Bank, as applicable, by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Directors who were Directors at the beginning of the two-year period or were so elected or nominated by such Directors; or
(d) Sale of Assets. The sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the Bank to any person, group or entity.
In addition, if an Award constitutes Deferred Compensation, and the settlement of, or distribution of benefits under, the Award is to be triggered solely by a Change in Control, then with respect to the Award, a Change in Control shall be defined as required under Code Section 409A, as in effect at the time of the transaction.
ARTICLE 5 — COMMITTEE
Section 5.1. Administration. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which shall be composed of at least two Disinterested Board Members. Any members of the Committee who do not qualify as Disinterested Board Members shall abstain from participating in any discussion or decision to make or administer Awards that are made to Participants who at the time of consideration for such Award are persons subject to the short-swing profit rules of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors (or if necessary to maintain compliance with the applicable listing standards, those members of the Board of Directors who are “independent directors” under the corporate governance statutes or rules of any national Exchange on which the Company lists, has listed or seeks to list its securities) may, in their discretion, take any action and exercise any power, privilege or discretion conferred on the Committee under the Plan with the same force and effect under the Plan as if done or exercised by the Committee.
Section 5.2. Powers of Committee. The administration of the Plan by the Committee shall be subject to the following:
(a) The Committee shall have the authority and discretion to select those persons who receive Awards, to determine the time or times of receipt, to determine the types of Awards and the number of shares of Stock covered by the Awards, to establish the terms, conditions, features (including automatic exercise in accordance with Section 7.18), performance criteria, restrictions (including without limitation, provisions relating to non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality), and other provisions of the Awards (subject to the restrictions imposed by Article 6), to cancel or suspend Awards and to reduce, eliminate or accelerate any restrictions or vesting requirements applicable to an Award at any time after the grant of the Award; provided, however, that the Committee shall not exercise its discretion to accelerate an Award within the first year following the date of grant if the exercise of such discretion would result in more than five percent (5%) of the aggregate awards under the Plan vesting in less than one year from the date of grant as provided for in Section 2.5, or to extend the time period to exercise a Stock Option, unless the extension is consistent with Code Section 409A.
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(b) The Committee shall have the authority and discretion to interpret the Plan, to establish, amend and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and to make all other determinations that may be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.
(c) The Committee shall have the authority to define terms not otherwise defined herein.
(d) In controlling and managing the operation and administration of the Plan, the Committee shall take action in a manner that conforms to the charter and bylaws of the Company and applicable corporate law.
(e) The Committee shall have the authority to: (i) suspend a Participant’s right to exercise a Stock Option during a blackout period (or similar restricted period) (a “Blackout Period”) or to exercise in a particular manner (i.e., such as a “cashless exercise” or “broker-assisted exercise”) to the extent that the Committee deems it necessary or in the best interests of the Company in order to comply with the securities laws and regulations issued by the SEC; and (ii) to extend the period to exercise a Stock Option by a period of time equal to the Blackout Period, provided that the extension does not violate Code Section 409A, the Incentive Stock Option requirements or applicable laws and regulations.
Section 5.3. Delegation by Committee. Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law, the applicable rules of an Exchange upon which the Company lists its shares or the Plan, or as necessary to comply with the exemptive provisions of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, the Committee may allocate all or any portion of its responsibilities and powers to any one or more of its members and may delegate all or any part of its responsibilities and powers to any person or persons selected by it, including: (a) delegating to a committee of one or more members of the Board of Directors who are not “non-employee directors,” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3, the authority to grant Awards under the Plan to eligible persons who are not then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act; or (b) delegating to a committee of one or more members of the Board of Directors who would be eligible to serve on the Compensation Committee of the Company pursuant to the listing requirements imposed by any national securities exchange on which the Company lists, has listed or seeks to list its securities, the authority to grant awards under the Plan. The acts of the delegates shall be treated hereunder as acts of the Committee and the delegates shall report regularly to the Committee regarding the exercise of delegated duties and responsibilities and any Awards so granted. Any such allocation or delegation may be revoked by the Committee at any time.
Section 5.4. Information to be Furnished to Committee. As may be permitted by applicable law, the Company and its Subsidiaries will furnish the Committee with data and information it determines may be required for it to discharge its duties. The records of the Company and its Subsidiaries as to a Participant’s employment, termination of employment, leave of absence, reemployment and compensation will be conclusive on all persons unless determined by the Committee to be manifestly incorrect. Subject to applicable law, Participants and other persons entitled to benefits under the Plan must furnish the Committee any evidence, data or information as the Committee considers desirable to carry out the terms of the Plan.
Section 5.5. Committee Action. The Committee shall hold meetings, and may make administrative rules and regulations, as it may deem proper. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the action of a majority of the members of the Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present, as well as actions taken pursuant to the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the Committee without holding a meeting, shall be deemed to be actions of the Committee. Subject to Section 5.1, all actions of the Committee, including interpretations of provisions of the Plan, will be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Company, Participants and all other interested parties. Any person dealing with the Committee shall be fully protected in relying upon any written notice, instruction, direction or other communication signed by a member of the Committee or by a representative of the Committee authorized to sign the same in its behalf.
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ARTICLE 6 — AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
Section 6.1. General. The Board of Directors may, as permitted by law, at any time, amend or terminate the Plan, and the Board of Directors or the Committee may amend any Award Agreement, provided, however, that no amendment or termination (except as provided in Sections 2.6, 3.4 and 6.2) may cause the Award to violate Code Section 409A, may cause the repricing of a Stock Option, or, in the absence of written consent to the change by the affected Participant (or, if the Participant is not then living, the affected beneficiary), adversely impair the rights of any Participant or beneficiary under any Award before the date the amendment is adopted by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that, no amendment may (a) materially increase the benefits accruing to Participants under the Plan, (b) materially increase the aggregate number of securities which may be issued under the Plan, other than pursuant to Section 3.4, or (c) materially modify the requirements for participation in the Plan, unless the amendment is approved by the Company’s shareholders.
Section 6.2. Amendment to Conform to Law and Accounting Changes. Notwithstanding any provision in this Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, the Committee may amend the Plan or any Award Agreement, to take effect retroactively or otherwise, as deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of: (i) conforming the Plan or the Award Agreement to any present or future law relating to plans of this or similar nature (including, but not limited to, Code Section 409A); or (ii) avoiding an accounting treatment resulting from an accounting pronouncement or interpretation thereof issued by the SEC or by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) after the adoption of the Plan or the making of the Award affected thereby, which, in the sole discretion of the Committee, may materially and adversely affect the financial condition or results of operations of the Company. By accepting an Award under this Plan, each Participant agrees and consents to any amendment made pursuant to this Section 6.2 to any Award granted under the Plan without further consideration or action.
ARTICLE 7 — GENERAL TERMS
Section 7.1. No Implied Rights.
(a) No Rights to Specific Assets. Neither a Participant nor any other person shall by reason of participation in the Plan acquire any right in or title to any assets, funds or property of the Company or any Subsidiary whatsoever, including any specific funds, assets, or other property which the Company or any Subsidiary, in its sole discretion, may set aside in anticipation of a liability under the Plan. A Participant shall have only a contractual right, evidenced by an Award Agreement, to the shares of Stock or amounts, if any, payable or distributable under the Plan, unsecured by any assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, and nothing contained in the Plan shall constitute a guarantee that the assets of the Company or any Subsidiary shall be sufficient to pay any benefits to any person.
(b) No Contractual Right to Employment or Future Awards. The Plan does not constitute a contract of employment, and selection as a Participant will not give any participating Employee the right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary or any right or claim to any benefit under the Plan, unless the right or claim has specifically accrued under the terms of the Plan. No individual shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under the Plan, or, having been so selected, to receive a future Award under the Plan.
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(c) No Rights as a Shareholder. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or in an Award Agreement, no Award shall confer upon the holder thereof any rights as a shareholder of the Company before the date on which the individual fulfills all conditions for receipt of such rights.
Section 7.2. Transferability. Except as otherwise so provided by the Committee, Stock Options under the Plan are not transferable except: (i) as designated by the Participant by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; (ii) to a trust established by the Participant, if under Code Section 671 and applicable state law, the Participant is considered the sole beneficial owner of the Stock Option while held in trust; or (iii) between spouses incident to a divorce or pursuant to a domestic relations order, provided, however, in the case of a transfer within the meaning of Section 7.2(iii), the Stock Option shall not qualify as an ISO as of the day of the transfer. The Committee shall have the discretion to permit the transfer of vested Stock Options (other than ISOs) under the Plan; provided, however, that such transfers shall be limited to Immediate Family Members of Participants, trusts and partnerships established for the primary benefit of Immediate Family Members or to charitable organizations, and; provided, further, that the transfers are not made for consideration to the Participant.
Awards of Restricted Stock shall not be transferable, except in the event of death, before the time that the Awards vest in the Participant. A Restricted Stock Unit Award is not transferable, except in the event of death, before the time that the Restricted Stock Unit Award vests in the Participant and the property in which the Restricted Stock Unit is denominated is distributed to the Participant or the Participant’s Beneficiary.
A Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Agreement applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.
Section 7.3. Designation of Beneficiaries. A Participant may file with the Company a written designation of a beneficiary or beneficiaries under this Plan and may from time to time revoke or amend any such designation. Any designation of beneficiary under this Plan shall be controlling over any other disposition, testamentary or otherwise (unless the disposition is pursuant to a domestic relations order); provided, however, that if the Committee is in doubt as to the entitlement of any beneficiary to any Award, the Committee may determine to recognize only the legal representative of the Participant, in which case the Company, the Committee and the members thereof shall not be under any further liability to anyone.
Section 7.4. Non-Exclusivity. Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board of Directors nor the submission of the Plan to the shareholders of the Company for approval (and any subsequent approval by the shareholders of the Company) shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board of Directors or the Committee to adopt other incentive arrangements as may deemed desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units and/or Stock Options and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
Section 7.5. Eligibility for Form and Time of Elections/Notification Under Code Section 83(b). Unless otherwise specified herein, each election required or permitted to be made by any Participant or other person entitled to benefits under the Plan, and any permitted modification or revocation thereof, shall be filed with the Company at such times, in such form, and subject to such restrictions and limitations, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall require. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Committee may, on the date of grant or at a later date, as applicable, prohibit an individual from making an election under Code Section 83(b). If the Committee has not prohibited an individual from making this election, an individual who makes this election shall notify the Committee of the election within ten (10) days of filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service or as otherwise required by the Committee. This requirement is in addition to any filing and notification required under the regulations issued under the authority of Code Section 83(b).
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Section 7.6. Evidence. Evidence required of anyone under the Plan may be by certificate, affidavit, document or other written information upon which the person is acting considers pertinent and reliable, and signed, made or presented by the proper party or parties.
Section 7.7. Tax Withholding.
(a) Payment by Participant. Each Participant shall, no later than the date as of which the value of an Award or of any Stock or other amounts received thereunder first becomes includable in the gross income of the Participant for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee regarding payment of, any Federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld by the Company with respect to such income. The Company and its Subsidiaries shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Participant. The Company's obligation to deliver evidence of book entry (or stock certificates) to any Participant is subject to and conditioned on tax withholding obligations being satisfied by the Participant.
(b) Payment in Stock. The Committee may require the Company's tax withholding obligation to be satisfied, in whole or in part, by the Company withholding from shares of Stock to be issued pursuant to any Award a number of shares with an aggregate Fair Market Value (as of the date the withholding is effected) that would satisfy the withholding amount due; provided, however, that the amount withheld does not exceed the maximum statutory tax rate or such lesser amount as is necessary to avoid liability accounting treatment. For purposes of share withholding, the Fair Market Value of withheld shares shall be determined in the same manner as the value of Stock includible in income of the Participants.
Section 7.8. Action by Company or Subsidiary. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Company or any Subsidiary shall be by resolution or unanimous written consent of its board of directors, or by action of one or more members of the board of directors (including a committee of the board of directors) who are duly authorized to act for the board of directors, or (except to the extent prohibited by applicable law or applicable rules of the Exchange on which the Company lists its securities) by a duly authorized officer of the Company or Subsidiary.
Section 7.9. Successors. All obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successor to the Company, whether the existence of the successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business, stock, and/or assets of the Company.
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Section 7.10. Indemnification. To the fullest extent permitted by law and the Company’s governing documents, each person who is or shall have been a member of the Committee, or of the Board of Directors, or an officer of the Company to whom authority was delegated in accordance with Section 5.3, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss (including amounts paid in settlement), cost, liability or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf, unless such loss, cost, liability, or expense is a result of his or her own willful misconduct or except as expressly provided by statute or regulation. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s charter or bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless. The foregoing right to indemnification shall include the right to be paid by the Company the expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, if required by applicable law, an advancement of expenses shall be made only upon delivery to the Company of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such persons to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses.
Section 7.11. No Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise permitted by the Committee, no fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award Agreement. The Committee shall determine whether cash or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional shares or whether the fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated by rounding down.
Section 7.12. Governing Law. The Plan, all Awards granted hereunder, and all actions taken in connection herewith shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois without reference to principles of conflict of laws, except as superseded by applicable federal law. The federal and state courts located in the State of Illinois shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim, action, complaint or lawsuit brought under the terms of the Plan. By accepting any Award, each Participant and any other person claiming any rights under the Plan agrees to submit himself or herself and any legal action that brought with respect to the Plan, to the sole jurisdiction of such courts for the adjudication and resolution of any such disputes.
Section 7.13. Benefits Under Other Plans. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee or as set forth in a Qualified Retirement Plan, non-qualified plan or other benefit plan, Awards to a Participant (including the grant and the receipt of benefits) under the Plan shall be disregarded for purposes of determining the Participant’s benefits under, or contributions to, any Qualified Retirement Plan, non-qualified plan and any other benefit plans maintained by the Participant’s employer. The term “Qualified Retirement Plan” means any plan of the Company or a Subsidiary that is intended to be qualified under Code Section 401(a).
Section 7.14. Validity. If any provision of this Plan is determined to be illegal or invalid for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, but this Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision has never been included herein.
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Section 7.15. Notice. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, all written notices and all other written communications to the Company provided for in the Plan or in any Award Agreement, shall be delivered personally or sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid (provided that international mail shall be sent via overnight or two-day delivery), or sent by facsimile, email or prepaid overnight courier to the Company at its principal executive office. Notices, demands, claims and other communications shall be deemed given: (a) in the case of delivery by overnight service with guaranteed next day delivery, the next day or the day designated for delivery; (b) in the case of certified or registered U.S. mail, five (5) days after deposit in the U.S. mail; or (c) in the case of facsimile or email, the date upon which the transmitting party received confirmation of receipt; provided, however, that in no event shall any such communications be deemed to be given later than the date they are actually received, provided they are actually received.
If a communication is not received, it shall only be deemed received upon the showing of an original of the applicable receipt, registration or confirmation from the applicable delivery service. Communications that are to be delivered by U.S. mail or by overnight service to the Company shall be directed to the attention of the Company’s Corporate Secretary, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement.
Section 7.16. Forfeiture Events. The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. These events include, but are not limited to, termination of employment for Cause, termination of the Participant’s provision of Services to the Company or any Subsidiary, violation of material Company or Subsidiary policies, breach of noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that may apply to the Participant, or other conduct of the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company or any Subsidiary.
Section 7.17. Awards Subject to Company Policies and Restrictions.
(a) Clawback Policies. Awards granted hereunder are subject to any Clawback Policy maintained by the Company, whether pursuant to the provisions of Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Act, implementing regulations thereunder, or otherwise.
(b) Trading
Policy Restrictions. Option exercises and other Awards under the Plan shall be subject to the
(c) Hedging/Pledging Policy Restrictions. Awards under the Plan shall be subject to the Company’s policies relating to hedging and pledging as such may be in effect from time to time.
Section 7.18. Automatic Exercise. In the sole discretion of the Committee exercised in accordance with Section 5.2(a), any Stock Options that are exercisable but unexercised as of the day immediately before the tenth anniversary of the date of grant (or other expiration date) may be automatically exercised, in accordance with procedures established for this purpose by the Committee, but only if the Exercise Price is less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on that date and the automatic exercise will result in the issuance of at least one (1) whole share of Stock to the Participant after payment of the Exercise Price and any applicable tax withholding requirements. Payment of the Exercise Price of a Stock Option and any applicable tax withholding requirements with respect to Stock Options shall be made by a net settlement of the Stock Option whereby the number of shares of Stock to be issued upon exercise are reduced by a number of shares having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price and any applicable tax withholding.
Section 7.19. Regulatory Requirements. The grant and settlement of Awards shall be conditioned upon and subject to compliance with Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. 1828(k), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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ARTICLE 8 — DEFINED TERMS
In addition to the other definitions contained herein, unless otherwise specifically provided in an Award Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:
“10% Shareholder” means an individual who, at the time of grant, owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company.
“Award” means any Stock Option, Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit or any other right or interest relating to Stock or cash, granted to a Participant under the Plan.
“Award Agreement” means the document (in whatever medium prescribed by the Committee and whether or not a signature is required or provided by a Participant) that evidences the terms and conditions of an Award. A copy of the Award Agreement will be provided (or made available electronically) to each Participant.
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Cause” shall, with respect to any Participant, have the same meaning as “cause” or “for cause” (or any similar term) set forth in any employment, change in control, consulting, or other agreement for the performance of services or severance between the Participant and the Company or a Subsidiary or, in the absence of any such agreement or any such definition in an agreement, the term “Cause” means termination because of a Participant’s personal dishonesty, incompetence, willful misconduct, breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit, material breach of the Company’s or the Bank’s (or other Subsidiary’s) Code of Ethics, material violation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requirements for officers of public companies that in the reasonable opinion of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or the Bank or the Board of Directors will likely cause substantial financial harm or substantial injury to the reputation of the Bank or the Company, willfully engaging in actions that in the reasonable opinion of the Board of Directors will likely cause substantial financial harm or substantial injury to the business reputation of the Bank or the Company, intentional failure to perform stated duties, willful violation of any law, rule or regulation (other than routine traffic violations or similar offenses) or final cease-and-desist order, or material breach of any provision of the contract.
“Change in Control” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 4.2.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any rules, regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder, as modified from time to time.
“Covered Shares” means any shares acquired by a Participant pursuant to an Award granted under this Plan, net of taxes and transaction costs. For these purposes, “taxes and transaction costs” include, without limitation: (i) shares retained by the Company to satisfy tax withholding requirements attributable to Awards, and (ii) any taxes payable by the Participant related to Awards that are in excess of the amounts withheld in accordance with clause “(i).”
“Director” means a member of the Board of Directors or of a board of directors of a Subsidiary.
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“Disability.” If the Participant is a party to a written employment agreement (or other similar written agreement) with the Company or a Subsidiary that provides a definition of “Disability” or “Disabled,” then, for purposes of this Plan, the terms “Disability” or “Disabled” will have meaning set forth in that agreement. In the absence of such a definition, “Disability” will be defined in accordance with the Bank’s long-term disability plan. In the absence of a long-term disability plan or to the extent that an Award is subject to Code Section 409A, “Disability” or “Disabled” shall mean that a Participant has been determined to be disabled by the Social Security Administration. Except to the extent prohibited under Code Section 409A, if applicable, the Committee shall have discretion to determine if a Disability has occurred.
“Disinterested Board Member” means a member of the Board of Directors who: (i) is not a current Employee of the Company or a Subsidiary; (ii) is not a former employee of the Company or a Subsidiary who receives compensation for prior Services (other than benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan) during the taxable year; (iii) has not been an officer of the Company or a Subsidiary for the past three (3) years; (iv) does not receive compensation from the Company or a Subsidiary, either directly or indirectly, for services as a consultant or in any capacity other than as a Director except in an amount for which disclosure would not be required pursuant to Item 404 of SEC Regulation S-K in accordance with the proxy solicitation rules of the SEC, as amended or any successor provision thereto; and (v) does not possess an interest in any other transaction, and is not engaged in a business relationship for which disclosure would be required pursuant to Item 404(a) of SEC Regulation S-K under the proxy solicitation rules of the SEC, as amended or any successor provision thereto. The term Disinterested Board Member shall be interpreted in a manner as shall be necessary to conform to the requirements of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the corporate governance standards imposed on compensation committees under the listing requirements imposed by any Exchange on which the Company lists or seeks to list its securities.
“Dividend Equivalent Right” means the right, associated with a Restricted Stock Unit, to receive a payment, in cash or shares of Stock, as applicable, equal to the amount of dividends paid on a share Stock, as specified in the Award Agreement.
“Employee” means any person employed by the Company or a Subsidiary, including Directors who are employed by the Company or a Subsidiary.
“Exchange” means any national securities exchange on which the Stock may from time to time be listed or traded.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the rules, regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder, as modified from time to time.
“Exercise Price” means the price established with respect to a Stock Option pursuant to Section 2.2.
“Fair Market Value” on any date, means: (i) if the Stock is listed on an Exchange, national market system or automated quotation system, the closing sales price on that Exchange or over such system on that date or, in the absence of reported sales on that date, the closing sales price on the immediately preceding date on which sales were reported; or (ii) if the Stock is not listed on an Exchange, national market system or automated quotation system, “Fair Market Value” shall mean a price determined by the Committee in good faith on the basis of objective criteria consistent with the requirements of Code Section 422 and applicable provisions of Code Section 409A.
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“Good Reason.” A termination of employment by an Employee will be deemed a termination of employment for “Good Reason” as a result of the Participant’s resignation from the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
(i) a material diminution in Participant’s base compensation;
(ii) a material diminution in Participant’s authority, duties or responsibilities; or
(iii) a change in the geographic location at which Participant must perform his duties that is more than twenty-five (25) miles from the location of Participant’s principal workplace.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant is a party to an employment, change in control, severance or similar agreement that provides a definition for “Good Reason” or a substantially similar term, then the occurrence of any event set forth in such definition.
Notwithstanding further, in the event an Award is subject to Code Section 409A, then “Good Reason” shall be defined in accordance with Code Section 409A, including the requirement that a Participant gives 60 days’ notice to the Company or the Subsidiary for whom the Participant is employed of the Good Reason condition and the Company or Subsidiary, as applicable, will have 30 days to cure the Good Reason condition. Any distribution of an Award subject to Code Section 409A shall be subject to the distribution timing rules of Code Section 409A, including any delay in the distribution of such Award, which rules shall be set forth in the Award Agreement.
“Immediate Family Member” means with respect to any Participant: (i) any of the Participant’s children, stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, spouses, former spouses, siblings, nieces, nephews, mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers-in-law or sisters-in-law, including relationships created by adoption; (ii) any natural person sharing the Participant’s household (other than as a tenant or employee, directly or indirectly, of the Participant); (iii) a trust in which any combination of the Participant and persons described in section (i) or (ii) above own more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial interests; (iv) a foundation in which any combination of the Participant and persons described in sections (i) or (ii) above control management of the assets; or (v) any other corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which any combination of the Participant and persons described in sections (i) or (ii) above control more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests.
“Involuntary Termination” means the Termination of Service of a Participant by the Company or Subsidiary (other than termination for Cause) or termination of employment by an Employee for Good Reason.
“Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.2.
“Non-Qualified Option” means the right to purchase shares of Stock that is either: (i) designated as a Non-Qualified Option; (ii) granted to a Participant who is not an Employee; or (iii) granted to an Employee but does not satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422.
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“Performance Award” means an Award that vests in whole or in part upon the achievement of one or more specified performance measures, as determined by the Committee. The conditions for grant or vesting and the other provisions of a Performance Award (including without limitation any applicable performance measures) need not be the same with respect to each recipient. A Performance Award shall vest, or as to Restricted Stock Units be settled, after the Committee has determined that the performance goals have been satisfied. Performance measures may be based on the performance of the Company as a whole or on any one or more Subsidiaries or business units of the Company or a Subsidiary and may be measured relative to a peer group, an index or a business plan and may be considered as absolute measures or changes in measures. The terms of an Award may provide that partial achievement of performance measures may result in partial payment or vesting of the award or that the achievement of the performance measures may be measured over more than one period or fiscal year. In establishing any performance measures, the Committee may provide for the exclusion of the effects of the certain items, including but not limited to the following: (i) extraordinary, unusual, and/or nonrecurring items of gain or loss; (ii) gains or losses on the disposition of a business; (iii) dividends declared on the Company’s stock; (iv) changes in tax or accounting principles, regulations or laws; or (v) expenses incurred in connection with a merger, branch acquisition or similar transaction. Subject to the preceding sentence, if the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of the Company or the manner in which the Company or its Subsidiaries conducts its business or other events or circumstances render current performance measures to be unsuitable, the Committee may modify the performance measures, in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, performance measures relating to any Award hereunder will be modified, to the extent applicable, to reflect a change in the outstanding shares of Stock of the Company by reason of any stock dividend or stock split, or a corporate transaction, such as a merger of the Company into another corporation, any separation of a corporation or any partial or complete liquidation by the Company or a Subsidiary. If a Participant is promoted, demoted or transferred to a different business unit during a performance period, the Committee may determine that the selected performance measures or applicable performance period are no longer appropriate, in which case, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may: (i) adjust, change or eliminate the performance measures or change the applicable performance period; or (ii) cause to be made a cash payment to the Participant in an amount determined by the Committee
“Restricted Stock” or “Restricted Stock Award” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.3(a).
“Restricted Stock Unit” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.4(a).
“Retirement” or “Retired” means, unless otherwise specified in an Award Agreement, retirement from employment or service on or after attainment of age 65. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if an Employee or Director has not had a Termination of Service as defined in this Plan, the Employee or Director shall not be deemed to have Retired for purposes of forfeiture of non-vested Awards, vesting in Awards or reducing the exercise period of Options issued hereunder.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules, regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder and modified from time to time.
“Service” means the uninterrupted provision of services as an Employee or Director of the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, and includes service as a director emeritus or advisory director. Service will not be deemed interrupted in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence for military service or sickness, or for any other purpose approved by the Company or a Subsidiary, if the Employee’s right to re-employment is guaranteed either by a statute or by contract or under the policy pursuant to which the leave of absence was granted or if the Committee otherwise so provides in writing, (ii) transfers among the Company, any Subsidiary, or any successor entities, in any capacity of Employee or Director, or (iii) any change in status as long as the individual remains in the service of the Company or a Subsidiary in any capacity of Employee or Director (except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement).
“Stock” means the common stock of the Company, $0.01 par value per share.
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“Stock Option” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.2.
“Subsidiary(ies)” means any corporation, affiliate, bank or other entity which would be a subsidiary corporation with respect to the Company as defined in Code Section 424(f) and, other than with respect to an ISO, also means any partnership or joint venture in which the Company and/or other Subsidiary owns more than 50% of the capital or profits interests.
“Termination of Service” means the first day occurring on or after a grant date on which the Participant ceases to be an Employee or Director (including a director emeritus or advisory director) of the Company or any Subsidiary, regardless of the reason for such cessation, subject to the following:
(i) The Participant’s cessation of Service as an Employee shall not be deemed to occur by reason of the transfer of the Participant between the Company and a Subsidiary or between two Subsidiaries.
(ii) The Participant’s cessation as an Employee shall not be deemed to occur by reason of the Participant’s being on a bona fide leave of absence from the Company or a Subsidiary approved by the Company or Subsidiary otherwise receiving the Participant’s Services, provided the leave of absence does not exceed six (6) months, or if longer, so long as the Employee retains a right to reemployment with the Company or Subsidiary under an applicable statute or by contract. For these purposes, a leave of absence constitutes a bona fide leave of absence only if there is a reasonable expectation that the Employee will return to perform Services for the Company or Subsidiary. If the period of leave exceeds six (6) months and the Employee does not retain a right to reemployment under an applicable statute or by contract, the employment relationship is deemed to terminate on the first day immediately following the six-month period. For purposes of this sub-section, to the extent applicable, an Employee’s leave of absence shall be interpreted by the Committee in a manner consistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(1).
(iii) If, as a result of a sale or other transaction, the Subsidiary for whom Participant is employed (or to whom the Participant is providing Services) ceases to be a Subsidiary, and the Participant is not, following the transaction, an Employee of the Company or an entity that is then a Subsidiary, then the occurrence of the transaction shall be treated as the Participant’s Termination of Service caused by the Participant being discharged by the entity by which the Participant is employed or to which the Participant is providing Services.
(iv) Except to the extent Code Section 409A may be applicable to an Award, and subject to the foregoing paragraphs of this sub-section, the Committee shall have discretion to determine if a Termination of Service has occurred and the date on which it occurred. If any Award under the Plan constitutes Deferred Compensation (as defined in Section 2.6), the term Termination of Service shall be interpreted by the Committee in a manner consistent with the definition of “Separation from Service” as defined under Code Section 409A and under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(ii). For purposes of this Plan, a “Separation from Service” shall have occurred if the employer and Participant reasonably anticipate that no further Services will be performed by the Participant after the date of the Termination of Service (whether as an employee or as an independent contractor) or the level of further Services performed will be less than 50% of the average level of bona fide Services in the thirty-six (36) months immediately preceding the Termination of Service. If a Participant is a “Specified Employee,” as defined in Code Section 409A and any payment to be made hereunder shall be determined to be subject to Code Section 409A, then if required by Code Section 409A, the payment or a portion of the payment (to the minimum extent possible) shall be delayed and shall be paid on the first day of the seventh month following Participant’s Separation from Service.
(v) With respect to a Participant who is a Director, cessation as a Director will not be deemed to have occurred if the Participant continues as a director emeritus or advisory director. With respect to a Participant who is both an Employee and a Director, termination of employment as an Employee shall not constitute a Termination of Service for purposes of the Plan so long as the Participant continues to provide Service as a Director or director emeritus or advisory director.
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2025 1.Election of Directors (1) Jonathan F. Brandt (2) Michael J. Rooney 2.Approve PFS Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan. 3. Ratify appointment of Wipfli LLP to serve as independent registered public accounting firm. PFS BANCORP, INC. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE PROXY CARD IF YOU ARE VOTING ELECTRONICALLY OR BY TELEPHONE. FOLD HERE • DO NOT SEPARATE • INSERT IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED Signature_________________________________Signature, if held jointly__________________________________ Date__________, 2025 Note: Please sign exactly as name appears hereon. When shares are held by joint owners, both should sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, or corporate officer, please give title as such. Please mark your votes like this X FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN INTERNET/MOBILE – www.cstproxyvote.com Use the Internet to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card available when you access the above website. Follow the prompts to vote your shares. PHONE – 1 (866) 894-0536 Use a touch-tone telephone to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card available when you call. Follow the voting instructions to vote your shares. MAIL – Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided. Your Internet/Mobile or telephone vote authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares of common stock in the same manner as if you marked, signed, dated and returned your proxy card. Votes submitted electronically via the Internet/ Mobile or by telephone must be received by 11:59 p.m., Central Time, on May 21, 2025. YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE VOTE TODAY. IMMEDIATE - 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week or by Mail Vote by Internet or Telephone - QUICK EASY REVOCABLE PROXY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” ALL DIRECTOR NOMINEES AND “FOR” PROPOSALS 2 AND 3. 196958 PFS Bancorp Proxy Card Front CONTROL NUMBER FOR WITHHOLD AUTHORITY |
2025 FOLD HERE • DO NOT SEPARATE • INSERT IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED Important Notice Regarding the Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders The Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and the Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at: https://www.cstproxy.com/pfsbancorp/2025 PFS BANCORP, INC. REVOCABLE PROXY THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The undersigned appoints James J. Brady, IV, Eric J. Heagy, Cynthia L. Kurkowski and Dale R. Tieman, and each of them with full power of substitution, to act as proxies for the undersigned and authorizes each of them to represent and to vote, as designated on the reverse hereof, all of the shares of common stock of PFS Bancorp, Inc. which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of PFS Bancorp, Inc. to be held on May 22, 2025, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof. THIS PROXY, WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED AND DATED, WILL BE VOTED AS INDICATED. IF NO CONTRARY INDICATION IS MADE, THE PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR ALL” DIRECTOR NOMINEES AND “FOR” PROPOSALS 2 AND 3, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JUDGMENT OF THE PERSONS NAMED AS PROXY HEREIN, ON ANY OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE ANNUAL MEETING. (Continued and to be marked, dated and signed, on the other side) 196958 PFS Bancorp Proxy Card Back |