UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION
14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(AMENDMENT NO. )
Filed by
the Registrant
x
Filed by
a Party other than the Registrant __
Check the appropriate
box:
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PreliminaryProxy Statement
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CONFIDENTIAL, FOR USE OF THE COMMISSION ONLY (AS PERMITTED BY RULE
14a-6(e)(2))
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x
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Definitive
Proxy Statement
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DefinitiveAdditional Materials
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SolicitingMaterial Pursuant to Section
240.14a-12
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THE SAVANNAH BANCORP,
INC.
(NAME OF
REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
(NAME OF
PERSON(S) FILING PROXY STATEMENT, IF OTHER THAN THE REGISTRANT)
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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(1)
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Title
of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
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(2)
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Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
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(3)
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Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was determined):
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(4)
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Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
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Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
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Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
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(1)
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Amount
Previously Paid:
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(2)
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Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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The
Savannah Bancorp, Inc.
25
Bull Street
Savannah,
Georgia 31401
912-629-6500
March 21,
2008
Dear
Shareholder,
We are
pleased to invite you to attend the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of The
Savannah Bancorp, Inc. which will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 24,
2008 at the DeSoto Hilton Hotel, 15 East Liberty Street, Savannah,
Georgia.
Enclosed
is the Secretary's official Notice of Annual Meeting, a Proxy Statement and a
Proxy card. Please complete, date and sign the enclosed proxy
card and return it promptly to the Company in the envelope provided even if you
do not plan to attend the annual meeting. If you attend the meeting,
you may vote in person even if you have previously returned your proxy
.
If you
own stock in brokerage accounts and receive this information from ADP Proxy
Services, you may also vote shares using the Internet. Please follow
the instructions on the enclosed voting materials.
We look
forward to seeing you on April 24, 2008 at the DeSoto Hilton Hotel in
Savannah.
Sincerely,
/s/ John C. Helmken II
John C.
Helmken II
President
and Chief Executive Officer
Enclosures
THE
SAVANNAH BANCORP, INC.
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD ON APRIL 24, 2008
March 21,
2008
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders of The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") will be
held at the DeSoto Hilton Hotel, 15 East Liberty Street, Savannah, Georgia, on
April 24, 2008 at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, for the purpose of
considering and acting upon the following matters:
I.
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To
elect four Directors of Class III to serve until the Annual Meeting of
Shareholders in 2010,
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II.
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To
approve the selection of Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC as independent
registered public accountants to audit the Company's financial statements
for the year 2008, and,
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III.
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To
transact such other business as may come properly before the Annual
Meeting or any adjournments
thereof.
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Only
shareholders of record of The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. at the close of business on
March 7, 2008, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the
meeting.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
/s/ J. Curtis
Lewis III
J. Curtis Lewis III
Secretary
YOUR
VOTE IS IMPORTANT, WHETHER YOU OWN A FEW SHARES OR MANY.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE
IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSALS REFERRED TO ABOVE AND DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING
PROXY STATEMENT.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Page
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NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
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i
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TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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ii
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PROXY
STATEMENT
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1
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QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING
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1
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What
is the purpose of the annual meeting?
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1
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Who
is entitled to vote?
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1
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How
do I vote?
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1
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What
are the quorum and voting requirements to approve the
proposals?
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1
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How
are votes counted?
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2
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Will
other matters be voted on at the annual meeting?
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2
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Can
I revoke my proxy instructions?
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2
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What
other information should I review before voting?
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3
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PROPOSAL
I: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
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4
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Introduction
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4
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Recommendation
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4
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Information
Regarding Nominees and Other Directors
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5
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Directors
Compensation
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9
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2007
Director Compensation Table
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10
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Management
Stock Ownership
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11
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PROPOSAL
II: SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTANTS
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11
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INFORMATION
ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CERTAIN COMMITTEES
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11
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Report
of the Audit Committee
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13
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Report
of the Compensation Committee
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14
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Report
of the Directors Nominating Committee
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14
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Executive
Compensation and Benefits
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15
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Compensation
Discussion and Analysis
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15
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Summary
Compensation Table
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18
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Outstanding
Option and Stock Awards
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19
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Option
Exercises and Stock Vested
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20
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NonQualified
Deferred Compensation
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20
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Employment
Agreements
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21
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Ownership
of Equity Securities
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22
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Other
Matters
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22
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March 21,
2008
The
Savannah Bancorp, Inc.
25
Bull Street
Savannah,
Georgia 31401
___________________
PROXY
STATEMENT
___________________
This
Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by
the Board of Directors of The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. (“SAVB”)
for use at the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on Thursday, April
24, 2008 at 11 a.m., local time, at
the DeSoto Hilton Hotel,
15 East Liberty Street, Savannah, Georgia
, and at any adjournments or
postponements of the annual meeting.
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING
What
is the purpose of the annual meeting?
At the
annual meeting, shareholders will act upon the matters set forth in the
accompanying notice of meeting, including the election of four
directors.
Who
is entitled to vote?
All
shareholders of record of SAVB’s common stock at the close of business on March
7, 2008, which is referred to as the record date, are entitled to receive notice
of the annual meeting and to vote the shares of common stock held by them on the
record date. Each outstanding share of common stock entitles its holder to
cast one vote for each matter to be voted upon.
How
do I vote?
If you
hold your shares of common stock in your own name as a holder of record, you may
vote in person at the annual meeting or instruct the proxy holders named in the
enclosed proxy card to vote your shares as you direct by marking, signing,
dating and returning the proxy card in the postage-paid envelope that we have
provided.
If your
shares of common stock are held by a broker, bank or other nominee (i.e., in
“street name”), you will receive instructions from your nominee which you must
follow in order to have your shares voted.
Proxies
that are signed, but which do not contain specific instructions, will be voted
“FOR” the proposals specified herein.
What
are the quorum and voting requirements to approve the proposals?
The
presence, in person or by proxy, of holders of at least a majority of the total
number of outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote is necessary to
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the annual meeting.
As of the record date, there were 5,929,440 shares of common stock outstanding
and entitled to vote at the annual meeting.
The
required vote for each item of business at the annual meeting is as
follows:
·
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For
Item 1 on the proxy card, the election of directors, those nominees
receiving the greatest number of votes at the annual meeting, assuming a
quorum is present, shall be deemed elected, even though the nominees may
not receive a majority of the votes
cast.
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·
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For any other business at the
annual meeting, the vote of a majority of the shares voted on the matter,
assuming a quorum is present, shall be the act of the shareholders on that
matter, unless the vote of a greater number is required by
law.
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How
are votes counted?
For Item
1 on the proxy card, the election of directors, abstentions and “broker
non-votes” will be counted only for purposes of establishing a quorum, but will
not otherwise affect the vote. “Broker non-votes” are proxies received
from brokers or other nominees holding shares on behalf of their clients who
have not been given specific voting instructions from their clients with respect
to non-routine matters. Under the rules of certain self regulatory
organizations, such as the NASD, the election of directors is considered a
routine matter and brokers and other nominees have discretionary voting power to
vote such shares on routine matters in the absence of specific voting
instructions.
In
counting the votes cast, only those cast “for” and “against” a matter are
included, although you cannot vote “against” a nominee for director.
Directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast in favor; instructions to
“withhold authority” to vote for a certain nominee will have no
effect.
If you
hold your shares of common stock in your own name as a holder of record and you
fail to vote your shares, either in person or by proxy, the votes represented by
your shares will be excluded entirely from the vote and will have no effect
(other than with respect to establishing a quorum). If, however, your
shares are held in “street name” and you fail to give instructions as to how you
want your shares voted, the broker, bank or other nominee may vote the shares in
their own discretion on certain routine matters.
Will
other matters be voted on at the annual meeting?
We are
not aware of any other matters to be presented at the annual meeting other than
those described in this Proxy Statement. If any other matters not
described in the Proxy Statement are properly presented at the meeting, proxies
will be voted in accordance with the best judgment of the proxy
holders.
Can
I revoke my proxy instructions?
You may
revoke your proxy at any time before it has been exercised by:
·
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filing
a written revocation with the Secretary of SAVB at the following address:
P.O. Box 188, Savannah,
Georgia 31402
;
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·
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filing
a duly executed proxy bearing a later date;
or
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·
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appearing in person and voting by
ballot at the annual
meeting.
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Any
shareholder of record as of the record date who attends the annual meeting may
vote in person, whether or not a proxy has been previously
given. However, the presence (without further action) of a
shareholder at the annual meeting will not constitute revocation of a previously
given proxy.
What
other information should I review before voting?
The 2007
Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007,
is included with this Proxy Statement. The annual report is not part
of the proxy solicitation material. The 2007 annual report on Form 10-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or before March 17, 2008,
including financial statements may be obtained without charge by:
·
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accessing
SAVB’s web site at
www.savb.com
;
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·
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writing
to the Secretary of SAVB at the following address:
25 Bull Street
,
P.O. Box 188, Savannah,
Georgia 31402
; or
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·
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accessing
the EDGAR database at the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov
.
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·
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requesting copies of our Form
10-K from the SEC (at prescribed rates) by writing to the Public Reference
Section of the SEC, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549.
Please call the SEC at (800) SEC-0330 for further information on the SEC’s
public reference rooms.
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PROXY
STATEMENT
PROPOSAL
I
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
The Board
of Directors of the Company consists of fifteen members, twelve of whom meet the
independence standards of Rule 4200(a)(15) of the National Association of
Securities Dealers. The non-independent directors are President and Chief
Executive Officer John C. Helmken II, Vice Chairman E. James Burnsed and Russell
W. Carpenter, CEO of Minis & Co. Inc.. The Board of Directors of
the Company is divided into three Classes with the terms of office of each Class
ending in successive years. The terms of four Directors of Class III
expire at this Annual Meeting. All directors in Class III are
standing for re-election except for Charles E. Izlar who has decided not to
stand for re-election for personal reasons. Mr. Francis A. “Frank”
Brown has been nominated to fill the Board seat vacated by Mr.
Izlar. Mr. Brown, a former Price Waterhouse partner and Vice
President-Finance of the Colonial Group, Inc., if elected to the Board has been
identified to serve on the Audit Committee and to serve as the “Financial
Expert”. The Board of Directors is recommending the election of Mr.
Brown to replace Mr. Izlar. Six directors in Class I and five
directors in Class III will continue in office. The shareholders are
being asked to vote on the election and re-election of the Directors in Class
III.
The
shares represented by the enclosed Proxy will be voted for the election of the
four nominees whose names appear below. In the event that any nominee
is unable to serve (which is not anticipated), the Proxies will cast votes for
the remaining nominees and for such other persons as the Board of Directors may
select. A plurality of the votes cast by the shares of Common Stock
represented at the Annual Meeting, at which a quorum must be present, is
required for the election of the Directors listed as well as for the approval of
all other proposals to be acted upon at the Annual
Meeting. Cumulative voting for Directors is not
permitted.
The Board of Directors unanimously
recommends a vote FOR the election of the four
nominees listed
below.
The
following table sets forth the name of each Nominee Director and each Director
continuing in office; a description of his or her positions and offices with the
Company (other than as a Director), if any; a brief description of his or her
principal occupation and business experience during at least the last five
years; directorships presently held by him or her in other companies with
registered securities; and certain other information including his or her age
and the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned as of February 29,
2008. For information concerning membership of committees of the
Board of Directors and other information, see "Proposal I - Election of
Directors - Information about the Board of Directors and Certain
Committees."
All
reports required pursuant to the insider trading regulations were filed
timely.
Name,
Age, And Year First Elected as a Director
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Information
About Nominee Or Director
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Amount
and Nature of Beneficial Ownership *
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%
Of
Class
*
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NOMINEES
FOR ELECTION
AND
RE-ELECTION
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Class
III
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Term
Expiring Annual Meeting 2011
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NOMINEE
FOR ELECTION
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Francis
A. “Frank” Brown
(56)
Nominee
for 2008
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Mr.
Brown has served as Vice President – Finance of the Colonial Group, Inc.,
(a large petroleum marketing company, headquartered in Savannah, GA),
since 1990. Prior to that Mr. Brown was a Partner with Price
Waterhouse LLP and the predecessor Spillane, Rhoads, Lebey & Sieg from
1982 to 1990.
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9,550
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0.16
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NOMINEES
FOR RE-ELECTION
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L.
Carlton Gill (67)
1998
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Mr.
Gill is retired from S. A. Allen, Inc.
where
he was a procurement forester since 1964.
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113,811
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(1)
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1.92
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John
C. Helmken II (44)
2004
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Mr.
Helmken became President of the Company effective April 29, 2004 and
became Chief Executive Officer effective December 1, 2006. He
has served as President and CEO of The Savannah Bank, N.A. since January
2003, President of The Savannah Bank, N.A. since 2002, Executive Vice
President since 2001 and Senior Vice President from 1997 through
2000.
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93,162
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(2)
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1.56
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Robert
T. Thompson, Jr. (67)
1998
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Mr.
Thompson is retired from CSX Incorporated, a railroad company, where he
was employed since 1962.
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84,767
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(3)
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1.43
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(continued)
Name,
Age, And Year First Elected as a Director
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Information
About Nominee Or Director
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Amount
and Nature of Beneficial
Ownership
*
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%
Of
Class
*
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DIRECTORS
CONTINUING IN OFFICE
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Class
I
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Term
Expiring Annual Meeting 2009
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Robert
H. Demere, Jr. (59)
1989
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Mr.
Demere is President of Colonial Group,
Inc.,
a petroleum marketing company in
Savannah,
Georgia. Mr. Demere has been
employed
by Colonial since 1974.
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75,605
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(4)
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1.27
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J.
Curtis Lewis III (55)
1989
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Mr.
Lewis is Secretary of the Company and The Savannah Bank,
N.A. Mr. Lewis has served as President of Lewis Broadcasting
Corporation since September 2005. Mr. Lewis has been a partner
in the law firm of Hunter & Lewis, LLP in Savannah, Georgia since
1980.
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90,904
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(5)
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1.53
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M.
Lane Morrison (62)
1989
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Mr.
Morrison is a partner in the law firm of Hunter, Maclean, Exley &
Dunn, PC, Savannah, Georgia since 1995.
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73,665
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(6)
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1.24
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James
Toby Roberts, Sr. (63)
1998
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Mr.
Roberts is President and owner of Roberts Truck Center, Savannah, Georgia
since 1969.
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101,627
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(7)
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1.71
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James
W. Royal, Sr. (59)
1998
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Mr.
Royal is President of Royal Brothers, Inc., a company engaged in the
retail hardware business under the name of Royal Ace Hardware since
1980.
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77,759
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(8)
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1.31
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Berryman
W. Edwards, Jr. (67)
2006
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Mr.
Edwards has served as President of The Greenery, Inc., a commercial and
residential landscaping company in Hilton Head Island, SC, since
1973. He is also President of The Greenery of Charleston, LLC.
Mr. Edwards serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Harbourside
Community Bank.
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5,369
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(9)
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0.09
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(continued)
Name,
Age, And Year First Elected as a Director
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Information
About Nominee Or Director Continuing In Office
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Amount
and Nature of Beneficial
Ownership
*
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%
Of
Class
*
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Class
II
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Term
Expiring Annual Meeting 2010
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E.
James Burnsed (68)
1998
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Mr.
Burnsed has served as Vice Chairman of the Company since December 1998 and
Chairman & CEO of Bryan Bank & Trust since January
1999. He has served as Chairman of the Bryan County Commission
since January 1, 2005.
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91,203
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(10)
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1.53
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Russell
W. Carpenter (67)
1989
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Mr.
Carpenter is the CEO of Minis & Co.,
Inc.,
an investment advisory firm in Savannah,
Georgia,
which is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Mr.
Carpenter has been with this Firm since 1972.
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84,056
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(11)
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1.42
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J.
Wiley Ellis (67)
1989
|
Mr.
Ellis is Chairman of the Board of
Directors
of the Company and The Savannah Bank, N.A. and serves as general
counsel. He is also a Director of Bryan Bank & Trust,
Harbourside Community Bank and Minis & Co., Inc. He has
been a partner in the law firm of Ellis, Painter, Ratterree & Adams,
LLP since March 1, 1996.
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61,861
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(12)
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1.04
|
|
|
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Aaron
M. Levy (67)
1989
|
Mr.
Levy is Executive Chairman of Levy Jewelers, a chain of jewelry stores in
Savannah,
Georgia. Mr.
Levy has been employed by Levy
Jewelers,
Inc. since 1962.
|
54,244
|
(13)
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0.91
|
|
|
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Clifford
H. Dales (49)
2006
|
Mr.
Dales has served as a partner of Neely/Dales Real Estate Company since
1997.
All
Directors and executive officers as a group (18)
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7,924
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(14)
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0.13
|
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1,108,267
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18.24
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*
Information relating to beneficial ownership by Directors is based upon
information furnished by each Director as of the date stated using “beneficial
ownership” concepts set forth in rules promulgated by the Securities and
Exchange Commission under Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. If not footnoted, the shares are owned with voting and
dispositive rights. The percent of class is calculated on the assumption that a
person's exercisable options have been exercised and that the total number of
issued and outstanding shares of the Company has been increased
correspondingly.
(1)
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Gill
- Of the 113,811 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Gill, 104,878 shares are
owned jointly with his wife, 5,146 shares are in his IRA, 2,788 shares are
in his wife’s IRA and 999 are stock
options.
|
(2)
|
Helmken
– Of the 93,162 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Helmken, 16,289 are owned
individually, 15,330 are in his 401K and 61,543 are stock
options.
|
(3)
|
Thompson
– Of the 84,767 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Thompson, 67,460 shares
are owned individually, 9,088 shares are in his IRA, 7,332 are in his
wife’s IRA and 887 are stock
options.
|
(4)
|
Demere
- Of the 75,605 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Demere, 65,518 are owned
individually, 3,118 shares are in his IRA, 312 shares are owned by his
wife, 5,296 are owned by immediate family and 1,361 are stock
options.
|
(5)
|
Lewis
- Of the 90,904 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Lewis, 47,347 shares are
owned individually, 18,430 shares are in his IRA and money purchase
retirement plan, 23,083 shares are owned by immediate family and 2,044 are
stock options.
|
(6)
|
Morrison
- Of the 73,665 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Morrison, 19,832 are
owned individually, 7,796 shares are in his IRA, 20,275 are owned by his
wife, 24,954 shares are in trusts for his benefit and 808 are stock
options.
|
(7)
|
Roberts
– Of the 101,627 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Roberts, 74,578 shares
are owned individually, 12,400 shares are in his IRA, 7,362 shares are
owned by immediate family, 1,512 shares are held in a trust, 4,582 are in
his 401K and 1,193 are stock
options.
|
(8)
|
Royal
– Of the 77,759 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Royal, 71,128 shares are
owned individually, 5,226 are in his IRAs and 1,405 are stock
options.
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(9)
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Edwards
– Of the 5,369 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Edwards, 5,000 are owned
individually and 369 are stock
options.
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(10)
|
Burnsed
– Of the 91,203 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Burnsed, 30,972 shares
are owned individually, 21,312 shares are in his IRA, 20,013 shares are
owned by his wife individually and 18,906 shares are stock
options.
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(11)
|
Carpenter
– Of the 84,056 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Carpenter, 82,942 shares
are owned individually and 1,114 are stock
options.
|
(12)
|
Ellis
- Of the 61,861 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Ellis, 16,215 shares are
owned individually, 32,383 shares are in his IRA, 7,796 shares are in a
trust, 1,896 are in a 401K, 171 are in his wife’s IRA and 3,400 are stock
options.
|
(13)
|
Levy
– Of the 54,244 shares owned by Mr. Levy, 41,015 are owned individually,
12,305 are owned by his wife and 924 are stock
options.
|
(14)
|
Dales
– Of the 7,924 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Dales, 4,222 are owned
individually, 2,671 are in his IRA and 1,031 are stock
options.
|
(15)
|
Non–director
ownership – The total shares include additional shares beneficially owned
by three Executive Officers who are not
directors.
|
Directors
Compensation
Directors
are paid a retainer of $750 per quarter plus $350 for each special board meeting
or committee meeting attended. The Chairman of the Board receives
$2,000 per month plus the retainer and committee attendance fees. The
Secretary receives $750 per month plus the retainer and committee attendance
fees. Committee chairmen are paid $500 per meeting
attended. The Audit Committee Financial Expert is paid $700 per audit
committee meeting attended. Directors who are officers of the Company
are not separately compensated as directors.
Subsidiary
bank directors are paid a retainer of $500 per month plus $200 for each special
board meeting or committee meeting attended. Directors who are
Company or subsidiary bank officers are not separately compensated as
directors.
Director
compensation is determined based upon compensation received by directors of
similarly sized financial services companies and banks. All director
compensation is discussed with management and approved by the full Board of
Directors. There have been no changes in director compensation since
2005 except to increase the Chairman’s monthly compensation.
Directors
and certain key officers of the Company and subsidiary banks have the
opportunity to participate in The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. Deferred Stock
Plan. See the narrative explanation provided with the Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation table provided on page 20 hereof.
Non-management
Company and subsidiary bank directors are eligible to receive non-qualified
stock options under The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. 2005 Omnibus Stock Ownership and
Long Term Incentive Plan. Option awards are recommended by the
Compensation Committee, subject to Board approval. The Compensation
Committee is currently using a discretionary formula whereby the number of
non-qualified options awarded is determined by dividing the fair market value of
the Company’s common stock into a portion of the total director compensation
paid in the prior calendar year, ranging from 0% to 100%, as determined by the
Compensation Committee. In 2007, 25.3% of the 2006 total director
cash compensation was used in calculating the option awards.
Directors
are typically granted non-qualified stock options following the annual
shareholders meeting; therefore, option awards based upon director’s 2007
compensation has not yet been awarded. The Plan was amended in 2006 so that
non-qualified stock options granted to directors vest 25% at grant date and 25%
at the end of each calendar quarter from the date of grant.
During 2007, 5,200
incentive stock options, with an exercise price of $25.70, were granted to
non-management directors.
More information on the Company’s
Plan can be found with the Company’s 2005 Proxy Statement dated March 22, 2005
and filed on March 25, 2005 which contains a full copy of the Plan as Appendix
A.
[Remainder
of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
2007
Director Compensation Table
Directors (1)
|
Fees
Earned
or
Paid
in
Cash
($)
|
Option
Awards
(2)
($)
|
Non-Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
(3)
($)
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
Total
($)
|
Russell
W. Carpenter
|
-
|
1,925
|
17,047
|
-
|
18,972
|
Clifford
H. Dales
|
-
|
2,515
|
23,998
|
-
|
26,513
|
Robert
H. Demere, Jr.
|
-
|
2,445
|
20,077
|
-
|
22,522
|
Berryman
W. Edwards
|
-
|
1,633
|
13,675
|
-
|
15,308
|
J.
Wiley Ellis
|
24,000
|
6,831
|
33,814
|
-
|
64,645
|
L.
Carton Gill
|
-
|
1,736
|
15,465
|
-
|
17,201
|
Charles
E. Izlar
|
13,900
|
1,744
|
-
|
-
|
15,644
|
Aaron
M. Levy
|
-
|
1,499
|
14,081
|
-
|
15,580
|
J.
Curtis Lewis III
|
-
|
3,973
|
33,855
|
-
|
37,828
|
M.
Lane Morrison
|
12,100
|
1,296
|
-
|
-
|
13,396
|
J.
Toby Roberts, Sr.
|
16,400
|
2,041
|
-
|
-
|
18,441
|
James
M. Royal, Sr.
|
-
|
2,264
|
21,294
|
-
|
23,558
|
Robert
T. Thompson, Jr.
|
12,450
|
1,560
|
-
|
-
|
14,010
|
Total (13
directors)
|
78,850
|
31,462
|
193,306
|
-
|
303,041
|
(1)
|
John
C. Helmken, II and E. James Burnsed were executive officers and directors
of the Company in 2007 but received no director compensation and are not
included in the table.
|
(2)
|
Incentive
stock options are granted to directors at the discretion of the
Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee currently utilizes a
performance formula that calculates a percentage which is applied to the
each director’s fees earned in the prior year. The calculated
amount is divided by the closing market price of the shares on the day of
the annual meeting to determine the number of option shares that are
granted to each director. The value of the options granted is
determined using the Black-Sholes valuation calculation of $7.88 per
option times the number of options
granted.
|
(3)
|
Directors
have the option of participating in the Directors and Officers Deferred
Stock Purchase Plan through which a portion or all of a director’s cash
compensation can be deferred. The company has elected to contribute the
deferrals to a trust which is discussed under the section entitled
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation beginning on page 20. Each
director is credited with a number of shares at each deferral period and
has an unsecured claim against the Company for the cumulative number of
shares purchased. The amounts shown include the amounts
deferred and the dividends on the shares that were credited to each
participating director’s account.
|
Management
Stock Ownership
As of
February 29, 2008, based on available information, all Directors and executive
officers of the Company as a group (17 persons) beneficially owned 1,133,773
shares of Common Stock, which represented approximately 18.66 percent of the
outstanding shares and exercisable options at that date. The
directors and executive officers have voting power for 1,391,317 shares, or
23.46 percent of the 5,929,440 shares outstanding. The foregoing
figure includes, in some instances, shares in which members of a Director's or
officers immediate family have a beneficial interest by reason of shared voting
or investment power and as to which the Director or officer may disclaim
beneficial ownership. 125,096 shares have been pledged as security by the
directors and executive officers.
PROPOSAL
II
RATIFICATION
OF THE INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Board
of Directors proposes and recommends that the shareholders approve the selection
by the Audit Committee of the firm of Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC to serve as the
independent registered public accounting firm for the Company and the Banks for
the year ending December 31, 2008. A representative
of Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC, the 2007 independent registered public
accountants, will be present at the Annual Meeting to make such comments as they
desire and to respond to questions from shareholders of the
Company. Action by the shareholders is not required by law in the
appointment of an independent registered public accounting firm, but their
appointment is submitted by the Board of Directors in order to give the
shareholders a voice in the designation of auditors. If the Audit
Committee’s selection of Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC as the Company’s independent
registered public accounting firm is not ratified by the shareholders, then the
Audit Committee will reconsider its choice of independent
auditors. Even if the selection of Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC is
approved, the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may direct the appointment
of different independent auditors at any time during the year if it determines
that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its
shareholders.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE TO RATIFY THE SELECTION BY THE
AUDIT COMMITTEE OF MAULDIN & JENKINS, LLC AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTANTS TO AUDIT THE COMPANY’S CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE
CALENDAR YEAR 2008.
INFORMATION
ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CERTAIN COMMITTEES
The Board
of Directors of the Company held 6 regular meetings during 2007. All
incumbent Directors attended at least 75 percent of the meetings except Gill,
Izlar and Levy.
Annual Meeting of
Shareholders.
Directors are encouraged to attend the annual
meeting of shareholders. 12 directors attended the last meeting held
on April 20, 2007.
Executive
Committee.
The Executive Committee of the Board is composed of
seven outside directors. Regular Executive Committee meetings are
held during each of the remaining months when the five regular board meetings
are not held. Called Executive Committee meetings are held as
needed. Directors J. Wiley Ellis, Chairman, Russell W. Carpenter,
Robert H. Demere, Jr., J. Curtis Lewis III, James Toby Roberts, Sr., Berryman W.
Edwards, Jr. and James W. Royal, Sr. currently serve on this Committee.
Directors Helmken and Burnsed serve as ex officio members of the Executive
Committee. The committee held 7 meetings during 2007. All
members attended at least 75 percent of the Executive Committee meetings during
2007.
Audit
Committee.
The Audit Committee serves as a liaison between the
Board of Directors and the Company’s independent auditors. The
Committee approves the overall scope of the audit, reviews the results of the
audit and reviews the systems of internal control of the Company. The
Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of
Directors. This charter is posted on the corporate website at
www.savb.com
. During
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, the Audit Committee met 6
times. The Committee is currently composed of Directors J. Curtis
Lewis III, Chairman, Robert H. Demere, Jr.,
L.
Carlton Gill, Charles E. Izlar and Robert T. Thompson, Jr. Former
committee member Russell W. Carpenter resigned effective September 1, 2007, on
which date he was no longer an independent director due to his position as CEO
of a subsidiary of SAVB. All directors attended at least 75 percent
of the Audit Committee meetings during 2007 except for Carpenter, Demere and
Thompson. All members of the Audit Committee meet the independence
standards of Rule 4200(a)(15) of the National Association of Securities Dealers
listing standards. The Board has recognized Mr. Izlar as the “Audit
Committee Financial Expert” as defined by the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The formal report of the Audit Committee with respect to
the year 2007 begins on page 13 hereof.
Compensation
Committee.
The Compensation Committee reviews and
approves the compensation of executive officers, reviews and recommends to the
Board incentive and benefit plans, reviews general compensation and benefits
policies and reviews and recommends to the Board the compensation of Company and
subsidiary bank directors. While the Company has not adopted a
written charter for the Compensation Committee, the policies and procedures for
determining compensation for executive officers are included in the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis. The Compensation Committee may not delegate its
authority without approval of the Board. The Board does not allow
executive officers to determine the amount or form of director or executive
compensation. However, the President and Chief Executive Officer make
recommendations for the compensation of directors and executive
officers. The members of the Compensation Committee during 2007 were
Directors James W. Royal Sr., Chairman, J. Curtis Lewis III, J. Wiley Ellis and
Clifford H. Dales, all of whom meet the independence standards of Rule
4200(a)(15) of the National Association of Securities Dealers listing
standards. Clifford H. Dales was appointed by the Board of Directors
to the Compensation Committee effective January 1, 2007. James W.
Royal, Sr. was appointed Chairman of the Compensation Committee effective
January 1, 2007. 5 meetings were held in 2007 with all members
attending 100% of the meetings. The formal report of the Compensation
Committee with respect to the year 2007 begins on page 14 hereof.
Director Nominating
Committee.
The Director Nominating Committee seeks to
identify individuals qualified to become Directors, recommends candidates for
nomination as Directors to the Board and evaluates candidates recommended for
nomination as Directors by shareholders. The committee operates under
a written charter approved by the Board of Directors. This charter is
posted on the corporate website at
www.savb.com
. The
committee is composed of Directors James Toby Roberts, Sr., Chairman and Aaron
M. Levy, all of whom meet the independence standards of Rule 4200(a)(15) of the
National Association of Securities Dealers listing standards. Russell
W. Carpenter resigned effective September 1, 2007, on which date he was no
longer an independent director due to his position as CEO of a subsidiary of
SAVB. The formal report of the Nominating Committee with respect to
the year 2007 begins on page 14 hereof.
Shareholders
may communicate directly to the Board of Directors in writing by sending a
letter to the Board at: The Savannah Bancorp, Inc,, Attn: Secretary, 25 Bull
Street, Savannah, GA 31401 or by a secure e-mail via the Company’s
website at
www.savb.com
. All
communications directed to the Board of Directors will be received and processed
by the Secretary of the Company and will be transmitted to the Chairman of the
Board of Directors without any editing or screening by the Secretary of the
Company.
Report
of the Audit Committee
The
following Report of the Audit Committee does not constitute soliciting material
and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other
Company filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this Report
by reference therein.
The Audit
Committee oversees the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the
Board of Directors. Management has primary responsibility for the
financial statements and the reporting process including the system of internal
control. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Committee
reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements in the Annual Report
with management, including a discussion of the quality, not just the
acceptability, of accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant
judgments, and the clarity of disclosures in the financial
statements.
The
Committee reviewed and discussed with the independent auditors, who are
responsible for expressing an opinion on conformity of the audited financial
statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America, their judgments as to the quality, not just the acceptability, of the
Company’s accounting principles and such other matters as are required to be
discussed by the independent auditors with the Committee in accordance with the
auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United
States), including those described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 and
90, as amended. In addition, the Committee has discussed with the
independent auditors the auditors’ independence from management and the
Company.
The
Committee discussed with the Company’s internal and independent auditors the
overall scope and plans for their respective audits. The Committee
met with the internal and independent auditors, with and without management
present, to discuss the results of their examinations, their evaluations of the
Company’s system of internal control and the overall quality of the Company’s
financial reporting.
The
Committee reviewed and discussed with management, the independent registered
public accounting firm, and the internal auditors the Company’s documentation,
testing, remediation and retesting of key controls over financial reporting as
required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002.
Based on
the foregoing materials and discussions, the Audit Committee recommended to the
Board of Directors that the audited financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 2007 be included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2007.
During
January 2007, the Audit Committee received proposals from six audit firms
including BDO Seidman, LLP to provide audit services for the years
2007–2009. At the Audit Committee meeting on March 7, 2007 the Audit
Committee selected Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC as the independent registered
public accountants for 2007-2009.
J.
Curtis Lewis III, Chairman
Robert
H. Demere, Jr.
|
L.
Carlton Gill
Charles
E. Izlar
|
Robert
T. Thompson, Jr.
|
Report
of the Compensation Committee
The
following Report of the Compensation Committee does not constitute soliciting
material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any
other Company filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this
Report by reference therein.
Decisions
with respect to the compensation of the Company's executive officers are made by
the Compensation Committee (the "Committee"). During 2007, the
following Directors served on the Committee: Jack M. Jones, Chairman, J. Curtis
Lewis III, J. Wiley Ellis and James W. Royal, Sr. Clifford H. Dales
was appointed by the Board of Directors to the Committee effective January 1,
2007. Former Chairman, Jack M. Jones retired on December 31, 2006. James W.
Royal, Sr. was appointed Chairman of the Committee effective January 1,
2007. The current Committee has reviewed and discussed the
Compensation Discussion & Analysis (“CD&A”), which begins on page 15
hereof, as well as the accompanying tables with management of the Company and,
based upon the Committee’s review and discussion with management of the Company,
the Committee recommends that the CD&A be included in the Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K and this Proxy Statement for the year ended December 31,
2007.
James
W. Royal, Sr., Chairman
Clifford
H. Dales
|
|
J.
Wiley Ellis
J. Curtis Lewis
III
|
Report
of the Directors Nominating Committee
The
Directors Nominating Committee evaluates and recommends to the Board of
Directors candidates for nomination as directors of the Company, including
candidates recommended by the Committee or by shareholders.
The
committee considered candidates for election and re-election to the Board and
recommended their nomination to the Board. No candidates who are not
presently directors were recommended by shareholders.
The
Company’s Nominating Committee charter sets forth the following criteria for new
directors: independence, proper skills, experience, knowledge,
integrity and judgment; the potential contribution to the diversity of
backgrounds, experience and competencies to the Board as a whole; the ability to
devote sufficient time and effort to the duties of directors; the attained age
of 25; and the ability to meet all the requirements for service as a director of
a national banking association or a bank insured by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation.
The
Committee is empowered to utilize independent advisors to assist in identifying
new candidates. However, the Committee currently believes that the
existing directors and executive management of the Company and its subsidiaries
have significant networks of business contacts that likely will form the
pipeline from which candidates will be identified. Upon identifying a
candidate for serious consideration, one or more members of the Committee would
initially interview such candidate. If a candidate merited further
consideration, the candidate would subsequently interview with all other
Committee members (individually or as a group), meet the Company’s Chief
Executive Officer and other executive officers and ultimately meet many of the
other directors. The Committee would elicit feedback from all persons
who met the candidate and then determine whether or not to nominate the
candidate.
James
Toby Roberts, Sr., Chairman
|
|
Aaron
M. Levy
|
Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics.
The Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics for Directors, Officers and Employees. This code
outlines the key business behaviors and ethical principles that directors,
officers and employees of the company need to understand and
follow. This code is posted on the corporate website at
www.savb.com
.
Information about Named Executive
Officers Who Are Not Directors.
The following contains certain
information about the Named Executive Officers of the Company who are not
Directors of the Company. A full list of those individuals considered
Named Executive Officers is contained in the Summary Compensation Table provided
as page 18 hereof.
Name
and Year First Elected an
Officer of the
Company
|
Age
|
Positions
Held and Principal
Occupation Last Five
Years
|
R.
Stephen Stramm
1990
|
58
|
Executive
Vice President - Lending of the
Company
and The Savannah Bank, N.A.
|
Robert
B. Briscoe
1990
|
56
|
Chief
Financial Officer of the Company
and
The Savannah Bank, N.A.
|
Jerry
O’Dell Keith
2002
|
49
|
President
of Bryan Bank & Trust since 2006, Executive Vice President since 2002
and Vice President of the Company in March
2008
|
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Compensation
Discussion and Analysis
The
Compensation Committee
(the "Committee”)
is responsible for determining and recommending to the full Board of Directors
the compensation of the Corporation's executive officers, including the Named
Executive Officers identified in the Summary Compensation Tables and other
tables on the following pages of this Proxy Statement. The goal of
the Committee is to attract, develop and retain high caliber executives who are
capable of maximizing the Corporation's performance for the benefit of its
shareholders within the Company’s overall philosophy. The Committee
strives to maintain executive compensation that is fair, reasonable, and
consistent with the Corporation's size and the compensation practices of the
financial services industry.
General Compensation
Policies.
The
Company has a formal compensation plan designed to compensate executives for
actions deemed to promote long-term shareholder value. These
objectives require that compensation arrangements be structured to: (1) provide
competitive levels of compensation opportunity which are reflective of the
degree of risk inherent in the Company's business plan and the contributions
expected from senior executives; (2) integrate pay with the Company's business
strategies, short-term and long-term performance goals, and results; (3) reward
corporate performance achievements; and (4) recognize and reward individual
initiative, responsibility and achievements. The Committee believes
that stock ownership by management and stock-based performance compensation
arrangements which are tied to performance are beneficial in aligning management
and shareholder interests in the enhancement of shareholder value. Base salaries
and short-term incentive compensation in the form of cash bonuses, based on
individual performance and the performance of the Company, are approved by the
Board, after recommendation by the Committee. They are intended to
reflect individual performance and responsibility and to represent compensation
believed by the Committee to be appropriate if the Named Executive Officers
perform in a fully acceptable manner. In setting base salaries and
incentive compensation, consideration is also given to compensation paid to
executives of financial institutions and other public companies similar in size
and character to the Company.
The
Committee has established a compensation package consisting of base salary,
short-term incentive compensation in the form of cash bonuses based on
individual performance and the performance of the Company, and long-term
incentive compensation in the form of stock-based compensation.
Compensation Paid in
2007.
The Company's policy regarding compensation of its Named
Executive Officers is based upon performance in relation to the responsibilities
and accomplishments incident to the individual's job description. In
determining compensation, the Committee considers the progress made by the
Company in laying a foundation for future revenue enhancements, income
improvements, growth, and quality of assets.
Compensation
paid to the Named Executive Officers included in the following compensation
tables for the fiscal year 2007 consisted of the following elements: base
salary, cash incentive compensation, matching contributions paid to the
Company's 401(k) Plan and qualified incentive stock options. Contributions made
by the Company under the 401(k) Plan are made to all participating employees on
a nondiscriminatory basis. The Company also has certain broad-based employee
benefit plans in which the Named Executive Officers participate. The
Named Executive Officers also may have received perquisites in connection with
their employment. However, such perquisites totaled less than 10 percent of
their cash compensation in 2007. Except for cash incentives and incentive stock
options, the foregoing benefits and compensation are not directly tied to
Company performance.
Base Salary.
The
base salary for each Named Executive Officer is reviewed by the Committee
annually (and/or at the time of promotion). Salary increases
are based upon the Company’s overall performance, the executive officer’s
realization of individual objectives during the preceding calendar year and also
competitive market data. The objectives of the Company’s base salary program are
to provide salaries at a level that permits the Company to attract and retain
qualified executive officers and to recognize and reward individual
performances. Base salary levels also drive other elements of executive
compensation such as the annual cash incentive compensation. The Committee sets
base salary levels based upon current market data and the executive officer’s
experience, scope of responsibilities, performance and
potential.
Cash Incentive Compensation
.
The Company and the subsidiary banks have incentive compensation plans under
which the Named Executive Officers can earn performance compensation if the
Company achieves certain specified earnings, growth and expense control
objectives as set forth by the Board of Directors. Each
Named Executive Officer has a performance matrix approved by the Board of
Directors containing Company-wide and subsidiary bank goals as well as
individual objectives for certain officers for the year that form a basis for
the calculation of performance compensation under the Company’s cash incentive
plan. While not all Named Executive Officers have the same
goals, Company-wide goals may include increases in earnings per share, Return on
Equity and Overhead Efficiency Ratio; subsidiary bank goals may include the
bank’s core earnings, loan portfolio size and loan portfolio
yield. Each Named Executive Officer may also have project completion
objectives. Actual results will then be measured against
predetermined control and weighting factors to compute the incentive
compensation for each particular goal or objective. Mr. Helmken could
earn up to 50% of his base salary in incentive compensation while Messrs.
Stramm, Burnsed, Keith and Briscoe could earn up to 40% of their base salary.
During 2007, the Company and the subsidiary banks’ performance fell short of the
approved targets on many factors. The Board of Directors may also approve
adjustments to the annual incentive payout. Cash payments for incentive
compensation will be made within 45 days of fiscal year
end. Additional information on cash incentive compensation is
provided in the Summary Compensation table below.
Stock Options.
The
Savannah Bancorp, Inc. 2005 Omnibus Stock Option and Long Term Incentive Plan,
as amended, (the “Plan”) was adopted and approved by the shareholders on April
21, 2005. The Plan authorizes the Board of Directors, or a committee
thereof, to grant awards of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock
options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights or performance units to key
officers and non-management directors of the Company and the subsidiary
banks. In 2007, 1,250 restricted shares were
granted to Mr. Keith;
however, previously awarded incentive stock options did vest in 2007. The
Company believes that grants of the awards serve as effective long term
incentive for the Named Executive Officers that encourages them to remain with
the Company and continue to excel in their performance.
Each
incentive stock option granted permits the Named Executive Officer to purchase a
certain number of shares of Company stock from the Company at the exercise
price, which is the closing price of the Company stock on the date of
grant. Stock options have value only to the extent the price of the
Company stock on the date of exercise exceeds the exercise price. Stock options
granted have a term of ten years and will vest and become exercisable in five
equal annual installments beginning one year after the grant date. No
incentive stock options were awarded to any Named Executive Officers in
2007.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
Plan
. Certain key officers of the Company and subsidiary banks
have the opportunity to participate in The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. Deferred Stock
Plan. Participants may elect to defer up to 25% of base salary into the Plan
annually. The deferred account balances shall at all times be 100%
vested. Participant deferrals are automatically allocated to Common
Stock of the Company. In 2007, one Named Executive Officer was a participant in
this plan. See the narrative explanation provided with the
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table provided on page 21
hereof.
401(k)
Plan
.
The
Company maintains a 401(k) plan for all eligible employees. The 401(k) plan
provides for Company matching contributions to employee contributions and also
provides for an annual discretionary profit-sharing contribution. The Company
contributes 50% of the first 6% of eligible compensation which an employee
contributes to the plan. Contributions may be invested in the
Company’s common stock or in other investments chosen by the participants. The
Company’s discretionary profit-sharing contribution has historically been
determined based on a target of 3% of eligible compensation adjusted by a
percentage which approximates the difference between actual earnings and
budgeted earnings at the direction of the Board of Directors. The discretionary
contribution for 2007 was 2.0% of eligible compensation. All Named Executive
Officers are eligible to participate in this plan up to the maximum contribution
limits established by the IRS.
A key
purpose of the above incentive plans is to further the growth in earnings and
market appreciation of the Company by providing both short-term and long-term
incentives to executive officers and directors. The Company intends that these
incentives provided by these plans will help the Company recruit, retain and
motivate its executive officers. More information on the
Company’s
2005 Omnibus Stock Ownership and Long-term Incentive Plan can be found with the
Company’s 2005 Proxy Statement dated March 22, 2005 and filed with the SEC on
March 25, 2005 which contains a full copy of the Plan as Appendix
A.
Senior Executive
Compensation.
Mr. Helmken was elected President of the
Company on April 29, 2004 and Mr. Helmken became the President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company on December 1, 2006. The Board
approved a compensation package for Mr. Helmken for 2007 which included (1)
$250,000 base salary; (2) cash incentive potential of up to 50 percent of base
salary; (3) other standard benefits. He was granted a $10,000
discretionary increase in his incentive cash compensation for
2007. Mr. Helmken vested 20% per year for 2006 but not 2007 in
certain stock options under which shares vest over five years upon achievement
of specific performance objectives. Details regarding the
compensation of Mr. Helmken are set forth in the tables that follow this
section.
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following table provides certain summary information concerning the compensation
earned by the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer and
the other most highly paid executive officers of the Company who served in such
capacity as of December 31, 2007. The table provides compensation amounts for
services rendered in all capacities for the 2007 fiscal year. Mr.
Odom resigned effective February 28, 2007 and Mr. Jerry O’Dell Keith has been
added as a Named Executive Officer. The individuals listed in the table below
are referred to in this Proxy Statement as the “Named Executive
Officers.”
Name
and Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary
($)
|
Option
Awards
(2)
($)
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
(3)
($)
|
All
Other
Compen-
sation
(4)
($)
|
Total
($)
|
John
C. Helmken, II
President
& CEO(1)
|
2007
2006
|
250,000
175,000
|
-
|
10,000
40,275
|
15,978
15,818
|
275,978
231,093
|
Robert
B. Briscoe
CFO
|
2007
2006
|
135,000
125,000
|
-
|
14,400
20,909
|
10,457
8,945
|
159,857
154,854
|
R.
Stephen Stramm
EVP-
Lending
|
2007
2006
|
157,500
150,000
|
-
|
17,000
26,548
|
13,815
12,663
|
188,315
189,211
|
E.
James Burnsed
Vice
Chairman
|
2007
2006
|
130,000
125,000
|
-
|
7,582
24,158
|
14,322
11,351
|
151,904
160,509
|
Jerry
O’Dell Keith
Vice
President
|
2007
2006
|
145,000
125,000
|
21,419
25,498
|
12,874
23,894
|
9,665
9,300
|
188,958
183,692
|
(1)
|
John
C. Helmken, II became President and Chief Executive Officer effective
December 1, 2006.
|
(2)
|
1,250
restricted shares were granted to Mr. Keith during
2007.
|
(3)
|
Each
Named Executive Officer has a performance matrix established by the Board
of Directors containing Company-wide and subsidiary bank goals, as well as
individual objectives for certain officers, for the year that form a basis
for calculation of performance compensation under the Company’s Cash
Incentive Plan. While not all Named Executive Officers have the
same goals, Company-wide goals include increases in earnings per share,
Return on Equity and Overhead Efficiency Ratio; subsidiary bank goals
include core earnings, loan portfolio size and loan portfolio
yield. Each Named Executive Officer may also have project
completion objectives. Actual results are compared to the
predetermined goals and weighting factors to compute the incentive
compensation for each particular goal or objective. Mr. Helmken
could earn up to 50% of his base salary in incentive compensation while
Messrs. Stramm, Burnsed, Briscoe and Lennox could earn up to
40%. The Board of Directors may also approve adjustments to the
annual incentive payout. Cash payments for incentive
compensation are made within 45 days of fiscal year
end.
|
(4)
|
Other
compensation includes amounts contributed to the Employee Savings and
Profit Sharing Plan by the Company, group term life insurance and social
club dues. No individual items of compensation in this column
exceed $10,000.
|
(5)
|
Named
Executive Officers receive no additional compensation for serving as a
director.
|
Option
and Stock Award
Grants
Mr. Keith received 1,250
restricted shares during 2007 which had a market value of $21,419
at December 31, 2007.
Outstanding
Option
and Stock Awards
The
following table sets forth certain information regarding the outstanding equity
awards to each of the Named Executive Officers as of December 31,
2007.
Name
|
Option
Awards
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#) (1)
Exercisable
|
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#) (1)(2)(4)
Unexercisable
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Numbers
of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options
(#) (3)
|
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
John
C. Helmken, II
President
& CEO
|
3,781
7,563
5,672
8,593
3,748
14,062
3,124
|
-
-
-
-
939
9,375
4,689
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,689
|
12.63
9.98
10.23
13.02
15.76
17.85
17.85
|
04/19/09
04/21/10
04/17/11
07/16/12
10/22/13
04/29/14
04/29/14
|
Robert
B. Briscoe
CFO
|
3,781
1,718
2,500
1,500
|
-
-
625
1,000
|
-
-
-
-
|
10.23
13.02
15.76
22.20
|
04/17/11
07/16/12
10/22/13
02/04/15
|
R.
Stephen Stramm
EVP
- Lending
|
1,718
2,500
1,500
|
-
625
1,000
|
-
-
-
|
13.02
15.76
22.20
|
7/16/12
10/22/13
02/04/15
|
E.
James Burnsed
Vice
Chairman
|
18,906
|
-
|
-
|
13.56
|
12/15/08
|
Jerry
O’Dell Keith
Vice
President
|
3,124
2,250
1,250
1,187
|
782
1,500
-
-
|
-
-
|
15.76
22.20
0.00
0.00
|
10/22/13
2/4/15
7/17/12
12/31/15
|
(1)
|
Amounts
shown represent the number of shares restated to include the effect of the
5-for-4 stock
|
(2)
|
All
shares vest equally over the five years ending five years prior to the
expiration date except for the grants referred to in (3) and (4)
below.
|
(3)
|
These
options vest over the same period as (2), but contain performance
criteria. They vest only if earning per share growth equals 12%
or more each year. Unvested options will vest at the end of the
five year vesting period if the compounded growth rate for the five years
is 15% or more.
|
Option
Exercises and Stock Vested
The
following table provides certain information, concerning the exercise of stock
options and the vesting of stock awards for each of the Named Executive Officers
during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.
2007
Option Exercises and Stock Vested during 2007
|
Option
Awards
|
Stock
Awards
|
Name
|
Number
of
Shares
Acquired
on
Exercise
(#)
|
Value
Realized
on
Exercise
($)
|
Number
of
Shares
Acquired
on
Vesting
(#)
|
Value
Realized
on
Vesting
($)
|
John
C. Helmken, II
President
and CEO (1)
|
5,672
|
$77,381
|
-
|
-
|
Robert
B. Briscoe
CFO
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
R.
Stephen Stramm
EVP-
Lending
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
E.
James Burnsed
Vice
Chairman
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Jerry
O’Dell Keith (2)
Vice
President
|
-
|
-
|
197
|
3,376
|
|
(1)
John C. Helmken, II became President and Chief Executive Officer effective
December 1, 2006
|
|
(2) Jerry
O’Dell Keith became President of Bryan Bank & Trust in 2006 and Vice
President of the Company in March
2008.
|
Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation
Directors
and certain key officers of the Company and Subsidiary Banks have the
opportunity to participate in The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. Deferred Stock Plan
(“Plan”). This Plan is a nonqualified plan within the meaning of
Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and is unfunded under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Participants may elect to
defer up to 100% of director’s fees or 25% of base salary into the Plan
annually. The deferred account balances shall at all times be 100%
vested.
Participant
deferrals are automatically allocated to Common Stock of the
Company. Any stock or cash dividends payable on such stock are
credited to the participant’s account in the form of additional
shares. The Participants do not have any rights in the Plan stock
until withdrawals from their respective accounts are made and at all times
remain unsecured creditors of the Company.
Participants
shall receive 100% of their deferred account balance in the form of Company
Common Stock upon death, disability, retirement or termination of employment or
service as a director. Participants may also receive 100% of their deferred
account balance upon a change in control of the Company. Participants
pay ordinary income taxes on the market value of withdrawals from the
Plan. The Company receives an income tax deduction for an equal
amount at the time of distribution.
The
Company has elected to contribute all Participant deferrals into The Trust Under
The Savannah Bancorp, Inc. Deferred Stock Plan (“Trust”) which qualifies as a
“Rabbi” trust for the purpose of supporting nonqualified benefit
obligations. Participant deferrals are invested in Company common
stock which is purchased by the Trust on the open market at the time of
deferral. The creation of this Trust is intended to help ensure that
Company common stock is available for Participant distributions at the time of a
withdrawal.
The
following table provides certain information regarding Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 for each of the
Named Executive Officers who elected to participate in the plan during
2007.
2007
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
Name
|
Executive
Contributions
in
2007
($)(1)
|
Registrant
Contributions
in
2007
($)
|
Aggregate
Earnings
in
2007
($)
|
Aggregate
Withdrawals/
Distributions
($)
|
Aggregate
Balance
at
December
31,
2007
($)
|
Jerry
O’Dell Keith
|
3,995
|
0
|
88
|
0
|
6,852
|
Employment
Agreements
The
Company has entered into change in control agreements with each of the Named
Executive Officers. Each of said agreements provides that the executive shall
continue to receive from the Company the same level of compensation for a period
of one year after termination if, following a “change in control”, the executive
is terminated without cause during the one-year period immediately following a
“change in control”. In addition, each agreement provides that the executive may
voluntarily terminate employment during the one-year period following a “change
in control” and will continue to receive the same level of compensation for the
remainder of the one-year period. A “change in control” is defined as
the sale of all or a substantial portion of the Company’s assets, a merger or
other reorganization whereby the Company is not the surviving entity or a change
in control as defined by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
(“OCC”).
Below
is a summary of the approximate amounts that could have been paid to the Named
Executive Officers had the change in control provision been triggered as of
December 31, 2007.
Name
|
Compensation(1)
|
John
C. Helmken, II, President & CEO
|
260,000
|
Robert
B. Briscoe, Chief Financial Officer
|
150,000
|
R.
Stephen Stramm, Executive VP- Lending
|
175,000
|
E.
James Burnsed, Vice Chairman
|
138,000
|
Jerry
O’Dell Keith, Vice President
|
158,000
|
(1)
|
See
Summary Compensation Table for material components of
compensation.
|
The
Company has not entered into any other agreements or arrangements with the Named
Executive Officers regarding resignation, termination, severance or
retirement.
Ownership of Equity
Securities
As of
March 7, 2008, the Company’s records and other information from outside sources
indicated the following were beneficial owners of more than five percent of
the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock:
Name
and Address
|
Shares
Beneficially Owned
|
Percentage
of Total
|
Sandler
O’Neill Asset Management, LLC
712
Fifth Avenue
New
York, NY 10019
|
342,400
|
5.77
|
Other
Matters
Certain
Transactions
The
Company’s subsidiary Banks have granted loans to certain Directors of the
Company and the Banks and to their related interests. The aggregate
amounts of loans were $32,253,000 and $16,332,000 at December 31, 2007 and 2006,
respectively. During 2007, $36,972,000 of new loans were made and
repayments of $21,051,000 were received. Unfunded commitments to
extend credit available to related parties aggregated $3,385,000 and $7,554,000
at December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. Related party loans are
made on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral,
as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with unrelated
persons and do not involve more than normal risk of collection. No other related
party transactions or services rendered to the Company or to the subsidiary
Banks exceeded $120,000. There are no family relationships between
directors and/or executive officers of the Company.
Loans
made to directors and executive officers must be approved by the Board of
Directors of the subsidiary bank making such loan under the provisions of
Federal Reserve Regulation O. The borrower is not permitted to be
present during discussion of the loan nor allowed to vote on such
loan. All decisions regarding loans are documented in the minutes of
the appropriate subsidiary bank to comply with the rules and regulations of the
applicable regulatory authorities of the subsidiary banks.
Proxy
Solicitation
The
Company will pay the cost of soliciting Proxies for the Annual
Meeting. In addition to solicitation of shareholders of record by
mail, telephone or personal contact, the Company will be contacting brokers,
dealers, banks or voting trustees or their nominees who can be identified as
record holders of Common Stock. Such holders, after inquiry by the
Company, will provide information concerning quantities of Proxy materials and
Annual Reports needed to supply such information to beneficial owners, and the
Company will reimburse them for the expense of mailing Proxy materials and 2007
Annual Reports to such owners.
Principal
Accountant Fees and Services
Mauldin
& Jenkins, LLC (“M&J”), the Company’s principal accountant, billed for
services rendered as shown in the following table:
Year
|
Audit
services
(1)
|
Audit
related
fees
|
Tax
services
|
Other
|
TOTAL
|
2007
|
$172,000
|
$
-0-
|
$
-0-
|
$-0-
|
$172,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Audit
fees consist of fees for the integrated audit of the Company’s financial
statements, review of the financial statements included in the Company’s
quarterly reports and the audit of the effectiveness of its internal
control over financial reporting.
|
A
representative of M&J is expected to be present at the 2008 shareholders'
meeting. He will have an opportunity to make a statement should he
desire to do so and is expected to be available to respond to appropriate
questions.
On March
7, 2007, the Audit Committee engaged
Mauldin & Jenkins,
LLC
as the Company’s independent public accountants for fiscal year
ending December 31, 2007 through 2009
.
The Audit
Committee is responsible for the selection and recommendation to the Board of
Directors the Company’s independent public accountant.
BDO Seidman, LLP
’s
reports on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for 2006 and 2005 did
not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified
or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. During the
Company’s two fiscal years and through March 7, 2007, there were no
disagreements with
BDO
on any matter
of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or
auditing scope or procedure which, if not resolved to
BDO
’s satisfaction,
would have caused
BDO
to make
reference to the subject matter in connection with its report on the Company’s
consolidated financial statements for such years; and there were no reportable
events as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) or (v) of Regulation S-K.
During
the last two complete fiscal years and through the date hereof, the Company did
not consult with
Mauldin & Jenkins,
LLC
with respect to the application of accounting principles to a
specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit
opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s consolidated financial
statements, or any other matter that was either the subject of a disagreement or
a reportable event as defined in Items 304(a)(1)(iv) or (v) of Regulation
S-K.
The Audit
Committee is responsible for approving all auditing services and permitted
non-audit services to be performed by the independent registered public
accounting firm. The Audit Committee pre-approved all of the
above rendered services.
Shareholder
Proposals and Director Nominations for 2009 Annual Meeting
Proposals
of shareholders and director nominations, accompanied by relevant biographical
information, to be presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be
received by the Company on or before January 14, 2009 to be included in the
Proxy Statement and Form of Proxy relating to the 2009 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders. Proposals and director nominees should be directed to
The Savannah Bancorp, Inc., 25 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401; Attention:
J. Curtis Lewis III, Secretary.
Shareholder
Communications with the Board of Directors
Shareholders
may communicate directly to the Board of Directors in writing by sending a
letter to the Board at:
The Savannah Bancorp,
Inc., 25 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401; Attention: J. Curtis Lewis III,
Secretary
. All communications directed to the Board of
Directors will be received and processed by the Company’s Secretary and will be
transmitted to the Chairman of the Board of Directors without any editing or
screening.
Miscellaneous
The
management of the Company knows of no other matters that are to be presented for
action at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters are brought
properly before the
Annual Meeting, the
persons designated in the enclosed Proxy will vote on such matters in accordance
with their best judgment.
Upon
the written request of any person whose Proxy is solicited by this Proxy
Statement, the Company will furnish to such person without charge (other than
for exhibits), a copy of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2007, including financial statements and schedules
thereto, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC). Requests should be directed to The Savannah Bancorp, Inc.,
P.O. Box 188, Savannah, Georgia 31402, Attention: Robert B. Briscoe, Chief
Financial Officer. The Form 10-K is also available for immediate
retrieval on the Internet from the SEC website at
http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/srch-edgar?text=0000860519
.
Front of Proxy Card
THE
SAVANNAH BANCORP, INC.
PROXY
SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FOR
ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING ON APRIL 24, 2008
The undersigned hereby appoints
Thornton Barrow and Julia Davis Morrison, and any of them, with full power of
substitution, as proxies to vote the Common Stock of The Savannah Bancorp, Inc.
held by the undersigned at the above stated Annual Meeting to be held at the
DeSoto Hilton Hotel, 15 East Liberty Street, Savannah, Georgia on April 24,
2008, at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, and any adjournments thereof, and to
vote as follows:
PROPOSAL
I. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Nominee
for election: Francis A. “Frank” Brown
Nominees
for re-election: L. Carlton Gill, John C. Helmken II & Robert T.
Thompson, Jr.
__Vote
FOR
all nominees listed
above, except withhold authority to vote for
the
PLEASE RECORD
YOUR
following
nominees (if any):________________________________
OR
VOTE TO THE LEFT
AND
__Vote
WITHHELD
for all
nominees listed
above.
SIGN ON THE OTHER
SIDE
PROPOSAL
II. RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF MAULDIN &
JENKINS, LLC AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS FOR THE FISCAL
YEAR 2008.
__ VOTE
FOR __ VOTE
AGAINST __ ABSTAIN
Back of Proxy Card
PLEASE
SIGN EXACTLY AS NAME APPEARS BELOW AND
CHECK APPROPRIATE BLOCKS ON
THE OTHER SIDE
.
WHEN
PROPERLY EXECUTED THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED
STOCKHOLDER. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED "FOR"
PROPOSAL I AND “FOR” PROPOSAL II. THE PROXIES ARE AUTHORIZED TO
VOTE IN THEIR SOLE DISCRETION ON SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS MAY COME BEFORE THE
MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENTS THEREOF.
______________________________________________
PLACE LABEL HERE
______________________________________________
Signature(s) of
Stockholder
Please
sign exactly as name appears on this proxy. When shares
are held
by joint tenants, both should sign. When signing on
behalf of
a corporation or partnership, or as attorney, agent or
fiduciary, please indicate the capacity
in which you are
signing.
Dated:_________________, 2008
PLEASE
SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE.
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