UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
FORM
8-K/A
(Amendment No. )
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934
Date of Report
(Date of Earliest Event Reported): December 26, 2022
FIRST
NORTHERN COMMUNITY BANCORP
(Exact Name of
Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
000-30707
(Commission File
Number)
CaliforniaCalifornia
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68-0450397
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(State
or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
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(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.)
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195 N
FIRST STREET
DIXON,
California 95620
(Address of
principal executive offices, including zip code)
(707)
678-3041
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
NOT
APPLICABLE
(Former name or
former address, if changed since last report)
Check the
appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant
under any of the following provisions:
☐
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Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
CFR 230.425)
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☐
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Soliciting material
pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
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☐
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Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17
CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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☐
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Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17
CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the
Act:
Title of each class
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Trading
Symbol(s)
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Name of each
exchange on which registered
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Common
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FNRN
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Indicate by check
mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as
defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this
chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(§240.12b-2 of this chapter):
Emerging growth
company ☐
If an emerging
growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has
elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This filing amends Item 5.02 of the Current Report on Form 8-K of
First Northern Community Bancorp (the “Company”) filed on May 20,
2022 (the “Original Form 8-K”) to add the information described
herein.
ITEM 5.02 DEPARTURE OF DIRECTOR OR CERTAIN OFFICERS; ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS; APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN OFFICERS; COMPENSATORY
ARRANGEMENTS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS.
(c) Appointment of President and Chief Executive Officer
On May 20, 2022, First Northern Community Bancorp (the “Company”)
filed a Current Report on Form 8-K related to the appointment of
Jeremiah Z. Smith, currently the Company’s Senior Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer, as President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company and its subsidiary, First Northern
Bank of Dixon (the “Bank”), effective January 1, 2023. At
that time, the terms of the employment agreement with Mr. Smith
were not available. This Amendment is being filed to report
a summary of the principal terms of the employment agreement with
Mr. Smith governing the terms of his employment as President and
Chief Executive Officer, as well as set forth amendments to prior
agreements entered into by and between Mr. Smith and the
Bank.
The Bank has entered into (i) an employment agreement with Mr.
Smith governing the terms of his employment as President and Chief
Executive Officer, effective as of January 1, 2023 (the “Employment
Agreement”); (ii) the First Amendment to the Executive
Retirement/Retention Participation Agreement with Mr. Smith,
effective as of January 1, 2023 (the “First Amendment to Executive
Participation Agreement”); and (iii) the First Amendment to the
Participation Agreement of the Supplemental Executive Retirement
Plan, effective as of January 1, 2023 (the “First Amendment to
Supplemental Participation Agreement”; together with the Employment
Agreement and the First Amendment to Executive Participation
Agreement, the “Compensation Documents”). The principal terms of
the Compensation Documents are summarized below.
Employment Agreement
Term. Mr.
Smith’s term of employment will commence on January 1, 2023, and
will automatically extend for consecutive one-year periods unless
the Bank or Mr. Smith terminates pursuant to the terms of the
Employment Agreement.
Salary and Bonus. Mr. Smith will receive an annual base
salary of $475,000,
effective January 1, 2023,
and will be eligible for an annual bonus.
Incentive Compensation. Mr.
Smith will be entitled to participate in any annual and long-term
incentive programs which cover employees in positions comparable to
that of Mr. Smith.
Benefits. Mr. Smith will continue to be eligible to
participate in the Bank’s employee benefit plans and programs to
the extent that Mr. Smith’s position and other factors make Mr.
Smith eligible to participate.
Termination. Upon an involuntary termination without cause
(as defined therein) or termination for good reason (as defined
therein) outside a change of control period, Mr. Smith will
receive, in a lump sum, 150% of the sum of (i) his annual base
salary as of the date of termination and (ii) the average of the
annual bonuses awarded to him for the three most recent consecutive
years prior to the date of termination, as well as subsidized
continuation health coverage for himself and his dependents for up
to 36 months. Upon an involuntary termination without cause
or termination for good reason or election not to extend the term
of his employment agreement within two years following a change of
control, Mr. Smith will receive, in a lump sum, 250% of the sum of
(i) his annual base salary as of the date of termination and (ii)
the average of the annual bonuses awarded to him for the three most
recent consecutive years prior to the date of termination,
subsidized continuation health coverage for himself and his
dependents for up to 36 months and outplacement assistance.
Non-Solicitation. For 12 months following the termination of
Mr. Smith’s employment, Mr. Smith will be subject to certain
non-solicitation restrictions.
First Amendment to Executive Participation Agreement
Pursuant to the First Amendment to Executive Participation
Agreement, effective January 1, 2023, Mr. Smith will become 50%
vested in his Executive Retirement/Retention Award (as defined
therein) and will become fully vested in the remaining 50% of his
Executive Retirement/Retention Award upon his 62nd
birthday, so long as he remains employed with the Bank and has
achieved certain performance goals.
First Amendment to Supplemental Participation Agreement
Pursuant to the First Amendment to Supplemental Participation
Agreement, effective January 1, 2023, the lump sum payment owed to
Mr. Smith in the event of a change in control will be determined
based on a retirement age of 62. Additionally, Mr. Smith’s death
benefit payment has been increased from $10,000 per month to
$15,000 per month (limited to 180 months total). Lastly, the Normal
Retirement Age as defined in the First Northern Bank Supplemental
Executive Retirement Plan (the “SERP”) has been changed to 62
solely with respect to the Chief Executive Officer of the
Company.
The foregoing summary is not complete and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the Employment Agreement, the First
Amendment to Executive Participation Agreement, and the First
Amendment to Supplemental Participation Agreement, a copy of each
of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3,
respectively, to this Amendment to the Original Form 8-K and
incorporated by reference herein.
(e) Amendment of the SERP
Pursuant to the Second Amendment to the SERP, effective January 1,
2023, the Final Average Compensation (as defined therein) will be
calculated to take into account the bonus paid for the final year
of service in the event that a participant in the SERP serves an
entire calendar year in their last year of service, even if that
bonus remained unpaid as of the termination date. Additionally, the
calculation of the Early Commencement Factor (as defined therein)
for purposes of calculating a participant’s disability retirement
benefit will not be less than the factor obtained when assuming an
early retirement age of 55.
The foregoing summary is not complete and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the Second Amendment to the SERP, a copy
of which will be filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K.
ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(c) Exhibits
10.1 Employment
Agreement for
Jeremiah Z. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, effective
as of January 1, 2023
10.2 First
Amendment to Executive Retirement/Retention Participation Agreement
for Jeremiah Z. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer,
effective January 1, 2023
10.3 First
Amendment to the Participation Agreement of the Supplemental
Executive Retirement Plan for Jeremiah Z. Smith, President and
Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2023
99.1 Press
Release, dated May 20, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 20,
2022)
99.2 Letter
to Shareholders and Employees, dated May 20, 2022 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form
8-K dated May 20, 2022)
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: December 27, 2022
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First Northern Community Bancorp
(Registrant)
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/s/ Louise A. Walker
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By: Louise A. Walker
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President and Chief Executive Officer
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EXHIBIT INDEX