ASSURANCEAMERICA CORPORATION
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 o
Check the appropriate box:
o Preliminary Proxy Statement
x Definitive Proxy Statement
o Definitive Additional Materials.
o Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-12
o Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)).
ASSURANCEAMERICA CORPORATION
(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):
x No fee required.
o Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act
0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was
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Total fee paid: |
o Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and
identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing
by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
1) Amount Previously Paid:
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4) Date Filed:
ASSURANCEAMERICA
CORPORATION
RiverEdge
One
Suite 600
5500 Interstate North Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30328
NOTICE OF
ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
To Be Held April 26, 2007
Notice is hereby given that the 2007 Annual Shareholders
Meeting (the Annual Meeting) of AssuranceAmerica
Corporation, a Nevada corporation, will be held at our main
offices at RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North
Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, on Thursday, April 26,
2007, at 11:15 a.m., local time, for the following purposes:
1. Election of Directors. To elect eight
directors to serve until the 2008 Annual Shareholders
Meeting and until their successors are duly elected and
qualified; and
2. Other Business. The transaction of
such other business as may properly come before the Annual
Meeting, including adjourning the Annual Meeting to permit, if
necessary, further solicitation of proxies.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on
April 2, 2007, are entitled to receive notice of and to
vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement
thereof.
Your vote is very important, regardless of the number of
shares you own. You are encouraged to vote by proxy so that your
shares will be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting even
if you cannot attend. All shareholders of record can vote by
using the proxy card. However, if you are a shareholder whose
shares are not registered in your own name, you will need
additional documentation from your record holder to vote
personally at the Annual Meeting.
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By Order Of the Board of
Directors
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/s/ Guy
W. Millner
Guy
W. Millner
Chairman
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/s/ Lawrence
Stumbaugh
Lawrence
Bud Stumbaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Atlanta, Georgia
April 5, 2007
ASSURANCEAMERICA
CORPORATION
PROXY STATEMENT FOR 2007 ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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i
ASSURANCEAMERICA
CORPORATION
PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE
2007 ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
This Proxy Statement is being furnished to you in connection
with the solicitation by and on behalf of our Board of Directors
of proxies for use at the 2007 Annual Shareholders Meeting
(the Annual Meeting) at which you will be asked to
vote upon:
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the election of eight Directors to serve until the 2008 Annual
Shareholders Meeting and until their successors are duly
elected and qualified (see Proposal 1); and
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such other business as may properly come before the Annual
Meeting, including adjourning the meeting to permit, if
necessary, further solicitations of proxies.
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The Annual Meeting will be held at 11:15 a.m., local time,
on Thursday, April 26, 2007, at our main offices at
RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway,
Atlanta, Georgia 30328. This Proxy Statement and the enclosed
proxy are first being mailed to shareholders on or about
April 5, 2007.
VOTING
INFORMATION
Proxy
Card and Revocation
You are requested to promptly sign, date and return the
accompanying proxy card to us in the enclosed envelope. Any
shareholder who has delivered a proxy may revoke it at any time
before it is voted by either electing to vote in person at the
Annual Meeting, by giving notice of revocation in writing or by
submitting to us a signed proxy bearing a later date, provided
that we actually receive such notice or proxy prior to the
taking of the shareholder vote at the Annual Meeting. Any notice
of revocation should be sent to: AssuranceAmerica Corporation,
RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway,
Atlanta, Georgia 30328, Attention: Mark H. Hain, Secretary. The
shares of our common and preferred stock represented by properly
executed proxies received at or before the Annual Meeting and
not subsequently revoked will be voted as directed in such
proxies. If instructions are not given, shares represented by
proxies received will be voted FOR the election of
each of the eight nominees for Director. As of the date of this
Proxy Statement, we are unaware of any other matter to be
presented at the Annual Meeting.
Who Can
Vote; Voting Of Shares
Our Board of Directors has established the close of business on
April 2, 2007, as the record date (the Record
Date) for determining our shareholders entitled to notice
of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. Only our shareholders of
record as of the Record Date will be entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting. A plurality of votes cast at the Annual Meeting
will be required to elect eight Directors to serve until the
2008 Annual Shareholders Meeting and until their successors are
duly elected and qualified. A plurality means that the nominees
who receive the most votes for the available directorships will
be elected as Directors. Accordingly, the withholding of
authority by a shareholder will not be counted in computing a
plurality and will have no effect on the results of the election
of such nominees. The affirmative majority votes of our
outstanding common stock and preferred stock, voting together as
a class, present in person or represented by proxy and entitled
to vote at the Annual Meeting will be required to approve any
other matter properly brought before the Annual Meeting.
Under certain circumstances, brokers are prohibited from
exercising discretionary authority for beneficial owners who
have not returned proxies to the brokers (so-called broker
non-votes). In such cases, those shares will be counted
for the purpose of determining if a quorum is present but will
not be included in the vote totals with respect to those matters
for which the broker cannot vote. Abstentions and broker
non-votes are each included in the determination of the number
of shares present and voting for the purpose of determining
whether a quorum is present, and each is tabulated separately.
Because Directors are elected by a
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plurality, abstentions and broker non-votes have no effect on
the election of Directors. In all other matters, abstentions are
counted as votes against a proposal and broker non-votes are not
counted.
As of the Record Date, there were 56,642,971 shares of our
common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting, with each share entitled to one vote. As of the Record
Date, there were 800,000 shares of our Series A
Convertible preferred stock (preferred stock)
outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Each
share of preferred stock is entitled to ten (10) votes,
representing the current number of shares of common stock into
which each share of preferred stock may be converted. Holders of
common stock and holders of preferred stock will vote together
without regard to class on the matters to be voted upon at the
Annual Meeting.
The presence, in person or by proxy, of holders of 10% of the
outstanding shares of our common and preferred stock entitled to
vote at the Annual Meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum
of the shareholders in order to take action at the Annual
Meeting. For these purposes, shares of our common and preferred
stock that are present, or represented by proxy, at the Annual
Meeting will be counted for quorum purposes regardless of
whether the holder of the shares or proxy fails to vote on any
matter or whether a broker with discretionary authority fails to
exercise its discretionary voting authority with respect to any
matter.
How You
Can Vote
You may vote your shares by marking the appropriate boxes on the
enclosed proxy card. You must sign and return the proxy card
promptly in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Your vote
is important. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in
person, please return your marked proxy card promptly to ensure
that your shares will be represented.
PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
Number of
Directors
Our Bylaws provide that our Board of Directors will consist of
not less than three directors and no more than ten directors.
The number of Directors has been set at eight by the Board. Our
Board of Directors currently consists of eight Directors.
Nominees
We have selected eight nominees that we propose for election to
our Board of Directors. The nominees are: John E. Cay III,
Quill O. Healey, Guy W. Millner, Donald Ratajczak, John Ray,
Kaaren J. Street, Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh, and Sam Zamarripa.
Each of the nominees presently serves on our Board of Directors.
It is intended that each proxy solicited on behalf of the Board
of Directors will be voted only for the election of the
designated nominees.
Each of the nominees has consented to being named in this Proxy
Statement and to serve as a Director if elected. In the event
that any nominee withdraws or for any reason is not able to
serve as a Director, the proxy will be voted for such other
person as may be designated by the Board of Directors (or to
reduce the number of persons to be elected by the number of
persons unable to serve), but in no event will the proxy be
voted for more than eight nominees.
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Board of
Directors
The following table sets forth the names and ages, as of
March 23, 2007, of the current members of our Board of
Directors, each of whom has been nominated for reelection.
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Name
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Age
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Director Since
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Position
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Guy W. Millner
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71
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2003
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Chairman of the Board
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Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh
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66
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2003
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CEO & President
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Donald Ratajczak
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64
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2000
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Director
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Quill O. Healey
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67
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2003
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Director
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John E. Cay III
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62
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2003
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Director
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Kaaren J. Street
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60
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2004
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Director
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Sam Zamarripa
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54
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2004
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Director
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John Ray
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46
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2005
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Director
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Biographies
of Directors
Guy W. Millner has served as the Chairman of the Board
since June 2003. Mr. Millner served as Chairman of AA
Holdings, LLC, the predecessor of the Company, from 1998 to
2003. From 1961 to 1999, Mr. Millner served as Chairman of
Norrell Corporation, a leading provider of staffing and
outsourcing solutions. Mr. Millner also serves on the Board
of Directors of Matria Healthcare, Inc.
Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh has served as our President and
Chief Executive Officer and on our Board of Directors since June
2003. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AA
Holdings, LLC from 1998 to 2003. Prior to joining AA Holdings,
LLC, Mr. Stumbaugh was President and Chief Executive
Officer of Lawmark International Corporation.
Donald Ratajczak has served on our Board of Directors
since 2000. Dr. Ratajczak previously served as the Chairman
of our Board of Directors and our Chief Executive Officer from
May 2000 to June 2003. From May 2000 to November 2000,
Dr. Ratajczak also served as our President. From July 1973
to June 2000, he served as a professor and Director of Economic
Forecasting Center at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business
at Georgia State University. Dr. Ratajczak also currently
serves on the Board of Directors of the following organizations:
Crown Crafts, Inc., a textile manufacturing company; Ruby
Tuesday, Inc., a food service company; Citizens Bancshares, a
holding company for Citizens Trust Company; and Regan Holdings,
an insurance marketing company. He is a consulting economist for
Morgan, Keegan & Co., a broker/dealer company.
Quill O. Healey has served on our Board of Directors
since June 2003 and is Managing Partner of Healey Investments,
L.P. He retired as Chairman of Marsh, USA in 2001, after serving
in that capacity since 1998.
John E. Cay III has served on our Board of Directors
since June 2003. He serves as Chairman of Wachovia Insurance
Services since May 2005 and served as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Palmer & Cay, Inc., a risk
management and benefits consulting firm, from 1972 to May 2005.
Sam Zamarripa has served on our Board of Directors since
August 2004. Mr. Zamarripa has been a managing partner of
Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, an investment banking services
firm, for the last five years. Mr. Zamarripa is a director
nominee requested by the majority holder of the preferred stock.
Kaaren J. Street has served on our Board of Directors
since November 2004. She has been the President of K
Street Associates, Inc., a business development and consulting
firm since 2003. From August 2001 to August 2003,
Mrs. Street served as the Associate Deputy Administrator
for Entrepreneurial Development, for the U.S. Small
Business Administration. Prior to 2001, Mrs. Street served
as Vice-President of Enterprise Florida, Inc., a public private
partnership responsible for economic development and
international trade in Florida. She also serves on the Board of
Directors of Matria Healthcare, Inc.
4
John Ray has served on our Board since November
2005. For more than the last five years, he has been
the President of Heritage Capital Advisors, LLC, a private
equity and financial advisory firm based in Atlanta.
Mr. Ray is a director nominee requested by the majority
holder of the preferred stock.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE
ELECTION OF EACH NAMED NOMINEE FOR DIRECTOR.
Meetings
and Committees of the Board
Our Board of Directors held four meetings during the year ended
December 31, 2006. Each Director attended 75% or more of
the aggregate number of meetings held by the Board of Directors
and the Committees, if any, on which such Director served. The
Board of Directors has a standing Compensation Committee and
Audit Committee. Copies of the current charters for each of the
Compensation Committee and Audit Committee are available at our
website, www.assuranceamerica.com, under
Governance in the investor relations section of the
website.
The Audit Committee is composed of Mr. Healey,
Mr. Cay, and Dr. Ratajczak. The Audit Committee met
six times in 2006. The Audit Committee acts pursuant to a
charter adopted by the Board of Directors. Mr. Healey and
Dr. Ratajczak are audit committee financial experts as
defined by the SEC rules.
The Compensation Committee is composed of Mr. Zamarripa,
Chairman, Mr. Ray and Mrs. Street. The Compensation
Committee met twice in 2006. The Compensation Committee is
generally responsible for overseeing the compensation and
benefits of our management and employees and acts in accordance
with a charter adopted by the board of directors. The
Compensation Committees has the specific responsibility
to: (i) establish the compensation of the Companys
executive officers including salary, bonus, equity grants,
perquisites, and other forms of compensation;
(ii) administer the Companys equity incentive plans
including the Companys stock option plan; and
(iii) perform such other duties and responsibilities as the
Board of Directors deems appropriate. The Chairman and the CEO
are regularly invited to attend meetings of the committee but
are excused from the meeting during any discussion of their own
compensation. As members of the Board, the members of the
committee receive information concerning the performance of the
Company during the year and interact with our management. During
the committees deliberations on executive compensation,
the Chairman gives the committee and the Board an assessment of
his performance during the year just ended; he also reviews the
performance of the CEO and the other executive officers with the
committee and makes recommendations regarding their
compensation. Before setting executive compensation, the
committee reviews the total compensation and benefits of the
executive officers, the history of changes to their
compensation, annual performance evaluations of each individual
executive officer, the Companys financial and
non-financial results for the year, and competitive market
information regarding compensation at comparable companies and
competitors. The committee has the authority to retain
independent experts and advisors but decided not to do so in
2006. The committee may delegate its authority as provided in
its charter; however, it has not done so except to delegate to
the CEO the authority to grant stock options under the
Companys stock option plan pursuant to specific criteria
and limitations established by the committee. The CEO has
typically used the delegated authority to make grants of stock
options as needed between regularly scheduled meetings of the
compensation committee to newly hired employees. The
compensation committee reviews such grant activity at its
regularly scheduled meetings.
Because approximately 66% of our outstanding common stock is
beneficially held by two individuals, our Board of Directors
feels that it is appropriate not to have to have a standing
Nominating Committee. Each of the members of our Board of
Directors participates in the consideration of Director
nominees. The Board has not established specific, minimum
qualifications for a nominee to the Board of Directors. The
Board considers the personal attributes of a candidate,
including: leadership, integrity, independence, interpersonal
skills, contributing nature, and effectiveness. The candidates
experience attributes are also considered and include: financial
acumen, general business experience, industry knowledge,
diversity of viewpoint, special business experience, and
expertise. Messrs. Healey, Cay, Ratajczak, Ray, Zamarripa,
and Mrs. Street are independent directors, as
defined in Rule 4200 of the Nasdaq manual, the standard we
use to evaluate the independence of our directors, and SEC
Rule 10A-
3(b) (1) (ii) regarding independence of audit committee
members.
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Messrs. Millner and Stumbaugh serve as our Chairman and
President and Chief Executive Officer, respectively. As a
result, Messrs. Millner and Stumbaugh are not
independent directors. Our Board of Directors does
not have a charter relating to the nomination of Directors. Our
Board of Directors does not consider nominees for Director
submitted by shareholders.
Our directors are expected to attend each annual shareholders
meeting but are not required to do so. Last year, each director
attended our annual shareholders meeting.
Communicating
with the Board
If you wish to communicate with our Board of Directors or any
individual Director, you may send correspondence to:
AssuranceAmerica Corporation, RiverEdge One, Suite 600,
5500 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30328,
Attention: Corporate Secretary. Our Corporate Secretary will
submit your correspondence to the Board or the appropriate
Director, as applicable.
Director
Compensation
Our non-officer Directors are granted an option to purchase
50,000 shares of our common stock (exercisable over five
years with the exercise price equal to the fair market value of
our common stock on the date of the grant) upon their initial
election to the Board of Directors. Annually, each Director may
choose between an award of 20,000 shares of our common
stock or a cash payment of $2,500 per quarter. We reimburse
each
non-officer
director for travel expenses related to attendance at Board and
committee meetings. In setting
non-officer
director compensation, the Company considers the significant
amount of time the directors expend in fulfilling their duties
to the Company as well as the
skill-level
required by the Company of members of the Board. Periodically,
the Board reviews and considers changes to
non-officer
directors compensation as recommended to the Board by the
Compensation Committee. No changes were made in 2006.
For the year ended December 31, 2006, Guy W. Millner and
Lawrence Stumbaugh were not compensated in their capacity as
Directors. Donald Ratajczak, Sam Zamarripa, Quill O. Healey,
Kaaren J. Street, John Ray, and John E. Cay III each
accepted a grant of 20,000 shares of our common stock in
lieu of cash compensation for their service for the year ended
December 31, 2006.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
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Stock Awards
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Total
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Name
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($)
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($)
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Donald Ratajczak
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16,600
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16,600
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Quill O. Healey
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16,600
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16,600
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John E. Cay III
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16,600
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16,600
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Kaaren J. Street
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16,600
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16,600
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Sam Zamarripa
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16,600
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16,600
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John Ray
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16,600
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16,600
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SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table provides information concerning beneficial
ownership of our common stock and preferred stock as of
March 20, 2007, by: (i) each shareholder that we
believe owns more than 5% of our outstanding common or preferred
stock; (ii) each of our Named Executive Officers;
(iii) each of our Directors; and (iv) all of our
Directors and executive officers as a group.
The following table lists the applicable percentage of
beneficial ownership based on 56,642,971 shares of common
stock and 800,000 shares of convertible preferred shares
outstanding on March 20, 2007. Except
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where noted, the persons or entities named have sole voting and
investment power with respect to all shares shown as
beneficially owned by them.
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Number of Shares
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Percentage of
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Beneficially Owned
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Ownership (%)
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Name of Beneficial Owner(1)
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Common
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Preferred
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Common
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Preferred
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Guy W. Millner
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31,449,192
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(2)
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55.5
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Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh
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5,095,647
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(3)
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9.0
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Donald Ratajczak
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266,500
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*
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Quill O. Healey
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70,000
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(4)
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*
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John E. Cay III
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180,000
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(5)
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*
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Kaaren J. Street
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53,332
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(6)
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*
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Sam Zamarripa
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108,000
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(13)
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6,800
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(9)
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*
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John Ray
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11,469,231
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(7)
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592,000
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(10)
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18.3
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74.0
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Heritage Assurance Partners, LLP
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10,180,000
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(12)
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592,000
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(10)
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16.3
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74.0
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Joseph J. Skruck
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378,300
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(8)
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*
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Directors & executive
officers as a group (13 persons)
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50,877,077
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(11)
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598,800
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80.2
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74.2
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Less than 1.0%. |
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(1) |
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Except as otherwise stated, the beneficial owners address
is RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway,
Atlanta, Georgia 30328. |
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(2) |
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Includes indirect beneficial ownership by Mr. Millner of
2,119,500 shares of our common stock held by MI Holdings,
Inc, a corporation controlled by Mr. Millner. |
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(3) |
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Includes 5,000 shares of our common stock held by
Mr. Stumbaughs spouse as custodian for her son under
the Georgia Transfers to Minors Act and an option to purchase
6,300 shares of our common stock exercisable within
60 days . |
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(4) |
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Includes an option to purchase 50,000 shares of our common
stock exercisable within 60 days. |
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(5) |
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Includes an option to purchase 50,000 shares of common
stock exercisable within 60 days. |
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(6) |
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Includes an option to purchase 33,332 shares of our common
stock exercisable within 60 days. |
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(7) |
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Includes 1,269,231 shares of our common stock held by
Heritage Assurance Partners II, LLP (HAPII),
and 4,260,000 shares of our common stock held by Heritage
Assurance Partners, LLP (HAP), and
5,920,000 shares of our common stock into which the
preferred shares held by HAP are currently convertible. Heritage
Fund Advisors, LLC (HFA) and HAP (as to
4,260,000 common shares and the preferred shares and common
shares into which the preferred shares are convertible) and
HAPII (as to the remaining common shares) have shared voting and
dispositive powers with respect to such shares, respectively.
John Ray is the sole manager of HFA and disclaims any beneficial
ownership of such shares. |
|
(8) |
|
Includes an option to purchase 366,000 shares of common
stock exercisable within 60 days. |
|
(9) |
|
Consists of preferred shares owned by Mr. Zamarripas
spouse. |
|
(10) |
|
According to a Schedule 13G, filed August 28, 2004, on
behalf of HFA, HAP, and John Ray, HFA and HAP have shared voting
and dispositive power with respect to these shares; and John Ray
disclaims any beneficial ownership of such shares. HAPs
address is 3353 Peachtree Road, Suite 1040, Atlanta,
Georgia 30326. |
|
(11) |
|
Includes options to purchase common stock exercisable within
60 days and common shares into which the preferred shares
are currently convertible. |
|
(12) |
|
Includes 5,920,000 shares of our common stock into which
the preferred shares owned by HAP are currently convertible; see
also footnote (7) and (10). |
|
(13) |
|
Includes 68,000 shares of our common stock into which the
6800 preferred shares owned by his spouse are convertible; see
also footnote (9). |
7
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth the compensation paid or accrued
by the Company to the Chief Executive Officer and the other two
most highly paid executive officers of the Company in 2006 who
were executive officers at December 31, 2006 and whose
annual compensation exceeded $100,000 (the Named Executive
Officers). The information presented is for the years
ended December 31, 2006, and 2005.
Summary
Compensation Table
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Annual Compensation
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Year Ended
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Salary
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Bonus
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Option
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All Other
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Name & Principal Position(1)
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December 31,
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|
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($)
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|
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($)
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Awards ($)(3)
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Compensation(2)
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Total
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Lawrence Stumbaugh,
|
|
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2006
|
|
|
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224,216
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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4,187
|
|
|
|
14,477
|
|
|
|
242,880
|
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President & CEO
|
|
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2005
|
|
|
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172,213
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|
|
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31,500
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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14,463
|
|
|
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218,176
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Joseph J. Skruck,
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2006
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|
|
|
174,298
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,194
|
|
|
|
13,541
|
|
|
|
213,013
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President of AssuranceAmerica
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2005
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|
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150,003
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30,000
|
|
|
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12,260
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|
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192,263
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Managing General Agency, LLC,
|
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a subsidiary of the Company
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Guy W. Millner, Chairman
|
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2006
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|
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174,298
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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38,741
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|
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204,361
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2005
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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55,197
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|
|
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55,197
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|
|
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(1) |
|
Mr. Millner was appointed Chairman effective June, 2003,
and served without compensation until January 1, 2006.
Mr. Stumbaugh was appointed President and Chief Executive
Officer effective April 1, 2003. Mr. Skruck was
appointed President of AssuranceAmerica Managing General Agency,
LLC, effective April 1, 2003. |
|
(2) |
|
Amounts shown consist of certain perquisites, none of which had
a value exceeding 25% of the total value of all perquisites
provided. |
|
(3) |
|
The exercise price of all option grants in 2006 and 2005 is
equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date
of grant and each grant has a five-year term. The option grants
in will vest 20 percent on each anniversary of the date of
grant. The option awards are calculated in accordance with
SFAS 123R Share-based Payment. The fair value
of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the
Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model using the assumptions
noted in the following table. Expected volatilities are base on
historical volatilities of the Companys stock. The Company
uses historical data to estimate expected term within the
valuation model. No provision for forfeitures is applied to
option awards presented in this table. The risk-free rate for
periods within the contractual life of the option is based on
the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of
grant. The Company does not provide for any expected dividends
or discount for post-vesting restrictions in the model.
Additional information about the Companys recognition of
stock based compensation may be found in the Companys
annual report on
Form 10-KSB. |
Outstanding
Equity Awards At Fiscal Year End
None of the Named Executive Officers exercised any stock options
during the year ended December 31, 2006. The following
table provides information regarding the exercisable and
unexercisable stock options held as of December 31, 2006,
by each Named Executive Officer. Generally, option grants have a
five-year one
8
month term and were issued pursuant to our existing stock option
plan. The option grants vest 20 percent on each anniversary
of the date of grant.
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Number of Securities Underlying
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Unexercised Options at December 31, 2006
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Option
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Option
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Name
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Exercisable (#)
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Unexercisable (#)
|
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Exercise Price ($)
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Expiration Date
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|
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Lawrence Stumbaugh
|
|
|
|
|
|
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31,500
|
|
|
$
|
0.88
|
|
|
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02/02/2011
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Joseph J. Skruck
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|
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30,000
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$
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0.88
|
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02/02/2011
|
|
|
|
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270,000
|
|
|
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180,000
|
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$
|
0.25
|
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12/31/2008
|
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Guy W. Millner
|
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On July 10, 2002, the Company entered into an employment
agreement with Mr. Stumbaugh, its CEO and President. The
agreement is terminable upon 90 days notice by either
party. In the event Mr. Stumbaughs employment is
terminated other than for cause (as defined in the agreement),
the Company will pay Mr. Stumbaugh 24 months of base
salary plus his most recent bonus and reimburse him for his
COBRA premiums, payable monthly. If Mr. Stumbaugh
terminates his employment with the Company, the Company will pay
him three months base salary and reimburse him for his COBRA
premiums for three months. In the event of a termination for
cause, Mr. Stumbaugh will receive no post termination
compensation.
On March 8, 2006, the Company entered into an employment
agreement with Mr. Skruck. The agreement is terminable at
will by either party. In the event the Company terminates
Mr. Skrucks employment without cause (as defined in
the agreement) or as a result of death or disability, the
Company will pay Mr. Skruck 12 months base salary and
reimburse him for his COBRA premiums for up to 12 months.
In addition, if such termination occurs within 12 months of
a change in control of the Company, all options fully vest but
must be exercised within 30 days of the date of
termination. The obligations to pay post termination
compensation are conditioned upon Mr. Skrucks
execution of a separation and release agreement and compliance
with certain restrictive covenants set forth in the agreement.
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
In the past, our Chairman, Mr. Millner, and our Chief
Executive Officer, Mr. Stumbaugh, have loaned us
approximately $6.2 million and $0.3 million,
respectively, in exchange for promissory notes. We incurred
interest on the promissory notes to our Chairman,
Mr. Millner, of $328,538 in 2006 and $437,827 in 2005.
Additional payments of $759,791 and $1,347,561 for accrued and
unpaid interest were made to Mr. Millner in 2006 and 2005,
respectively. We also made principal payments to
Mr. Millner in the amount of $397,059 and $0 in 2006 and
2005, respectively. We incurred interest on the promissory note
to Mr. Stumbaugh, of $13,894 and $24,241 in 2006 and in
2005, respectively. We also made principal payments to
Mr. Stumbaugh in the amounts of $100,728 and $78,006 in
2006 and in 2005, respectively. Outstanding amounts under the
promissory notes held by Messrs. Millner and Stumbaugh
accrue interest at an annual rate of 8%. The note to
Mr. Stumbaugh requires annual principal payments of
$100,000 beginning December, 2004; however, the December 2004
payment was deferred until 2005. The notes to Mr. Millner
require annual principal payments of the greater of $500,000 or
25% of Net Cash Flow (net income after tax plus non cash items
minus working capital) on each of two notes beginning in
December, 2004; the December 2004 payment was deferred until
2005. The promissory notes are not secured by any of our assets.
In July 2004, we purchased substantially all of the assets of
Thomas-Cook Holding Company (TCHC), which was
controlled by James C. Cook, a Division President of the
Company. Pursuant to the Agreement, as consideration for the
purchased assets, we paid TCHC $462,000 in cash, issued TCHC a
promissory note in the amount of $1,078,000, and issued TCHC
1,320,000 shares of our common stock. The principal amount
of the Promissory Note is payable in three equal installments on
each of August 1, 2005, August 1, 2006, and
August 1, 2007. Outstanding amounts under the promissory
note accrue interest at an annual rate of 8%. We are required to
make payments of accrued and unpaid interest on outstanding
amounts under the promissory note on a quarterly basis. We
incurred $48,085 and $77,355 of interest on this promissory note
in 2006 and
9
2005, respectively. We made principal payments in the amounts of
$359,333 and $359,333 in 2006 and in 2005, respectively.
INDEPENDENT
AUDITORS
The Board of Directors has appointed Porter Keadle Moore, LLP,
our independent auditors, to audit our financial statements for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. We anticipate that
representatives of Porter Keadle Moore, LLP will be present at
the Annual Meeting. They will be able to make a statement, if
desired, and to respond to questions.
There have been no disagreements concerning any matter of
accounting principle or financial statement disclosure between
us and Porter Keadle Moore, LLP.
Principal
Accountant Audit and Non-Audit Fees
Aggregate fees for professional services rendered by Porter
Keadle Moore, LLP, our independent auditors, for the period
indicated below are as follows:
|
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|
|
Fiscal Year Ended
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
Audit Fees
|
|
$
|
111,000
|
|
Audit-Related Fees
|
|
|
0
|
|
Tax Fees
|
|
|
0
|
|
All Other Fees
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
111,000
|
|
Audit Fees. This category includes the
aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered for the
audit of our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2006, and for services that are
normally provided by our independent auditors in connection with
statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the relevant
fiscal years.
Audit-Related Fees. This category includes the
aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services by our
independent auditors that are reasonably related to the
performance of the audits or reviews of the financial statements
and are not reported under Audit Fees, as noted
above.
Tax Fees. This category includes the aggregate
fees billed for Federal and State tax preparation services by
our independent auditors.
All Other Fees. No fees were billed for
products and services provided by our independent auditors that
are not reported under Audit Fees,
Audit-Related Fees, or Tax Fees, as
noted above.
The Audit Committee reviews and pre-approves audit and non-audit
services performed by our independent auditors, as well as the
fee charged for such services. All of the fees described above
were approved by the Audit Committee.
All of the audit services provided by our independent auditors
were pre-approved by the Audit Committee and the Board of
Directors.
SECTION 16(a)
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, requires our Directors, executive officers and persons
who own beneficially more than 10% of a registered class of our
equity securities to file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the SEC) initial reports of ownership
and reports of changes in ownership of such securities.
Directors, executive officers and greater than 10% shareholders
are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all
Section 16(a) reports they file.
10
To the best of our knowledge, the Section 16(a) filing
requirements applicable to our Directors, executive officers and
greater than 10% shareholders were complied with during the year
ended December 31, 2006; provided, however, that
(i) one Form 3 was filed late, by Courtney Wright;
(ii) one Form 4 to report an option grant was reported
late, by each of Mr. Hain, Mr. Stumbaugh,
Mr. Cook, Mr. Skruck, and Mrs. Pinczes, and
(iii) two Form 4s to report the disposition of shares
by gift were reported late by Mr. Millner.
REPORT OF
THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The following is the report of the Audit Committee with respect
to the Companys audited financial statements for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of
Directors in its oversight of the Companys financial
reporting, internal controls and audit functions. The Audit
Committee Charter describes in greater detail the full
responsibilities of the committee and is available on the
Companys website at
www.assuranceamerica.com under governance in
the investor relations section of the website. The audit
committee is comprised solely of independent directors as
defined by the Rule 4200 of the Nasdaq manual, and SEC
Rule 10A-
3(b) (1). Mr. Healey and Dr. Ratajczak are audit
committee financial experts as defined by SEC rules.
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the consolidated
financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2006, with the management of the Company and Porter Keadle
Moore, LLP, the Companys independent auditors. Management
is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity
of the Companys financial statements; accounting and
financial reporting principles; establishing and maintaining
disclosure controls and procedures; establishing and maintaining
internal control over financial reporting; evaluating the
effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures; evaluating
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting;
in evaluating any change in the internal control over financial
reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to materially affect, internal control over financial reporting.
Porter Keadle Moore, LLP is responsible for performing an
independent audit of the consolidated financial statements and
expressing an opinion on the conformity of those financial
statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America, and to obtain reasonable assurance
about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement.
The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors
the matters required to be discussed by SAS 61, as modified or
supplemented; the audit committee has also received the written
disclosures and the letter from the independent accountants
required by ISB Standard No. 1 and has discussed with the
independent accountants, the independent accountants
independence.
Based upon our review and the discussions with and
representations from management and the independent auditors
referred to above, the audit committee has recommended to the
Board of Directors that the audited financial statements for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, be included in the
Companys annual report on
Form 10-KSB
for filing with the SEC.
In accordance with Audit Committee policy and the requirements
of law, the Audit Committee pre-approves all services to be
provided by the Companys auditors, Porter Keadle Moore,
LLP. Pre-approval is required for all audit services, audit
related services, tax services and other services.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Quill O. Healey, Chairman
John E. Cay III
Dr. Don Ratajczak
11
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Shareholder
Proposals For 2008 Annual Shareholders Meeting
In order to be considered for inclusion in the proxy statement
and form of proxy to be used in connection with our 2008 Annual
Shareholders Meeting, shareholder proposals must be
received by our Secretary at our principal offices, located at
RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North Parkway,
Atlanta, Georgia 30328, no later than December 5, 2007. A
shareholder making any proposal shall also comply with all
applicable requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended. Proposals not made in accordance with this procedure
may be disregarded by the Chairman of the Annual Meeting in his
discretion, and upon his instructions, all votes cast for each
such nominee or for such proposal may be disregarded.
Form 10-KSB
Our Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB
for the year ended December 31, 2006, which was filed with
the SEC, is included with this Proxy Statement. Copies of
exhibits and documents filed with our Annual Report or
referenced in it will be furnished to shareholders of record who
make a written request to us at:
RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate Parkway North,
Atlanta, Georgia 30328.
Solicitations
of Proxies
We will pay the costs of soliciting proxies. This solicitation
is being made by mail, but may also be made by telephone or in
person by our officers and employees. We will reimburse
brokerage firms, nominees, custodians and fiduciaries for their
out-of-pocket
expenses for forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners.
OTHER
MATTERS
Our Board of Directors knows of no other matters to be presented
for shareholder action at the Annual Meeting. However, if other
matters do properly come before the Annual Meeting or any
adjournments or postponements thereof, our Board of Directors
intends that the persons named in the proxy card will vote upon
such matters in accordance with their best judgment.
|
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|
By Order of the Board Of
Directors
|
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|
|
/s/ Guy
W. Millner
Guy
W. Millner
Chairman
|
|
/s/ Lawrence
Stumbaugh
Lawrence
Stumbaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
April 5, 2007
Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please
complete, sign, date and promptly return the accompanying proxy
card in the enclosed envelope. You may revoke your proxy at any
time before the Annual Meeting. If you are a shareholder of
record and you decide to attend the Annual Meeting and wish to
change your proxy vote, you may do so automatically by voting in
person at the Annual Meeting.
12
FORM OF PROXY
ASSURANCEAMERICA CORPORATION
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
April 26, 2007 PROXY
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON
BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Lawrence
Stumbaugh and Mark H. Hain, and each of them, the true and
lawful attorneys and proxies for the undersigned, to act and
vote all of the undersigneds capital stock of
AssuranceAmerica Corporation, a Nevada corporation, at the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at our executive
offices at RiverEdge One, Suite 600, 5500 Interstate North
Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, at 11:15 a.m. local time
on Thursday, April 26, 2007, and at any and all
adjournments thereof, for the purposes of considering and acting
upon the matter proposed by AssuranceAmerica Corporation that is
identified below. This proxy when properly executed will be
voted in accordance with the specifications made herein by the
undersigned shareholder. If no direction is made, this proxy
will be voted FOR each of the nominees listed below.
|
|
1. |
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS.
|
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|
|
Nominees: Guy
W. Millner
Lawrence (Bud) Stumbaugh
Quill O. Healey
Donald Ratajczak
John Ray
John E. Cay III
Kaaren J. Street
Sam Zamarripa
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Check One Box
|
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o
|
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FOR
each of the Nominees
listed above (except as marked to the contrary below)
|
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o
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|
WITHHOLD AUTHORITY
to vote for all Nominees
listed above
|
(INSTRUCTIONS: TO WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY TO VOTE FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL NOMINEE, WRITE THAT
NOMINEES NAME IN THE FOLLOWING SPACE PROVIDED.)
In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote on such
other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or
adjournment(s), including adjourning the Annual Meeting to
permit, if necessary, further solicitation of proxies.
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Should the undersigned be present and elect to vote at the
Annual Meeting, or at any adjournments thereof, and after
notification to our Secretary at the Annual Meeting of the
shareholders decision to terminate this proxy, the power
of said attorneys and proxies shall be deemed terminated and of
no further force and effect. The undersigned may also revoke
this proxy by filing a subsequently dated proxy or by notifying
our Secretary of his or her decision to terminate this proxy.
The undersigned acknowledges receipt from us prior to the
execution of this proxy of a Notice of the Annual Meeting and a
Proxy Statement dated April 5, 2007.
Dated:
April _
_,
2007
Signature of Shareholder
Print Name of Shareholder
Signature of Shareholder
Print Name of Shareholder
NOTE: Joint owners should each
sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee
or guardian, please give full title as such. If the signatory is
a corporation, sign the full corporate name by a duly authorized
officer.