At the meeting, two directors will each be elected to serve a three-year term that will expire at the close of our annual meeting to be held during 2011. The shares represented by the enclosed proxy will be voted to elect as directors the nominees named below, unless a vote is withheld for an individual nominee. If a nominee cannot or will not serve as a director (which events are not anticipated), the shares represented by the enclosed proxy may be voted for another person as determined by the holder of the proxies.

 

Board Structure

The number of directors constituting our Board of Directors is currently seven. As of the date hereof, our board currently has one vacancy, which was created by the September 19, 2007 resignations of four former directors and the election of only three directors to succeed them. We expect that prior to the annual meeting, our remaining directors, with the guidance of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, will eliminate such vacancy either by electing a new director or by reducing the number of directors that constitute our whole board. Our directors are divided into three classes. Directors in each class serve a term of three years. At each annual meeting, the term of one class expires. Our Class I Directors, whose terms expire at the conclusion of this annual meeting, are Arthur H. Amron and James S. Scibetta.

 

Board Nominees

 

The Board of Directors has nominated Arthur H. Amron and James S. Scibetta for re-election as directors. Each director nominee would serve a three-year term expiring at the close of our annual meeting to be held during 2011. Biographical information on each of the nominees is furnished below under “Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers.”

 

Vote Required

 

The two nominees receiving the highest number of votes cast for them at the meeting will be elected to serve for a term of three years, or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of the election.

 

Board Recommendation 

 

THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION (ITEM 1 OF THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD) OF MR. AMRON AND MR. SCIBETTA AS DIRECTORS.

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DIRECTORS, DIRECTOR NOMINEES AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 

  

The following information is furnished with regard to the directors, the director nominees and the executive officers as of April __, 2008.

 

Name

Age

Position

Director     Since

Term Expires

Eric A. Rose, M.D(3)

57

Lead Director of the Board and Class III Director

1997

2010

Arthur H. Amron

[51]

Class I Director

2007

2008

Norman J. Barta

51

Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer and Class III Director

2002

2010

Lawrence J. Centella(1)(2)

67

Class III Director

2001

2010

Paul A. Mieyal

[38]

Class II Director

2007

2009

James S. Scibetta(1)(2)(3)

[43]

Class I Director

2007

2008

Mark W. Lerner

54

Former Chief Financial Officer

N/A

N/A

Gerald J. Kochanski

54

Chief Financial Officer

N/A

N/A

(1)		Member of the Audit Committee of the Board
(2)		Member of the Compensation Committee of the Board
(3)		Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board

 

Eric A. Rose, M.D. has served as our lead director since August 2006, and as chairman of our Board of Directors from 1997 until 2006 and a director since our inception in 1997. Dr. Rose served as our president and chief executive officer from May 1999 until July 2002. Dr. Rose has been Executive Vice President Life Sciences of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. since March 2007 and Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SIGA Technologies, Inc. (“SIGA”), a publicly-traded biotechnology company focused on the design and development of novel products for the prevention and treatment of serious infectious diseases, since March 2007. Since 1994, Dr. Rose has been the Morris and Rose Millstein/Johnson & Johnson Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Surgeon in Chief at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Beginning March 2007, Dr. Rose is on leave from this position. Dr. Rose is a director of the following corporations which are required to file reports pursuant to the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”): SIGA and Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Rose is also a director of PharmaCore, Inc., TransTech Pharma, Inc. and a former director of Nexell Therapeutics Inc. (f/k/a VimRx). Dr. Rose received a B.A., summa cum laude, in Psychology from Columbia University and an M.D. from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

 

Arthur H. Amron has served as a director of our company since September 2007. Mr. Amron is a partner of Wexford Capital and serves as its General Counsel. Mr. Amron also actively participates in various private equity transactions, particularly in the bankruptcy and restructuring areas, and has served on the boards and creditors’ committees of a number of public and private companies in which Wexford has held investments. From 1991-94, Mr. Amron was an Associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP specializing in corporate and bankruptcy law and from 1984-91, Mr. Amron was an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP specializing in corporate litigation and bankruptcy law. Mr. Amron holds a JD from Harvard University, a BA in political theory from Colgate University and is a member of the New York Bar.

Norman J. Barta has served as our president and chief executive officer and as a director since July 2002, and served as our chief financial officer from October 1998 until July 2004. Mr. Barta has been Chairman of our Board of Directors since October 2007. Mr. Barta has served as our treasurer and secretary since May 1999. Mr. Barta served as our chief operating officer from October 1999 to July 2002. From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Barta provided financial planning and management for the research and development division of National Medical Care (currently a division of the Fresenius Medical Care AG), which prior to its acquisition by Fresenius was one of the largest dialysis providers in the world. Prior to that, Mr. Barta was a consultant for Corestates Bank, where he restructured and optimized cash management and treasury areas for the bank’s corporate and public-sector clients. Mr. Barta received a B.S. in Mathematics and Economics from Carnegie-Mellon University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

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Lawrence J. Centella has served as a director of our company since January 2001. Mr. Centella serves as president of Renal Patient Services, LLC, a company that owns and operates dialysis centers, and has served in such capacity since June 1998. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Centella served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Gambro Healthcare, Inc., an integrated dialysis company that manufactured dialysis equipment, supplied dialysis equipment and operated dialysis clinics. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Centella served as president and chief executive officer of Gambro Healthcare Patient Services, Inc. (formerly REN Corporation). Prior to that, Mr. Centella served as president of COBE Renal Care, Inc., Gambro Hospal, Inc., LADA International, Inc. and Gambro, Inc. Mr. Centella is also the founder of LADA International, Inc. Mr. Centella received a B.S. from DePaul University.

 

Paul A. Mieyal has served as a director of our company since September 2007. Dr. Mieyal has been a Vice President of Wexford Capital since October 2006.From January 2007 through September 2007, he was Vice President in charge of healthcare investments for Wechsler & Co., Inc., a private investment firm and registered broker-dealer. Dr. Mieyal is also a director of  Nile Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Mieyal received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from New York Medical College, a B.A. in chemistry and psychology from Case Western Reserve University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

James S. Scibetta has served as a director of our company since November 2007. Prior to joining us, Mr. Scibetta was Chief Financial Officer of Bioenvision, Inc. from December 2006 until its acquisition by Genzyme, Inc. in October 2007. From September 2001 to November 2006, Mr. Scibetta was Executive Vice President and CFO of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovery and development of novel therapies for autoimmune disease and cancer, and he was a member of the Board of Directors of Merrimack from April 1998 to March 2004. Mr. Scibetta formerly served as a senior investment banker at Shattuck Hammond Partners, LLC from 1997 to 2001 and PaineWebber Inc. from 1988 to 1997, providing capital acquisition, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic advisory services to healthcare companies. Mr. Scibetta is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee Chairman of Labopharm, Inc., an international specialty pharmaceutical company focused on improving existing drugs by incorporating its proprietary, advanced controlled-release technologies. Mr. Scibetta holds a B.S. in Physics from Wake Forest University, and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Michigan. He completed executive education studies in the Harvard Business School Leadership & Strategy in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology program.

 

Mark W. Lerner served as our chief financial officer from March 2006 until April 2008. Mr. Lerner served as a consultant to Pipeline Data Inc., a business services company that offers card processing services, from September 2003 until his employment by the Company. From May 2002 through June 2003, Mr. Lerner was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ramp, Inc., a healthcare information technology company whose stock was listed on the American Stock Exchange (“AMEX”). From September 2000 through April 2002, Mr. Lerner was the Chief Financial Officer and VP Finance and Development of Boardroom Inc., a direct marketer and publisher. Prior to joining Boardroom, Mr. Lerner had over twenty years of experience working in finance. Mr. Lerner received his MBA in Finance from Emory University and graduated from Columbia University’s Executive Program.

Gerald J. Kochanski became our chief financial officer in April 2008. Mr. Kochanski was the Financial Services Director of Lordi Consulting LLC, a national consulting firm, from February 2007 through February 2008. from October 2004 until December 2006, Mr. Kochanski was the Chief Financial Officer of American Water Enterprises, Inc., a business unit of a privately owned company in the water and wastewater treatment industy. Previously, from November 1998 through September 2004, Mr. Kochanski was the Chief Financial Officer of Scanvec Amiable Ltd. a publicly traded provider of software to the signmaking, digital printing and engraving industries. Mr. Kochanski received his BS in Accounting and his MBA in Finance from La Salle University, where he has also been an adjunct accounting department faculty member since 1986.

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There are no family relationships between any of our directors and executive officers.

Key Employee

 

Gregory Collins, Ph.D. has served as our senior scientist since 1998. From 1993 to 1997, Dr. Collins was a research and development program manager at National Medical Care, where he was responsible for research and development projects relating to dialyzer cartridges and bloodlines. From 1990 to 1993, Dr. Collins served as a senior level research and development engineer at National Medical Care, where he applied basic scientific theory to practical device development using his training in solute transport, and gained technical expertise in the spinning of hollow fiber semi-permeable membranes, dialyzer cartridge design and assembly techniques, and novel test method development. Dr. Collins received a B.S., summa cum laude, in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University and a Ph.D., magna cum laude, in Bioengineering from U.C. San Diego. Dr. Collins is 48 years old.

GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

 

 

Committees and Meetings

 

The Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are each governed by a specific charter, each of which is available on our website at www.nephros.com, and all members of these committees are independent directors. We comply with the rules promulgated by the AMEX for determining the independence of directors, as well as the SEC requirements for independence of directors on the Audit Committee. Compliance with these requirements is reviewed annually by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

 

The Board has at least one regularly scheduled meeting per year. In addition, the Board holds special meetings whenever requested by either the Chairman of the Board, the President, the Secretary or by two or more directors. The Audit Committee has no less than one meeting per quarter. The Compensation Committee meets at least twice a year and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee meets at least once a year. In addition, special meetings of the Board or any Committee may be called from time to time as determined by the needs of the business.

 

During fiscal 2007, the Board of Directors held 17 meetings, and took action by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting six times. During 2007, all directors attended at least 75% of the combined total of (i) all Board meetings and (ii) all meetings of committees of the Board of which the director was a member. The Board of Directors allocates time at each Board meeting to meet without management present.

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Audit Committee

 

The purpose of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is to represent and assist the Board in monitoring (i) accounting, auditing, and financial reporting processes; (ii) the integrity of our financial statements; (iii) our internal controls and procedures designed to promote compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations; and (iv) the appointment of and evaluating the qualifications and independence of our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee’s specific responsibilities are set forth in its charter, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit A to this proxy statement. The Audit Committee currently consists of Mr. Scibetta (Chairperson) and Mr. Centella each of whom have been determined by the Board of Directors to be independent under the AMEX listing standards. Dr. Rose served on the Audit Committee from February 2, 2006 until February 28, 2007 and again from September 19, 2007 until November 16, 2007. Ms. Judith Slotkin served as Chairman of the Audit Committee from June 2006 until her resignation on September 19, 2007, and Mr. Scibetta joined the Audit Committee on November 16, 2007. The Audit Committee met nine times in fiscal 2007 and acted twice by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting.

 

The Board of Directors has determined that all Audit Committee members are financially literate under the current listing standards of the AMEX. The Board also determined that Mr. Scibetta qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC rules adopted pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Audit Committee also serves as our Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”). The QLCC is responsible for investigating reports, made by attorneys appearing and practicing before the SEC in the representation of us, of perceived material violations of law, breaches of fiduciary duty or similar violations by us or any of our agents.

 

Compensation Committee

 

The purpose of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is to (i) assist the Board in discharging its responsibilities with respect to compensation of our executive officers and directors, (ii) evaluate the performance of our executive officers, (iii) assist the Board in developing succession plans for executive officers and (iv) administer our stock and incentive compensation plans and recommend changes in such plans to the Board as needed. The Compensation Committee establishes the compensation of senior executives on an annual basis. The Compensation Committee currently consists of Mr. Centella (Chairman) and Mr. Scibetta, both of whom have been determined by the Board of Directors to be independent under the AMEX listing standards. The Compensation Committee met twice during in fiscal 2007 and acted twice by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting.

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

The purpose of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors is to assist the Board in identifying qualified individuals to become Board members, in determining the composition of the Board and its committees, in monitoring a process to assess Board effectiveness and in developing and implementing corporate procedures and policies. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee currently consists of Dr. Rose (Chairman) and Mr. Scibetta, both of whom have been determined by the Board of Directors to be independent under the AMEX listing standards. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met twice during fiscal 2007 and acted once by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting.

 

The entire Board is responsible for nominating members for election to the Board and for filling vacancies on the Board that may occur between annual meetings of the stockholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying, screening, and recommending candidates to the entire Board for prospective Board membership. When formulating its Board membership recommendations, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also considers any qualified candidate for an open board position timely submitted by our stockholders in accordance with our established procedures.

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider stockholder recommendations of candidates when the recommendations are properly submitted. Stockholder recommendations should be submitted to us under the procedures discussed in “Procedures For Security Holder Submission of Nominating Recommendations” which is available on our website at www.nephros.com, by clicking on the Investor Relations link, then the Corporate Governance link. Written notice of any nomination must be timely delivered to Nephros, Inc., 3960 Broadway, New York, New York 10032, Attention: Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o Chief Financial Officer.

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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will evaluate and recommend candidates for membership on the Board of Directors consistent with criteria established by the Committee. When considering a potential non-incumbent candidate, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will factor into its determination the following qualities of a candidate: professional experience, including whether the person is a current or former Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of a public company, integrity, professional reputation, independence and ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders.

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee uses a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating non-incumbent candidates for director. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regularly assesses the appropriate size and composition of the Board, the needs of the Board and the respective committees of the Board and the qualifications of candidates in light of these needs. The Committee will solicit recommendations for nominees from persons that the Committee believes are likely to be familiar with qualified candidates, including members of the Board, our management or a professional search firm. The evaluation of these candidates may be based solely upon information provided to the committee or may also include discussions with persons familiar with the candidate, an interview of the candidate or other actions the committee deems appropriate, including the use of third parties to review candidates.

 

 

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PROPOSAL 3: AMENDMENT TO THE NEPHROS, INC. 2004 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

 

In June 2004, our Board of Directors retired our Amended and Restated Nephros 2000 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2000 Plan”). In July, 2004, our Board of Directors adopted and our stockholders approved the Nephros, Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2004 Plan” and together with the 2000 Plan, the “Stock Option Plans”), pursuant to which awards are made to certain officers, other employees, consultants and directors of us or our subsidiary from time to time. The maximum number of shares of common stock reserved for the grant of awards under the 2004 Plan was initially 486,237. In June 2005, with stockholder approval, the 2004 Plan was amended to increase the maximum number of shares of common stock reserved for the grant of awards thereunder to 800,000. In May 2007, with stockholder approval, the 2004 Plan was further amended to increase the maximum number of shares of common stock reserved for the grant of awards thereunder to 1,300,000. As of December 31, 2007, there were 478,948 shares of common stock available for future grants under the 2004 Plan.

 

The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Compensation Committee, has approved and has determined to ask the stockholders to approve the amendment to the 2004 Plan that would increase the total number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2004 Plan from 1,300,000 shares to 2,696,976 shares.

 

Our business depends upon recruiting and retaining employees that can perform at the highest levels. It is critical that we continue to motivate our key employees by providing them with compensation that gives them a stake in our future growth. The Board of Directors believes that providing directors, officers and employees with equity incentives such as stock options will contribute substantially to our future success by further aligning the interests of such key employees with those of our stockholders. Additionally, our overall compensation philosophy places significant emphasis on equity compensation to reward, incentivize and retain management and key employees while conserving cash.

For the reasons stated above, the Board believes it is in our best interests to approve the amendment to the 2004 Plan.

 

A description of the 2004 Plan is set forth below. This description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the 2004 Plan. Any stockholder who wishes to obtain a copy of the 2004 Plan can call us to receive a copy free of charge.

 

Administration and Duration

 

The 2004 Plan is administered by our Compensation Committee. Each member of the Compensation Committee must be a “non-employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, and an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Compensation Committee currently consists of Mr. Centella (Chairman) and Mr. Scibetta, each of whom has been determined by the Board of Directors to be independent under the AMEX listing standards. Nevertheless, if the Compensation Committee is not so composed it will not invalidate any award. The Board of Directors also may act in place of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee has the authority to interpret the 2004 Plan, to establish and revise rules and regulations relating to the 2004 Plan, and to make any other determinations that it believes necessary or advisable for the administration of the 2004 Plan.

 

Limit On Awards Under the 2004 Plan

 

Awards may be granted under the 2004 Plan with respect to a maximum of 1,300,000 shares of our common stock. No individual may be granted awards with respect to more than 485,000 shares in any calendar year. The shares to be delivered under the 2004 Plan will be made available from authorized but unissued shares, from treasury shares, or from shares purchased in the open market or otherwise. Shares that are subject to awards under the 2004 Plan but are not actually issued (for example because the award lapsed or was cancelled), shares acquired on option exercise that are returned to us as payment of the exercise price of an option and shares of unvested restricted stock that are forfeited, will be available for further awards and options.

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Eligibility for Awards

 

Any employees of, and consultant to, us and any of our non-employee directors that are designated by the Compensation Committee as a “key person” will be eligible to participate in the 2004 Plan. As of April 23, 2008, we had approximately thirty such employees, consultants or non-employee directors that our Compensation Committee could determine are eligible to participate in the 2004 Plan. Designation as a key person reflects a determination that the individual can contribute to our growth and profitability or otherwise is entitled to an award in connection with the individual’s extraordinary performance, promotion, retention, or recruitment. From time to time, the Compensation Committee will determine who will be granted awards and the number of shares subject to such awards. The Compensation Committee may delegate to one or more officers the authority to designate the employees eligible to receive awards (other than the key officers) and the size of each such award. An individual who receives an award under the 2004 Plan is referred to as a “Participant.”

 

Change in Control

 

The 2004 Plan provides that if there is a change in control, unless the agreement granting an award provides otherwise, all awards under the 2004 Plan will become vested and exercisable as of the effective date of the change in control. As defined in the 2004 Plan, a change in control means the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) any “person,” including a “group,” as such terms are defined in sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, whether by purchase or acquisition or agreement to act in concert or otherwise, of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock; (ii) our complete liquidation; (iii) the sale of all or substantially all of our assets; or (iv) a majority of the members of our Board of Directors are elected to the Board without having previously been nominated and approved by a majority of the members of the Board incumbent on the day immediately preceding such election.

 

Stock Options

 

Options granted under the 2004 Plan may be either non-qualified stock options or incentive stock options qualifying under Section 422 of the Code. The exercise price of an incentive stock option may not be less than the fair market value of the stock on the date the option is granted. The option price is payable in cash or, with the consent of the Compensation Committee, in shares of our common stock or by means of a brokered cashless exercise.

 

The Compensation Committee determines the terms of each stock option grant at the time of grant. Unless the option agreement granting an option specifies otherwise, options to employees will be exercisable as to one-quarter of the shares on each of the first four anniversaries of the option grant and will remain exercisable until the tenth anniversary of the date of the grant. In no event can an incentive stock option be exercised after the tenth anniversary of the date of grant.

 

Stock Appreciation Rights

 

A stock appreciation right (“SAR”) entitles the Participant to receive - in cash or shares of stock, at the Compensation Committee’s discretion - the excess of the fair market value of a share of stock on the date of exercise over the fair market value on the date of grant. A SAR may, but need not, relate to an option. The Compensation Committee determines the terms of each SAR at the time of the grant.

 

Restricted Stock

 

The Compensation Committee, in its discretion, may grant awards of restricted stock. A share of restricted stock is a share of our common stock that may not be transferred before it is vested and may be subject to such other conditions as the Compensation Committee sets forth in the agreement evidencing the award. In addition, if the Participant terminates employment, he or she will forfeit any unvested shares. The grant or vesting of a restricted stock award may be made contingent on achievement of performance goals established by the Compensation Committee.

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Amendment or Termination

 

The Board of Directors may amend, alter or terminate the 2004 Plan without stockholder approval, except that stockholder approval is required for amendments to the 2004 Plan to the extent necessary under applicable stock exchange rules, or to ensure that options can continue to qualify as incentive stock options or that awards will be exempt from the Code section 162(m) deduction limitation. Consequently, the Board of Directors may not, without stockholder approval, increase the total number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2004 Plan or make any other material changes to the 2004 Plan. In addition, no amendment, alteration or termination by the Board of Directors may adversely affect the rights of a holder of a stock incentive award without the holder’s consent. Unless terminated earlier, no new awards may be granted under the 2004 Plan after the tenth anniversary of the date it was adopted by the Board. However, outstanding awards made before the tenth anniversary will continue in accordance with their terms.

 

Federal Income Tax Consequences

 

The following discussion outlines generally the current federal income tax consequences of the 2004 Plan. Applicable tax laws and their interpretations are subject to change at any time and application of such laws may vary in individual circumstances.

 

Incentive Stock Options

 

A Participant who is granted an incentive stock option does not recognize taxable income upon the grant or exercise of the option. However, the difference between the fair market value of our common stock on the date of exercise and the option exercise price is a tax preference item that may subject the Participant to alternative minimum tax. A Participant generally will receive long-term capital gain or loss treatment on the disposition of shares acquired upon exercise of the option, provided that the disposition occurs more than two years from the date the option is granted, and the Participant holds the stock acquired for more than one year. A Participant who disposes of shares acquired by exercise prior to the expiration of the forgoing holding periods realizes ordinary income upon the disposition equal to the difference between the option price and the lesser of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise and the disposition price. Any appreciation between the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise and the disposition price is taxed to the Participant as long or short-term capital gain, depending on the length of the holding period. To the extent the Participant recognizes ordinary income, we receive a corresponding tax compensation deduction.

 

Nonqualified Stock Options

 

A Participant will not recognize income upon the grant of a nonqualified option. Upon exercise, the Participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess of the fair market value of the stock on the date of exercise over the price paid for the stock. We are entitled to a tax compensation deduction equal to the ordinary income recognized by the Participant. Any taxable income recognized by a Participant in connection with an option exercise is subject to income and employment tax withholding. When the Participant disposes of shares acquired by the exercise of a nonqualified option, any amount received in excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise will be treated as capital gain. Dispositions made after one year from the exercise date will be treated as long-term capital gain. Dispositions made less than one year from the exercise date will be treated as short-term capital gain.

 

Stock Appreciation Rights

 

A Participant will not recognize income upon the grant of a SAR. Upon exercise, the Participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the cash or fair market value of the shares of common stock received from the exercise, which will be subject to income and employment tax withholding. We will receive a tax compensation deduction equal to the ordinary income recognized by the Participant.

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Restricted Stock

 

Generally, a Participant will not recognize income upon the grant of restricted stock. When the shares of restricted stock vest, the Participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the stock and also will be subject to income and employment tax withholding. We will receive a tax compensation deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the Participant. A Participant who receives a restricted stock award may elect to accelerate his or her tax obligation by submitting a Code Section 83(b) election within 30 days after the grant date, pursuant to which the Participant will be taxed on the fair market value of the restricted stock as of the grant date, and we will receive a tax compensation deduction as of the grant date equal to the ordinary income recognized by the Participant. Any gain or loss upon a subsequent disposition of the shares will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. If, after making the Section 83(b) election, the shares are forfeited, the Participant will not be entitled to a loss deduction.

 

Code Section 162(m)

 

Code Section 162(m) denies a federal income tax deduction for certain compensation in excess of $1 million per year paid to the chief executive officer and the four other most highly paid executive officers of a publicly traded corporation. Under a special transition rule, awards made within the first three years after our initial public offering will not be subject to the Section 162(m) limitation. In addition, to the extent that payment or exercise of an award would not be deductible to us as a result of Section 162(m), the 2004 Plan permits the Compensation Committee to defer that payment or exercise until the Participant no longer is subject to Section 162(m).

 

Vote Required 

 

The proposal to approve the adoption of the amendment to the 2004 Plan requires an affirmative vote of a majority of the common stock present at the meeting in person or represented by proxy. Abstentions will have the same effect as votes against Proposal Five. However, because broker non-votes will not be treated as shares that are present and entitled to vote with respect to a specific proposal, broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this matter.

 

Board Recommendation 

 

THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL (ITEM 3 OF THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD) OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE 2004 PLAN.

 

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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

 

The Audit Committee is responsible for the oversight of the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board of Directors and such other matters as specified in the Committee’s charter or as directed by the Board. The Committee also has the sole authority and responsibility to select, evaluate and, where appropriate, replace the independent registered public accounting firm (or to nominate the independent registered public accounting firm for stockholder approval) and to pre-approve all auditing services and any permitted non-audit services performed by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, including fees and other terms.

 

Management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements and the reporting process including maintaining the system of internal controls, and for the preparation of the Company’s financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals, as well as the objectivity and integrity of such statements. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for expressing an opinion based on its audit of those financial statements as to the statements’ conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, its 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 with the Committee under generally accepted auditing standards. The Committee actively monitors and reviews these processes and financial statements. In carrying out its duties, the Committee relies in part on the information provided to it, and on the representations made to it, by management and the independent registered public accounting firm.

 

In this context, the Committee met with the independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of its examinations, its evaluations of the Company’s internal controls, and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting. The Committee reviewed with the independent registered public accounting firm its 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 with the Committee under generally accepted auditing standards. In addition, the Committee has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the firm’s independence from management and the Company, including the matters in the written disclosures and the letter required by the Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, as amended (Independence Discussions with Audit Committee), and considered the compatibility of non-audit services with the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence. The Committee discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the overall scope and plans for its audits, including the matters required to be discussed with audit committees under Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (Communication with Audit Committees).

 

The Committee reviewed the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 with management, including a discussion of the quality and acceptability of the financial reporting, the reasonableness of significant accounting judgments and estimates, and the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements.

 

In reliance on the reviews, discussions and assurances referred to above, and subject to the limitations on the Committee’s role and responsibilities referred to above and in the Committee’s charter, the Committee recommended to the Board of Directors (and the Board has approved) that the Company’s audited financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2007 for filing with the SEC.

 

April 28, 2008		Audit Committee
		James S. Scibetta, Chairperson
		Lawrence J. Centella

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

The following table sets forth the annual compensation and long-term compensation awards for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 for our chief executive officer and our other executive officers whose salary and bonus exceeded $100,000 during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 (collectively, the “NEOs”).