def14a
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment
No. )
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material under Rule 14a-12 |
GREAT WOLF RESORTS, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as
provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify
the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by
registration statement number, or the Form or
Schedule and the date of its filing. |
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Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MAY 23, 2006
We cordially invite you to attend our annual meeting of
shareholders to be held at the Great Wolf Lodge resort, 1 Great
Wolf Drive, Scotrun, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, May 23, 2006
at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time. At this meeting, you and our
other shareholders will be able to vote on the following:
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1. The election of all seven directors to serve on our
Board of Directors until our annual meeting of shareholders in
2007, or until their successors have been duly elected and
qualified; and |
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2. Any other business that may properly come before our
annual meeting, including any adjournments or postponements of
our annual meeting. |
As part of this Notice of Annual Meeting, we attach a proxy
statement containing further information about our annual
meeting and the proposal described above.
You may either vote in person or by proxy. Please see the
attached proxy statement for more details on how you can vote.
Even if you plan to attend our annual meeting, we urge you to
complete and return promptly the enclosed proxy card in the
enclosed self-addressed envelope for your shares to be
represented and voted at our annual meeting in accordance with
your instructions. Of course, if you attend our annual meeting,
you may withdraw your proxy and vote your shares in person.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on
Thursday, April 6, 2006 will be entitled to vote at our
annual meeting or any adjournment of our annual meeting.
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: |
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J. MICHAEL SCHROEDER, Secretary |
Madison, Wisconsin
April 10, 2006
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MAY 23, 2006
GENERAL INFORMATION
Our Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy for use at our
annual meeting of shareholders to be held at the Great Wolf
Lodge resort, 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, Pennsylvania, on
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time, and
at any adjournments of our annual meeting. You are invited to
attend our annual meeting and vote your shares directly.
However, even if you do not attend, you may vote by proxy, which
allows you to instruct another person to vote your shares on
your behalf at our annual meeting. For this purpose, we enclose
one blank proxy card for your use.
The mailing address of our principal executive offices is
122 West Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703.
This proxy statement and the accompanying proxy card and Notice
of Annual Meeting are being mailed to our shareholders on or
about April 14, 2006.
Purposes of Our Annual Meeting
The purposes of our annual meeting are: (1) to elect seven
directors to serve on our Board; and (2) to transact any
other business that may properly come before our annual meeting
and any adjournments of our annual meeting. Our Board knows of
no matters, other than the election of directors, to be brought
before our annual meeting.
This Proxy Solicitation
There are two parts to this proxy solicitation: the proxy card
and this proxy statement. The proxy card is the means by which
you actually authorize another person to vote your shares in
accordance with your instructions. This proxy statement provides
you information that you may find useful in deciding how to vote.
Proxies are being solicited by and on behalf of our Board, and
the solicitation of proxies is being made primarily by the use
of the mails. We will bear the cost of preparing and mailing
this proxy statement and the accompanying material and the cost
of any supplementary solicitations which may be made by mail,
telephone or personally by our officers and employees, who will
not be additionally compensated for their activities. We have
retained Computershare, Inc. to provide administrative and
record-keeping assistance in the solicitation of proxies.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any
representation not contained in this proxy statement and, if
given or made, you should not rely on that information or
representation as having been authorized by us. This proxy
statement does not constitute the solicitation of a proxy, in
any jurisdiction, from anyone to whom it is unlawful to make
such proxy solicitation in that jurisdiction. The delivery of
this proxy statement shall not, under any circumstances, imply
that there has been no change in the information set forth since
the date of this proxy statement.
VOTING
Record Date for Our Annual Meeting; Who Can Vote at Our
Annual Meeting
Our Board has fixed the close of business on Thursday,
April 6, 2006 as the record date for determining which of
our shareholders are entitled to receive notice of, and to vote
at, our annual meeting. You will be entitled to notice of, and
to vote at, our annual meeting and any adjournments of our
annual meeting, only if you were a shareholder of record at the
close of business on the record date. At the close of business
on our record date of April 6, 2006, we had issued and
outstanding 30,277,308 shares of our common stock, which
are entitled to vote at our annual meeting. See Required
Votes.
How to Vote Your Shares and How to Revoke Your Proxy
How to Vote. You may vote your shares at our annual
meeting in person, or if you cannot attend our annual meeting in
person or you wish to have your shares voted by proxy even if
you do attend our annual meeting, you may vote by duly
authorized proxy. To vote in person, you must attend the annual
meeting and obtain and submit a ballot, which will be provided
at the meeting. To vote by proxy, you must complete and return
the enclosed proxy card.
By completing and returning the proxy card and by following the
specific instructions on the card, you will direct the
designated persons (known as proxies) to vote your
shares at our annual meeting in accordance with your
instructions. Our Board has appointed John Emery and J. Michael
Schroeder to serve as the proxies for our annual meeting.
Your proxy card will be valid only if you sign, date and return
it before our annual meeting. If you complete all of the proxy
card except the voting instructions, then the designated proxies
will vote your shares for the election of the seven nominees for
directors. If a nominee for election to our Board is unable to
serve which we do not anticipate or if
any other matters are properly raised at the annual meeting,
then either Messrs. Emery or Schroeder as the designated
proxies will vote your shares in accordance with his best
judgment.
In voting by proxy as to the election of directors, you may
either (1) vote in favor of one or more of the seven
nominees or (2) withhold your votes as to one or more of
the nominees. Abstentions will be treated as set forth below.
You may not vote for persons other than Messrs. Neviaser,
Emery, Blutinger, Churchey, Knetter, and Silver and
Ms. Nolan in the election of directors.
Even if you plan to attend our annual meeting, we ask you to
vote, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card as soon as
possible. If your shares are held in the name of a broker or
other intermediary, you may vote and revoke a previously
submitted vote only through, and in accordance with, procedures
established by the record holder(s) or their agent(s).
How to Revoke a Proxy. If you have already returned your
proxy to us, you may revoke your proxy at any time before it is
exercised at our annual meeting by any of the following actions:
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by notifying our Secretary in writing at or before the annual
meeting that you would like to revoke your proxy, |
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by completing a proxy with a later date and by returning it to
us at or before the annual meeting, or |
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by attending our annual meeting and voting in person. (Note,
however, that your attendance at our annual meeting, by itself,
will not revoke a proxy you have already returned to us; you
must also vote your shares in-person at our annual meeting to
revoke an earlier proxy.) |
If you choose either of the first two means to revoke your
proxy, you must submit either your notice of revocation or your
new proxy card to our mailing address listed on page 1 of
this proxy statement.
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Required Votes
Voting Rights. You are entitled to one vote for each
share of our common stock that you hold. Cumulative voting of
our shares is not allowed.
Quorum Requirements. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, a
majority of votes entitled to be cast at the annual meeting,
represented in person at the annual meeting or by proxy, will
constitute a quorum for the consideration of the election of the
nominees for directors and for each matter to properly come
before our annual meeting.
Vote Required. The seven nominees receiving the highest
number of affirmative votes will be elected as directors. This
number is called a plurality.
Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes. Abstentions will not be
counted for or against proposals, but
will be counted for the purpose of determining the existence of
a quorum.
Under applicable Nasdaq National Market, or Nasdaq, rules (the
exchange on which our common stock is traded), brokers holding
shares for beneficial owners in nominee or street
name must vote those shares according to the specific
instructions they receive from the beneficial owners. If you do
not provide your broker with specific instructions regarding how
to vote your shares, your broker still has authority to vote
your shares on certain routine matters. However,
under Nasdaqs rules do not have discretionary voting power
on non-routine matters. In these cases, if no specific voting
instructions are provided by the beneficial owner, the broker
may not vote on non-routine proposals. This results in what is
known as a broker non-vote. Broker
non-votes will not be counted for or
against a proposal, but will be counted only for the
purpose of determining the existence of a quorum.
Because the election of directors is a routine
matter for which specific instructions from beneficial owners
are not required under Nasdaqs rules, no broker
non-votes will arise in the context of voting for the
nominees for directors.
If you do not vote your shares, your brokerage firm may either
(1) vote your shares on routine matters, including this
years election of directors, or (2) leave your shares
unvoted.
To be certain that your shares are voted at our annual meeting,
we encourage you to provide instructions to your brokerage firm
by voting your proxy.
THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Election of Nominees for Directors
At our annual meeting, our shareholders will vote on the
election of seven directors.
Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has
recommended to our Board as nominees, and our Board has
nominated, Bruce D. Neviaser, John Emery, Elan Blutinger, Randy
Churchey, Michael M. Knetter, Alissa N. Nolan, and Howard Silver
for election to our Board. If re-elected, all of these
individuals will serve as directors for a one-year term that
will expire at our annual meeting of shareholders in 2007, or
when their successors are duly elected and qualified. You will
find below a brief biography of each nominee. See also
Ownership of Our Common Stock on page 11 for
information on their holdings of our common stock.
If any nominee becomes unavailable or unwilling to serve as a
director for any reason, the persons named as proxies in the
proxy card are expected to consult with our management in voting
the shares represented by them and will vote in favor of any
substitute nominee or nominees approved by our Board. Our Board
has no reason to doubt the availability of any of the nominees
for director. Each of the nominees has expressed his or her
willingness to serve as a director if elected by our
shareholders at our annual meeting.
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Our Board recommends that you vote FOR the election of
each nominee for director.
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Nominees for Election as Directors (Terms to Expire 2007) |
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BRUCE D. NEVIASER, age 50 |
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Mr. Neviaser has served as Chairman of the Board since we
commenced operations in May 2004. Mr. Neviaser co-founded
our predecessor companies and from 1992 until completion of the
initial public offering of our common stock, or IPO, served as
the Co-Chairman of The Great Lakes Companies, Inc. and its
predecessor companies (Great Lakes), where he was involved in
strategic planning, investment structuring and obtaining debt
and equity capital. Mr. Neviaser has over 25 years of
experience in hotel and commercial real estate management,
development and acquisition. He is currently a General Partner
of Continuum Investment Partners, a Wisconsin investment firm.
Mr. Neviaser was recently appointed to the Advisory Board
of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and is an active community
leader. |
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Committees: None |
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JOHN EMERY, age 41 |
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Mr. Emery has served as our Chief Executive Officer and
director since we commenced operations in May 2004. From January
2004 until completion of the IPO, Mr. Emery served as the
Chief Executive Officer of Great Lakes. From 1995 to December
2003, Mr. Emery served in a number of management positions
at Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a public company
and the nations largest independent third-party hotel
management company, most recently as president and chief
operating officer. Additionally, from 1995 to November 2002,
Mr. Emery served in a number of management positions at
MeriStar Hospitality Corporation, a public company and one of
the nations largest hotel real estate investment trusts,
most recently as president and chief operating officer. He
currently serves on the Pamplin College of Business advisory
council at Virginia Tech and is executive director of the Stone
Circle Foundation, a private, non-profit organization. |
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Committees: None |
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ELAN BLUTINGER, age 50 |
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Mr. Blutinger has been a managing director of Alpine
Consolidated, LLC, a merchant banking fund that specializes in
consolidating fragmented industries, since 1996.
Mr. Blutinger serves as a director of Vacanza Technology, a
private company. Mr. Blutinger served as a director of
Hotels.com (NASDAQ: ROOM) from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Blutinger
was a founder and director of Resortquest International (NYSE:
RZT) from 1997 to 2003, a founder and director of Travel
Services International (NASDAQ: TRVL) from 1996 to 2001, and a
director of Online Travel Services (LSE: ONT), a U.K.-based
online travel and technology company, from 2000 to 2004.
Mr. Blutinger is a trustee of the Washington International
School in Washington, D.C. Mr. Blutinger has served as
one of our independent directors since 2004. |
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Committees: Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chairman) |
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RANDY CHURCHEY, age 45 |
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Mr. Churchey became the President and Chief Executive
Officer of Golden Gate National Senior Care (the successor to
Beverly Enterprises), effective March 15, 2006. Golden Gate
National Senior Care is the second largest long-term care
company in the United States. Mr. Churchey also serves as
Chief Executive Officer of Encore Real Estate Company, LLC, a
hotel construction and management company. Mr. Churchey
served as President and Chief Operating Officer of RFS Hotel
Investors, Inc., a NYSE-listed hotel real estate investment
trust, from November 1999 through July 2003. Mr. Churchey
served as a director of RFS from July 2000 through July 2003.
From 1997 to 1999, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer of FelCor Lodging Trust, Inc., a NYSE-listed
hotel real estate investment trust. For approximately
15 years prior to joining FelCor, Mr. Churchey held
various positions with Coopers & Lybrand, L.L.P.
Mr. Churchey currently serves on the Board of Trustees of
Innkeepers USA Trust, an NYSE-listed hospitality real estate
investment trust, and Education Realty Trust, a NYSE-listed
student housing real estate investment trust. Mr. Churchey
holds a B.S. degree in accounting from the University of Alabama
and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Churchey has
served as one of our independent directors since 2004. |
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Committees: Audit (Chairman); Compensation |
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MICHAEL M. KNETTER, age 45 |
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Mr. Knetter joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison
School of Business as its dean in July 2002. From June 1997 to
July 2002, Dean Knetter was associate dean of the MBA program
and professor of international economics in the Amos Tuck School
of Business at Dartmouth College. Dean Knetter has served as a
senior staff economist for the Presidents Council of
Economic Advisors for former presidents George H.W. Bush and
William Jefferson Clinton and has been a consultant to the
International Monetary Fund. Dean Knetter is a research
associate for the National Bureau of Economic Research and a
Trustee of Lehman Brothers/ First Trust Income Opportunity Fund
and a director of Wausau Paper. Dean Knetter has served as one
of our independent directors since 2004. |
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Committees: Nominating and Corporate Governance; Audit |
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ALISSA N. NOLAN, age 42 |
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Ms. Nolan is a long time entertainment/attractions industry
analyst and development consultant. Since January 2006, she has
served as a Strategic and New Business Development Advisor to
The Tussauds Group, a visitor attractions company. From January
2001 through December 2005, she served as director of strategic
planning and development to Tussauds. Prior to joining Tussauds,
Ms. Nolan was a director and principal with Economics
Research Associates, a specialist advisor to global attractions
and leisure developers and leisure investors, from 1993 to 1999.
After leaving Economics Research Associates and prior to joining
Tussauds, Ms. Nolan served as a private consultant.
Ms. Nolan has served as one of our independent directors
since 2004. |
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Committees: Nominating and Corporate Governance,
Compensation |
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HOWARD SILVER, age 51 |
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Mr. Silver is the president and chief executive officer of
Equity Inns, Inc., a public self-advised hotel real estate
investment trust. Mr. Silver joined Equity Inns in May 1994
and has served in various capacities including: executive vice
president of finance, secretary, treasurer, chief financial
officer and chief operating officer. Mr. Silver has been a
certified public accountant since 1980. Mr. Silver is a
director of Capital Lease Funding, Inc., a public triple net
lease real estate investment trust, and serves on its audit
committee as chairman, as well as serving on the nomination and
investment committees. Mr. Silver is also on the board of
managers of GHII, LLC, a national hotel furniture and equipment
provider. Mr. Silver has served as one of our independent
directors since 2004. |
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Committees: Audit; Compensation (Chairman) |
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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Each director serves a one-year term and is subject to annual
re-election. Our Board currently consists of seven directors,
five of whom are independent as determined by our Board under
the rules promulgated by the SEC and Nasdaq listing standards.
At our annual meeting, as discussed above, our shareholders will
vote on the seven nominees for director.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Independence of Our Board of Directors
Rules promulgated by the SEC and the listing standards of Nasdaq
require that a majority of our directors be independent
directors. Our Board has adopted as categorical standards Nasdaq
independence standards to provide a baseline for determining
independence. Under these criteria, our Board has determined
that the following members of our Board are independent: Elan
Blutinger, Randy Churchey, Michael M. Knetter, Alissa N. Nolan
and Howard Silver.
Committees and Meetings of Our Board of Directors
Board Meetings. We operate under the general management
of our Board as required by our bylaws and the laws of Delaware,
our state of incorporation. Our Board held nine meetings during
2005. Each director attended at least 75% of the total number of
meetings of the Board and of any committee of which he or she
was a member. While our Board has not adopted a mandatory
attendance policy for our annual meetings, directors are
encouraged to attend. In 2005, all of our directors attended our
annual meeting.
Executive Sessions of Our Non-Management Directors. The
non-management directors of our Board meet in regularly
scheduled executive sessions that exclude members of the
management team. At each meeting, the non-management directors
determine who presides over the meetings agenda and
related discussion topics. The non-management directors may also
choose to appoint a Chairman to preside over these meetings, and
the Chairman may also rotate from time to time. Shareholders and
other interested persons may contact our non-management
directors in writing by mail c/o Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.,
122 West Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, Attn:
Non-Management Directors. All such letters will be forwarded to
our non-management directors.
Audit Committee. Our Board has established an Audit
Committee, consisting of Messrs. Churchey, Knetter and
Silver, with Mr. Churchey serving as its chairman. Our
Board has determined that each of the Audit Committee members is
independent, as that term is defined under the enhanced
independence standards for audit committee members in the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rules thereunder, as
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amended, and under the listing standards of the Nasdaq. Our
Board has also determined that Mr. Churchey is an
audit committee financial expert within the meaning
of SEC rules. The Audit Committee operates under a written
charter adopted by our Board. A copy of this charter is
available on our website at www.greatwolf.com. Among
other duties, this committee:
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reviews and discusses with management and our independent public
accountants our financial reports, financial statements and
other financial information; |
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makes decisions concerning the appointment, retention,
compensation, evaluation and termination of our independent
public accountants; |
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reviews with our independent public accountants the scope and
results of the audit engagement; |
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approves all professional services provided by our independent
public accountants; |
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reviews the independence, experience, performance and
independence of our independent public accountants; |
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considers the range of audit and non-audit fees; |
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reviews the adequacy of our internal accounting and financial
controls; and |
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reviews any significant disagreements among the companys
management and our independent public accountants in connection
with preparation of our companys financial statements. |
The Audit Committee met eight times in 2005. For more
information, please see Report of the Audit
Committee on page 21.
Compensation Committee. Our Board has also established a
Compensation Committee, consisting of Messrs. Churchey and
Silver and Ms. Nolan, with Mr. Silver serving as its
chairman. Our Board has determined that each of the Compensation
Committee members is independent, as that term is defined by the
Nasdaq. The Compensation Committee operates under a written
charter adopted by our Board. A copy of this charter is
available on our web site at www.greatwolf.com. Among
other duties, this committee:
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determines our executive officers compensation; |
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establishes salaries of and awards of performance-based bonuses
to our executive officers; and |
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determines awards of restricted stock and stock option grants to
our officers and employees under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. |
The Compensation Committee met three times in 2005. For more
information, please see Compensation Committee Report on
Executive Compensation beginning on page 18.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our Board
has also established a Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee, consisting of Messrs. Blutinger and Knetter and
Ms. Nolan, with Mr. Blutinger serving as its chairman.
Our Board has determined that each of the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee members is independent, as that
term is defined by Nasdaq. The Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee operates under a written charter adopted by
our Board. A copy of this charter is available on our web site
at www.greatwolf.com. Among other duties, this committee:
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identifies, selects, evaluates and recommends to our Board
candidates for service on our Board; |
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oversees the composition of our Board and its committees and
makes recommendations to our Board for appropriate changes; |
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advises and makes recommendations to our Board on matters
concerning corporate governance; and |
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oversees an annual evaluation of our Board. |
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met three
times in 2005.
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During 2005, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
established a mandatory director education program, adopted a
policy that our governance practices will meet or exceed those
required by Nasdaq, developed a process for CEO evaluation, and
conducted evaluations of the Board and each of its committees.
The Committee also instituted an annual review of the charters
of each of the committees of the Board to ensure that each
reflects best practices.
Other Committees. From time to time, our Board may form
other committees as circumstances warrant. Those committees will
have such authority and responsibility as delegated to them by
our Board and consistent with Delaware law.
Availability of Corporate Governance Materials.
Shareholders may view our corporate governance materials,
including the charters of our Audit Committee, our Compensation
Committee and our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee,
our Corporate Governance Guidelines and our Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics, on our Internet website under Investor
Relations at www.greatwolf.com.
Director Nominations
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee performs the
functions of a nominating committee. The Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committees Charter describes the
Committees responsibilities, including seeking, screening
and recommending director candidates for nomination by our Board.
Director Candidate Recommendations and Nominations by
Shareholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committees charter provides that the committee will
consider director candidate recommendations by shareholders.
Shareholders should submit any such recommendations for the
consideration of our Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee through the method described under
Communications With Our Board below. In addition,
any shareholder of record entitled to vote for the election of
directors at the applicable meeting of shareholders may nominate
persons for election to the Board of Directors if such
shareholder complies with the notice procedures summarized in
Shareholder Proposals for Our 2007 Proxy Materials or
Annual Meeting below.
Process For Identifying and Evaluating Director
Candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee evaluates all director candidates in accordance with
the director qualification standards described in our Corporate
Governance Guidelines. The committee evaluates any
candidates qualifications to serve as a member of the
Board based on the skills and characteristics of individual
Board members as well as the composition of the Board as a
whole. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee will evaluate a candidates independence and
diversity, age, skills and experience in the context of the
Boards needs.
Communications with Our Board
Our Board has approved unanimously a process for shareholders to
send communications to our Board. Shareholders can send
communications to our Board and, if applicable, to the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee or to specified
individual directors in writing c/o Great Wolf Resorts,
Inc., 122 West Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin
53703. All such letters will be forwarded to our Board, the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee or any such
specified individual directors.
Shareholder Proposals for Our 2007 Proxy Materials or Annual
Meeting
To be considered for inclusion in next years proxy
statement, shareholder proposals must be received at our
executive offices no later than the close of business on
December 15, 2006. Proposals should be addressed
c/o Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. 122 West Washington
Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 Attn: General Counsel. We will
determine whether we will oppose inclusion of any proposal in
our proxy statement and form of proxy on a case-by-case basis in
accordance with our judgment and the regulations governing the
solicitation of proxies and other relevant regulations of the
SEC. We will not consider proposals received after
December 15, 2006 for inclusion in our proxy materials.
8
For any proposal that is not intended to be included in our
proxy materials, but is instead sought to be presented directly
at our 2007 Annual Meeting, our Amended and Restated Bylaws
require that such proposal be received at our executive offices
located at the address listed above no later than the close of
business on January 23, 2007.
In order for a shareholder to nominate a candidate for Director,
timely notice of the nomination must be received by the company
in advance of the meeting. Ordinarily, such notice must be
received not less than 120 days before the first
anniversary of the date of the companys proxy statement in
connection with the last annual meeting (that is,
January 23, 2007 for the 2007 annual meeting of
shareholders).
Contributions to Charitable Entities
During 2005, the company did not make any contributions to
charitable entities on which one of our directors or executive
officers sits as a board member or serves as an executive
officer.
Compensation of Directors
Each of our directors who is not an employee of our company or
any of our subsidiaries receives an annual fee of $40,000 for
services as a director. Non-employee directors receive $1,000
for each board or committee meeting attended in person and $500
for each meeting of the board or a committee attended
telephonically, other than committee meetings that occur on the
same day as board meetings. The chair of the audit committee
receives an additional annual fee of $10,000, and the chair of
each other committee receives an additional annual fee of
$5,000. Employees of our company or our subsidiaries do not
receive compensation for their services as directors.
In addition, the compensation committee, in administering the
2004 Incentive Stock Plan, has provided that: (1) each
independent director who is initially elected to our Board will
receive options to purchase 7,500 shares of our common
stock on the date of such initial election and
(2) independent directors will receive 3,000 shares of
our restricted common stock on the date of each annual meeting
of our shareholders. The shares granted to independent directors
will vest in thirds over a three-year period, beginning on the
first anniversary of the date of the grant of the option,
subject to accelerated vesting only upon a change of control or
if the director is removed from or is not nominated to stand for
reelection to the Board. In June, 2005, consistent with the
prior provision of the compensation committee, each independent
director received options to purchase 5,000 shares of
our common stock.
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Mr. Emery is an executive officer and director and his
biographical information is set forth under The Election
of Directors. The names, positions, business experience,
terms of office and ages of our other executive officers are as
follows:
|
|
|
KIMBERLY K. SCHAEFER, age 40 |
|
Ms. Schaefer has served as our Chief Operating Officer
since March 2005. Prior to that, she served as our Chief Brand
Officer since we commenced operations in May 2004. From May 1997
until completion of the IPO, Ms. Schaefer served as Senior
Vice President of Operations of Great Lakes. At Great Lakes,
Ms. Schaefer was involved in site selection and brand
development and oversaw all resort operations. Ms. Schaefer
has over 15 years of hospitality experience and holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Edgewood College
in Madison, Wisconsin. Ms. Schaefer sits on the advisory
board for Edgewood College Business School. Ms. Schaefer is
a certified public accountant. |
9
|
|
|
JAMES A. CALDER, age 43 |
|
Mr. Calder has served as our Chief Financial Officer since
we commenced operations in May 2004. From September 1997 to
April 2004, Mr. Calder served in a number of management
positions with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a
public company, and its predecessor company, serving most
recently as chief financial officer. Additionally, from October
2001 to November 2002, Mr. Calder served as chief
accounting officer of MeriStar Hospitality Corporation, a public
company. From May 1995 to September 1997, Mr. Calder served
as senior vice president and corporate controller of ICF Kaiser
International, Inc., a public consulting and engineering
company. Prior to that time, from 1984 to May 1995,
Mr. Calder worked for Deloitte & Touche LLP in
various capacities, serving most recently as senior manager for
the real estate industry. Mr. Calder holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Accounting from The Pennsylvania State
University. Mr. Calder is a certified public accountant and
is president and treasurer of the Thomas W. Hetrick Memorial
Scholarship Fund, a private, non-profit organization. |
|
HERNAN R. MARTINEZ, age 53 |
|
Mr. Martinez has served as President of the Development
Division since July 2005. From May 2004 through June 2005,
Mr. Martinez served as our Executive Vice President of
Development. During April 2004, Mr. Martinez served as
Executive Vice President of Development of Great Lakes. From
September 2002 to April 2004, Mr. Martinez was principal
for Urbana Partners, a real estate advisory and development
company serving international, private and institutional
investors. From June 2000 to August 2002, Mr. Martinez
served as chief operating officer for American Skiing Company
Resort Properties and Executive Vice President of its parent
American Skiing Company, a public company. Mr. Martinez
holds a Diploma in Architecture from the University of Buenos
Aires, Argentina, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Urban Development
Planning, Development Planning Unit from the University College,
London, U.K. and a Masters of Business Administration from
Stanford University. |
|
BILL CROKE, age 57 |
|
Mr. Croke has served as our Executive Vice President of
Operations since December 2005. From May 1997 to December 2005,
Mr. Croke was the executive vice president of operations
for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, where he was
responsible for the overall operations of MeriStar Hospitality
Corporations portfolio of hotels, conference centers and
resorts under Interstates management. Prior to that,
Mr. Croke was with Trusthouse Forte Hotels in Europe,
Canada and the United States for 25 years. Mr. Croke
graduated from the Shannon college of Hotel Management in
Ireland. |
10
|
|
|
J. MICHAEL SCHROEDER, age 38 |
|
Mr. Schroeder has served as our General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary since we commenced operations in May 2004.
From November 1999 until completion of the IPO,
Mr. Schroeder served in several senior management positions
for Great Lakes, most recently as Senior Vice President and
General Counsel. From September 1993 to November 1999,
Mr. Schroeder was associated with several law firms in New
York, New York and Greenwich, Connecticut where he specialized
in real estate, real estate finance and corporate law, with a
focus on the hospitality industry. Mr. Schroeder holds a
Juris Doctor degree from Duke University School of Law and a
Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of
Colorado. |
|
ALEXANDER P. LOMBARDO, age 37 |
|
Mr. Lombardo has served as our Treasurer since August 2004.
From August 1998 to August 2004, Mr. Lombardo served in a
number of positions with Interstate Hotels & Resorts,
Inc., a public company, and its predecessor company, serving
most recently as vice president of finance. Additionally, from
August 1998 to December 2002, Mr. Lombardo served in a
number of positions with MeriStar Hospitality Corporation, a
public company, serving most recently as assistant treasurer.
From August 1996 to August 1998, Mr. Lombardo served as
cash manager of ICF Kaiser International, Inc., a public
company. Mr. Lombardo holds a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree from James Madison University. |
SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING
COMPLIANCE
Under federal securities laws, our directors, executive officers
and any persons beneficially owning more than 10% of a
registered class of our equity securities are required to report
their ownership and any changes in that ownership to the SEC and
to Nasdaq. These persons are also required by SEC rules and
regulations to furnish us with copies of these reports. Precise
due dates for these reports have been established, and we are
required to report in this proxy statement any failure to timely
file these reports by those due dates by our directors and
executive officers during 2005.
Based solely upon our review of the reports and amendments to
those reports furnished to us or written representations from
our directors and executive officers that these reports were not
required from those persons, we believe that all of these filing
requirements were satisfied by our directors and executive
officers during 2005, except as follows: Kimberly K. Schaefer
was required to file a report on Form 3 within 30 days
after her appointment to the position of Chief Operating Officer
(that is, by March 31, 2005) but did not file such
Form 3 until August 11, 2005.
11
OWNERSHIP OF OUR COMMON STOCK
We summarize below the beneficial ownership of our common stock,
as of March 31, 2006 except where noted, by (1) each
person or group beneficially owning more than five percent (5%)
of our companys common stock, (2) each of our
directors, (3) each of our named executive officers and
(4) all of our directors and our named executive officers
as a group. A person generally beneficially owns
shares if he or she, directly or indirectly, has or shares
either the right to vote those shares or dispose of them. Unless
otherwise indicated in the accompanying footnotes, all of the
shares of our common stock listed below are owned directly, and
the indicated person has sole voting and investment power. The
address for each individual listed below is: c/o Great Wolf
Resorts, Inc., 122 West Washington Avenue, Madison, WI
53703.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares Beneficially Owned | |
|
|
| |
Name of Beneficial Owner |
|
Number | |
|
Percentage | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Bruce D. Neviaser
|
|
|
1,804,687 |
(1) |
|
|
5.9 |
% |
John Emery
|
|
|
616,744 |
(2) |
|
|
2.0 |
|
Elan Blutinger
|
|
|
7,500 |
(3) |
|
|
* |
|
Randy Churchey
|
|
|
16,500 |
(3) |
|
|
* |
|
Michael M. Knetter
|
|
|
4,000 |
(3) |
|
|
* |
|
Alissa N. Nolan
|
|
|
2,500 |
(3) |
|
|
* |
|
Howard Silver
|
|
|
4,500 |
(3) |
|
|
* |
|
James A. Calder
|
|
|
37,713 |
(4) |
|
|
* |
|
Hernan R. Martinez
|
|
|
54,379 |
(5) |
|
|
* |
|
Kimberly K. Schaefer
|
|
|
862,791 |
(6) |
|
|
2.8 |
|
J. Michael Schroeder
|
|
|
115,367 |
(7) |
|
|
* |
|
Bill Croke
|
|
|
15,000 |
(8) |
|
|
* |
|
Alexander P. Lombardo
|
|
|
13,334 |
(9) |
|
|
* |
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (13 persons)
|
|
|
3,555,015 |
|
|
|
11.6 |
% |
Beneficial Holders in Excess of 5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baron Capital Group
|
|
|
2,725,000 |
(10) |
|
|
9.0 |
|
767 Fifth Avenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New York, NY 10153
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
|
|
|
2,096,530 |
(11) |
|
|
6.9 |
|
730 Third Avenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New York, NY 10017
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc.
|
|
|
1,967,290 |
(12) |
|
|
6.5 |
|
1221 Avenue of the Americas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New York, NY 10020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hayground Cove Asset Management LLC
|
|
|
2,498,650 |
(13) |
|
|
8.3 |
|
1370 6th Avenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New York, NY 10019
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Less than one percent of the outstanding shares of common stock. |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Includes (a) 45,248 shares held by DNEV, LLC for which
Mr. Neviaser shares voting and investment power,
(b) 125,699 shares held by Neviaser Enterprises, LLC.,
of which Mr. Neviaser is the managing member and possesses
sole voting and investment power over the shares, and
(c) 66,667 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options granted under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. |
|
|
(2) |
Includes 116,667 shares issuable upon the exercise of
vested options granted under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. In
addition, our deferred compensation plan holds
117,647 shares to pay obligations owed to Mr. Emery
pursuant to that plan. |
12
|
|
|
|
(3) |
Includes 2,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options granted under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. |
|
|
(4) |
Includes 33,334 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options granted under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. In
addition, our deferred compensation plan holds
11,765 shares to pay obligations owed to Mr. Calder
pursuant to the plan. |
|
|
(5) |
Includes 50,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options granted under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. |
|
|
(6) |
Includes (a) 33,009 shares held jointly with
Ms. Schaefers spouse and (b) 33,334 shares
issuable upon the exercise of vested options granted under our
2004 Incentive Stock Plan. |
|
|
(7) |
Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options granted under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. |
|
|
(8) |
Includes 15,000 unvested shares of restricted stock granted
under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan, vesting as follows:
3,000 shares in December 2006; 3,000 shares in
December 2007; 3,000 shares in December 2008;
3,000 shares in December 2009; and 3,000 shares in
December 2010. Mr. Croke has the sole right to vote the
shares. |
|
|
(9) |
Includes 13,334 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested
options granted under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan. |
|
|
(10) |
Based solely upon information provided in a Schedule 13-G
filed with the SEC on February 13, 2006. Baron Capital
Group, Inc. (BCG) owns beneficially in the aggregate
2,725,000 shares of common stock, of which it has sole
voting and dispositive power with respect to none of such shares
and shared voting and dispositive power over 2,600,000 and
2,725,000 shares, respectively. BCG is a parent holding
company of BAMCO, Inc. (BAMCO), a registered
investment advisor, and Baron Small Cap Fund (BSCF),
a registered investment company. BAMCO and BSCF beneficially own
2,725,000 shares of common stock, of which they have sole
voting and dispositive power with respect to none of such shares
and shared voting and dispositive power over 2,600,000 and
2,725,000 of such shares, respectively. |
|
(11) |
Based solely upon information provided in a Schedule 13-G
filed with the SEC on February 13, 2006. Teachers Insurance
and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) owns
beneficially in the aggregate 2,096,530 shares of common
stock, of which it has sole voting and dispositive power with
respect to 300,000 shares and shared voting and dispositive
power with respect to 1,796,530 shares. TIAA directly holds
300,000 of such shares for the benefit of TIAA Real Estate
Account, a separate account of TIAA. In addition, TIAA, as the
parent of two registered investment advisors, is deemed to have
indirect voting or investment discretion over
1,796,350 shares that are beneficially owned by five
registered investment companies whose investment advisors are
TIAA-CREF Investment Management, LLC and Teachers Advisors,
Inc., both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of TIAA. The
business address for TIAA, TIAA-CREF Investment Management, LLC
and Teachers Advisors, Inc. is 730 Third Avenue, New York,
New York 10017. |
|
(12) |
Based solely upon information provided in a Schedule 13-G/
A filed with the SEC on February 15, 2006. Morgan Stanley
is filing solely in its capacity as the parent company of, and
indirect beneficial owner of common stock held by, Morgan
Stanley Investment Management Inc. (MSIM). Morgan
Stanley owns beneficially and indirectly 2,088,103 shares
of common stock, of which it has sole voting and dispositive
power with respect to 1,956,470 shares and shared voting
and dispositive power with respect to none of such shares. MSIM
beneficially owns 1,967,290 shares of common stock, of
which it has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to
1,875,411 shares. The address for Morgan Stanley is 1585
Broadway, New York, New York 10036. MSIMs address is 1221
Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020. |
|
(13) |
Based solely upon information provided in a Schedule 13-G/
A filed with the SEC on February 16, 2006. Hayground Cove
Asset Management LLC (HCAM) owns beneficially and
indirectly in the aggregate 2,498,650 shares of common
stock, of which it has shared voting and dispositive power with
respect to 2,498,650 shares and sole voting and dispositive
power with respect to none of such shares. HCAM indirectly holds
such shares through Hayground Cove Fund Management LLC (of which
it is |
13
|
|
|
the managing member). HCFM in turn indirectly holds such shares
through certain Delaware limited partnerships and Hayground Cove
Associates, LP, a Delaware limited partnership that provides
investment and advisory services to certain offshore entities
and individually managed accounts. Mr. Jason Ader is the
sole member of HCAM and, as such, is deemed to beneficially own
the shares indirectly held by HCAM. The business address for
such entities and Mr. Ader is 1370 6th Avenue, New
York, New York 10019. |
Equity Compensation Plan Information
This table provides certain information as of December 31,
2005 with respect to our equity compensation plans:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(c) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of securities | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
remaining available for | |
|
|
(a) | |
|
(b) | |
|
future issuance under | |
|
|
Number of securities to | |
|
Weighted-average | |
|
equity compensation | |
|
|
be issued upon exercise of | |
|
exercise price of | |
|
plans (excluding | |
|
|
outstanding options, | |
|
outstanding options, | |
|
securities reflected in | |
Plan category |
|
warrants and rights | |
|
warrants and rights | |
|
column (a)) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
|
|
|
1,420,834 |
(1) |
|
$ |
16.96 |
(1) |
|
|
1,959,686 |
|
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Total
|
|
|
1,420,834 |
|
|
$ |
16.96 |
|
|
|
1,959,686 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan, we grant incentive stock
options and/or nonqualified stock options to employees and
directors. The Plan authorizes us to grant up to 3,380,520
options, stock appreciation rights or shares of our common
stock. Each option entitles the holder to purchase one share of
common stock at the specified option price. The options vest
over a three-year period and expire after ten years. For all
options granted to date, the exercise price was equal to the
fair market value of the underlying stock on the date of grant.
As of December 31, 2005, we have granted 1,405,834 stock
options, all within an exercise price range of
$10.47 24.51), and we have also granted 15,000 of
restricted common stock that vest ratably over a five-year
period. There were 442,351 options that were exercisable as of
December 31, 2005. |
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Formation Transactions
Pursuant to separate transition services agreements, during
fiscal year 2005 we provided certain services to each of Great
Lakes Hospitality Partners, LLC and Great Lakes Housing
Partners, LLC (the entities that succeeded to Great Lakes
non-resort development and management business).
Messrs. Neviaser and Emery, as well as Ms. Schaeffer,
are members of each of these limited liability companies. These
services ceased as of December 31, 2005. These services
included, among others, administrative services, corporate
services, accounting services, financing services, legal
services, tax services, information technology services, human
resources services, payroll services and operational services.
These services were provided by us as and if any such service
was reasonably requested. The fees for these services were
determined as each such service was provided from time to time
and were generally equal to the cost of such services had the
services been provided by an unaffiliated third party. The
agreements also provided for customary expense reimbursement.
The total fees and expense reimbursements we collected during
fiscal year 2005 were $117,000 from Great Lakes Housing
Partners, LLC and $528,000 from Great Lakes Hospitality
Partners, LLC.
14
Business Relationships Between Our Company and Our
Directors
None.
Transactions with Our Management
None.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the annual base salary and other
compensation paid or accrued in 2004 and 2005 to our Chief
Executive Officer and our four other most highly compensated
executive officers, whom we refer to as our named executive
officers. All compensation amounts include amounts paid by us or
by our predecessor entities prior to the IPO.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Securities | |
|
|
|
|
Annual Compensation | |
|
Other Annual | |
|
Underlying | |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Compensation | |
|
Options/ | |
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year | |
|
Salary($) | |
|
Bonus($) | |
|
($)(1) | |
|
SARs (#) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
John Emery
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
400,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
354,230 |
|
|
|
2,000,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
350,000 |
|
Hernan R. Martinez
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
340,769 |
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
|
13,631 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
President of Development
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
214,154 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
150,000 |
|
|
Division
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kimberly K. Schaefer
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
255,769 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
8,308 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
Chief Operating Officer
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
177,308 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
James A. Calder
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
95,192 |
|
|
|
200,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
J. Michael Schroeder
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
9,231 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
General Counsel and
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
240,385 |
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
|
Corporate Secretary
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
The amounts listed comprise (a) matching contributions
under our 401(k) plan and (b) matching contributions under
our deferred compensation plan. |
Stock Option Grants
No options were granted in 2005 to Messrs. Emery, Martinez,
Calder or Schroeder and Ms. Schaefer.
15
Aggregated Option Exercises in Last Fiscal Year and Year-End
Option Values
We provide below information regarding unexercised options at
December 31, 2005. None of the named executive officers
exercised any options during 2005. The following table sets
forth information concerning the year-end number and value of
unexercised options with respect to each of these persons as of
December 31, 2005.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares | |
|
Value of | |
|
|
Underlying | |
|
Unexercised | |
|
|
Unexercised | |
|
In-the-Money | |
|
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Options at Fiscal | |
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Options at Fiscal | |
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Year-End | |
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Year-End(1) | |
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Exercisable/ | |
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Exercisable/ | |
Name |
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Unexercisable | |
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Unexercisable(1) | |
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John Emery
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116,667/ 233,333 |
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$ |
/$ |
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Hernan R. Martinez
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50,000/ 100,000 |
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$ |
/$ |
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Kimberly K. Schaefer
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33,334/ 66,666 |
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$ |
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James A. Calder
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33,334/ 66,666 |
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$ |
/$ |
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J. Michael Schroeder
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25,000/ 50,000 |
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$ |
/$ |
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(1) |
There are no
in-the-money options,
based on a market price of $10.31 per share, which was the
closing price of our common stock on December 31, 2005. |
Employment Agreements
We have entered into employment agreements, with
Messrs. Emery, Martinez, Calder and Schroeder and
Ms. Schaefer. The employment agreements provide for
Mr. Emery to serve as our Chief Executive Officer,
Mr. Martinez to serve as our Executive Vice President of
Development, Mr. Calder to serve as our Chief Financial
Officer, Mr. Schroeder to serve as our General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary, and Ms. Schaefer to serve as our Chief
Brand Officer. In March 2005, Ms. Schaefer was promoted to
the position of Chief Operating Officer. On July 15, 2005,
Mr. Martinez was promoted to the position of President of
Development Division.
Each employment agreement has a term of three years and provides
for automatic one-year extensions thereafter, unless either
party provides at least 120 days notice of non-renewal.
The employment agreements provide for:
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an annual base salary of $400,000 for Mr. Emery, $320,000
for Mr. Martinez, $250,000 for each of Messrs. Calder
and Schroeder, and $225,000 for Ms. Schaefer.
Ms. Schaefers annual base salary was subsequently
increased to $265,000 upon her promotion to Chief Operating
Officer in March 2005. Effective January 1, 2006,
Mr. Emerys annual base salary was increased to
$416,000, Mr. Martinezs annual base salary was
increased to $375,000, Ms. Schaefers annual base
salary was increased to $310,000, and Mr. Calders
annual base salary was increased to $260,000; |
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eligibility for annual bonuses to be determined by our
compensation committee; |
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eligibility for grants of (a) options to purchase our
common stock and (b) shares of our common stock, as
determined by our compensation committee; and |
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participation in employee benefit plans, programs and policies
applicable generally to our senior executives. |
The employment agreements provide that, if an executives
employment is terminated by us without cause or by
the executive for good reason (each as defined in
the applicable employment agreement), including non-renewal of
the employment agreement by us upon the end of its term, the
executive will be
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entitled to the following severance payments and benefits,
subject to his or her execution and non-revocation of a general
release of claims:
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a lump sum severance amount equal to the sum of that
executives then-current annual base salary and most recent
annual bonus paid for each of Messrs. Martinez, Calder and
Schroeder and Ms. Schaefer, and two times such amount for
Mr. Emery; |
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acceleration of vesting of all outstanding options to purchase
our common stock; and |
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a lump sum payment in an amount designed to roughly equal the
pre-tax cost of health, life insurance and accidental death and
dismemberment benefits in effect immediately prior to the
termination of the executives employment for a period of
time following the termination of executives employment. |
Under the employment agreements, we have agreed to make an
additional tax gross-up
payment to the executive if any amounts paid or payable to the
executive would be subject to the excise tax imposed on certain
so-called excess parachute payments under
Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code. However, if a
reduction in the payments and benefits of $25,000 or less would
render the excise tax inapplicable, then the payments and
benefits will be reduced by such amount, and we will not be
required to make the
gross-up payment.
Each employment agreement provides that, if the executives
employment is terminated by us without cause or by the executive
for good reason within 180 days prior to, or eighteen
months following, a change in control, then the executive will
receive the above benefits and payments as though the
executives employment was terminated without cause or for
good reason. However, the lump-sum cash severance payment will
be equal to three times (in the case of Mr. Emery) or two
times (in the case of each of Messrs. Martinez, Calder and
Schroeder and Ms. Schaefer) the sum of the executives
then-current annual base salary and the most recent annual bonus
paid to the executive.
Each employment agreement also provides that the executive or
his or her estate will be entitled to certain severance benefits
in the event of his or her death or disability.
The employment agreements also contain non-compete and standard
confidentiality and non-solicitation provisions that apply
during the term of the employment agreements and for a one-year
period thereafter.
Noncompetition Agreements
We have entered into a noncompetition agreement with
Mr. Neviaser, who is a member of our board of directors.
The noncompetition agreement provides that Mr. Neviaser
will not, during his term as a director of the company or
officer of the company, as applicable, or for the one-year
period following his removal or resignation from the board of
directors or such office or in the event Mr. Neviaser is
not re-elected to the board of directors, compete with us. We
have also entered into a noncompetition agreement with
Marc B. Vaccaro, who was formerly a member of our board of
directors, which agreement provides that Mr. Vaccaro will
not, for a one-year period following his removal or resignation
from the board of directors, compete with us. These agreements
also contain standard confidentiality and non-solicitation
provisions. In exchange for these agreements, we have agreed to
accelerate the vesting of these individuals stock options
if the individual is removed from or is not re-elected to our
board of directors. Mr. Vaccaro resigned from our Board of
Directors in February 2006; thus, his noncompetition obligations
will expire in February 2007 and 138,333 of the stock options he
received have lapsed.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
ON
COMPENSATION DECISIONS
During fiscal 2005, Messrs. Churchey and Silver and
Ms. Nolan comprised the Compensation Committee. No member
of the Compensation Committee was at any time during fiscal 2005
or at any other time an officer or employee of the Company, and
no member had any relationship with the Company requiring
disclosure as a related-party transaction in the section
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions. In
addition, no executive officer of the Company has served on the
board of directors or compensation committee
17
of another entity that has or has had one or more executive
officers who served as a member of the Board of Directors or the
Compensation Committee during fiscal 2005.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The Compensation Committee is responsible for:
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establishing and administering compensation policies; |
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establishing salaries of and awarding performance-based bonuses
to our executive officers; and |
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determining awards of restricted stock and grants of stock
options under our stock plans. |
From time to time, the Compensation Committee may retain
compensation and other management consultants to assist with,
among other things, structuring our various compensation
programs and determining appropriate levels of salary, bonus and
other awards payable to our executive officers, as well as to
guide us in the development of near-term individual performance
objectives necessary to achieve long-term profitability.
Our committees policy is to devise and implement
compensation for our officers and employees commensurate with
their position and determined with reference to compensation
paid to similarly situated employees and officers of companies
that the Compensation Committee deems to be comparable to our
company. Each member of the Compensation Committee is
independent as defined in the committee charter, as determined
by the Board of Directors.
Components of Executive Compensation
Our committees executive compensation methodology consists
of three components: (1) base salary, (2) annual
incentive and (3) long-term incentive compensation. These
components provide elements of fixed income and variable
compensation that is linked to the achievement of individual and
corporate goals and the enhancement of value to our
companys shareholders.
Base Salary. Base salary represents the fixed component
of our executive compensation system. Executives receive
salaries that are within a range established by the Compensation
Committee for their respective positions based on the
comparative analysis described above. Where each
executives salary falls within the salary range is based
on a determination of the level of experience that the executive
brings to the position and how successful the executive has been
in achieving set goals. Salary adjustments are based on a
similar evaluation and a comparison of adjustments made by
competitors and any necessary inflationary adjustments.
Annual Incentives. Annual incentives exist in the form of
bonuses available to each executive officer as a means of
linking compensation to objective performance criteria that are
within the control of the executive officer. At the beginning of
each year, the Compensation Committee establishes a target bonus
for each executive and identifies performance measures for each
executive to meet in order to receive the full bonus. There was
no bonus awarded to our Chief Executive Officer or our other
executive officers for fiscal year 2005, with the exception of
Mr. Martinez, who was awarded an incentive bonus of
$100,000 for fiscal year 2005. The actual amount of incentive
bonus received by our Chief Executive Officer and other
executive officers for fiscal year 2006 will be determined by
the Compensation Committee after the end of the year. Incentive
bonuses are paid in cash.
Long-Term Incentives. The third component of executive
compensation is targeted toward providing rewards for long-term
performance. The Compensation Committee believes that long-term
incentives are important to motivate and reward our executives
and employees for maximizing shareholder value. Long-term
incentives are provided primarily by grants of stock options and
stock under our 2004 Incentive Stock Plan, which is administered
by the Compensation Committee. The purpose of our 2004 Incentive
Stock Plan is to assist our company in recruiting and retaining
key employees, by enabling such persons to participate in the
future success of our company and to associate their interests
with those of our company and our shareholders.
18
No stock options or stock was granted as long-term incentives
for executive performance to our named executive officers in
fiscal year 2005.
Deferred Compensation: We maintain a deferred
compensation plan for certain executives by depositing amounts
into a trust for the benefit of the participating employees.
Amounts in the trust earn investment income, which serves to
increase the corresponding deferred compensation obligation.
Investments, which are recorded at market value, are directed by
the participants, and consist of our common stock and mutual
funds.
HVS Compensation Study
The Compensation Committee engaged HVS International, an
independent compensation consultant, to assist the Compensation
Committee in determining appropriate fiscal year 2006
compensation for our executive officers. The consultant made
recommendations to the Compensation Committee of appropriate
levels of base salaries, annual incentives and long-term
incentives for our executive officers, based upon a study of
23 companies of comparable size to us.
CEO Compensation
In devising an appropriate fiscal year 2006 compensation package
for John Emery, our CEO, the Compensation Committee is guided by
our companys performance, competitive practices, and the
Compensation Committees policy, discussed above, of
determining compensation with reference to the compensation paid
to similarly situated executives of comparable companies. The
results of the HVS Consulting study, discussed above, were also
considered. Appropriate adjustments in the compensation of our
CEO are considered at the same time that we consider similar
adjustments for our other executive officers. Based upon such
considerations, the Compensation Committee adopted and approved
$416,000 as the appropriate base salary to be paid to
Mr. Emery during our 2006 fiscal year. The Compensation
Committee intends to apply the bonus award procedure discussed
above under Components of Executive Compensation to
Mr. Emery and our other executive officers during our 2006
fiscal year.
Tax Deductibility of Compensation
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally
limits the deductibility on our tax return of compensation over
$1 million to any of our officers unless the compensation
is paid pursuant to a plan that is performance-related,
non-discriminatory and has been approved by our stockholders.
The Compensation Committees policy with respect to
Section 162(m) is to make every reasonable effort to ensure
that compensation is deductible to the extent permitted. The
Compensation Committee has the authority to award compensation
in excess of the $1 million limit, regardless of whether
that compensation will be deductible, if the compensation
committee determines in good faith that the compensation is
appropriate to incent and compensate the recipient.
Submitted by:
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Compensation Committee |
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Howard Silver (Chairman) |
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Randy Churchey |
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Alissa N. Nolan |
19
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The following graph depicts the Companys total monthly
return to shareholders from December 20, 2004, the date our
common stock began trading on the Nasdaq National Market,
through January 1, 2006, relative to the performance of
(i) the Standard & Poors 500 Index, (ii) the
Nasdaq 100 Index, and (iii) the Russell 2000 Index. All
indices shown in the graph assume an investment of $100 on
December 20, 2004 and the reinvestment of dividends paid
since that date. The Company has never paid cash dividends on
its common stock. The stock price performance shown in the graph
is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.
Great Wolf Resorts
2005 Stock Price Performance
(relative values)
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committees primary function is to assist the
Board of Directors in fulfilling certain of the Boards
oversight responsibilities to our shareholders by reviewing the
financial reports and other financial information provided by
our company to any governmental body (including the SEC) or the
public; our companys internal control systems regarding
finance, accounting, legal compliance and ethics that management
and the Board have established; and our companys auditing,
accounting and financial reporting processes in general. The
Audit Committee is entirely composed of directors who meet the
SECs and Nasdaqs independence and experience
requirements for audit committee membership.
We have met with our independent auditors and management to
discuss the respective duties and responsibilities set forth
under our Audit Committees charter.
Management is primarily responsible for the financial statements
and the reporting process, including our companys system
of internal control over financial reporting. The companys
independent auditors are responsible for performing an
independent audit of our financial statements in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles and are ultimately
accountable to our committee and to the Board.
The Audit Committee has reviewed the audited financial
statements in our companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for 2005
with management, including discussion of the quality of the
accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant
judgments, and the clarity of financial statement disclosures,
and we have reviewed and discussed these financial statements
with the independent auditors.
20
We have also reviewed with the independent auditors their
judgments as to the quality of our companys accounting
principles and such other matters as are required to be
discussed with our committee under generally accepted auditing
standards. In addition, our committee has discussed with the
independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by
Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 (Communication with
Audit Committees). Our committee has also received the written
disclosures and the letter from our independent auditors
required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1
(Independence Discussions with Audit Committees), and we have
discussed with the independent auditors all significant
relationships they have with our company to ensure their
independence from our company.
We relied on the reviews and discussions referred to above.
Based on this reliance, we have recommended to the Board, and
the Board has approved, that the audited financial statements be
included in our companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2005 filed with the SEC.
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Randy Churchey (Chairman) |
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Michael M. Knetter |
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Howard Silver |
April 10, 2006
The foregoing Compensation Committee and Audit Committee
reports shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any
general statement incorporating by reference this proxy
statement into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent
we specifically incorporate this information by reference, and
shall not otherwise be deemed filed under such acts.
RELATIONSHIP WITH INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
Deloitte & Touche LLP has served as our registered
independent public accountants and auditors since 2004 and will
continue to serve as our auditors for our fiscal year ending
December 31, 2006, unless this is changed by action of our
Audit Committee. Representatives of Deloitte & Touche
are expected to be present at the annual meeting and available
to respond to appropriate question. Such representatives will
have the opportunity to make a statement should they desire to
do so.
Fees. For 2004 and 2005, Deloitte & Touche
billed us the following amounts:
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Fees Billed | |
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Fee Type |
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2005 | |
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2004 | |
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Audit fees
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$ |
437,610 |
(1) |
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$ |
999,000 |
(3) |
Audit-related fees
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$ |
181,100 |
(2) |
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$ |
174,000 |
(4) |
Tax fees
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$ |
21,000 |
(5) |
Total Fees
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$ |
618,710 |
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$ |
1,194,000 |
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(1) |
Amount consists of (a) $363,300 for the audit of our
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005
and (b) $74,310 for an additional billing for the audit of
our financial statements for the period ended December 31,
2004. |
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(2) |
Amount consists of (a) $72,500 for quarterly reviews of our
financial statements in 2005, (b) $23,900 for SEC-related
audit services, including review of amendments of our IPO
registration statements, issuance of consents, and review of
information included with certain
Form 8-K filings,
and (c) $84,700 for audit procedures related to the
restatement of certain of our previously-filed financial
statements and other specific transactions in 2005. |
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(3) |
Amount consists of (a) $876,000 for audits of the financial
statements of our predecessor entity for the nine months ended
September 30, 2004 and for the years ended
December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, in conjunction with the
IPO and (b) $123,000 for the audits of the financial
statements of our predecessor entity and Great Wolf Resorts,
Inc. for the period ended December 31, 2004. |
21
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(4) |
Amount consists of (a) $144,000 for SEC-related audit
services, including review of our IPO registration statement and
related amendments, issuance of consents, issuance of a comfort
letter to underwriters and updating of that letter, and review
of our Form S-8
filed with the SEC and (b) $30,000 for reviews of our
predecessor entitys unaudited financial statements for the
three-month periods ended March 31, 2004 and 2003 and the
six-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003. |
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(5) |
Amount represents fees for tax planning services in conjunction
with our IPO. |
The Audit Committee has adopted procedures for pre-approving all
audit and non-audit services provided by the independent
auditors. Unless a type of service to be provided by the
independent auditors has received general pre-approval, it will
require specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee. Any
proposed services exceeding pre-approved cost levels also will
require specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committees pre-approval procedures include
reviewing a budget for audit and permitted non-audit services.
The budget includes a description of, and a budgeted amount for,
particular categories of audit and non-audit services that are
recurring in nature and therefore anticipated at the time the
budget is submitted. For pre-approval, the Audit Committee
considers whether these services are consistent with the
SECs rules on auditor independence. The Audit Committee
may delegate pre-approval authority to the chairman of the Audit
Committee.
The Audit Committee has designated the Chief Financial Officer
to monitor the performance of the services provided by the
independent auditors and to determine whether these services are
in compliance with the pre-approval policy.
OTHER MATTERS
Our Board currently does not intend to bring before our annual
meeting any matter other than the election of directors, as
specified in the notice to shareholders, and our Board has no
knowledge of any other matters to be brought before our annual
meeting. If any other matters requiring a vote of our
shareholders are properly brought before our annual meeting, the
enclosed proxies will be voted on such matters in accordance
with the judgment of the persons named as proxies in those
proxies, or their substitutes, present and acting at the meeting.
We will provide to each record holder or beneficial owner of
our common stock entitled to vote at our annual meeting, on
written request to J. Michael Schroeder, our General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary, at 122 West Washington Avenue,
Madison, Wisconsin 53703, telephone (608) 661-4700, a copy
of our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, including the
financial statements and financial statement schedules filed
with the SEC.
Copies of our Securities Exchange Act reports and filings are
available by hyperlink on our Internet website, at
www.greatwolf.com. Paper copies of such reports and
filings are also available, free of charge, upon request to our
Secretary to our address provided in the preceding paragraph.
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: |
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J. MICHAEL SCHROEDER, Secretary |
April 10, 2006
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Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. |
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Annual Meeting Proxy Card |
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A
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Election of Directors |
1. The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the listed nominees. |
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For
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B
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Authorized Signatures Sign Here This section must be completed for your instructions
to be executed. |
NOTE: Please sign your name(s) EXACTLY as your name(s) appear(s) on this proxy. All joint
holders must sign. When signing as attorney, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian or
corporate officer, please provide your FULL title. |
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Signature 1 Please keep signature within the box
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Signature 2 Please keep signature within the box
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0 0 8 9 5 0 2
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1 U P X
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C O Y
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Proxy Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. |
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Great
Wolf Resorts
1 Great Wolf Drive
Scotrun, PA 18355
Proxy Solicited by Board of Directors for Annual Meeting May 23, 2006 at 9:00 a.m.
John Emery and J. Michael Schroeder, or any of them, each with the power of substitution, are
hereby authorized to represent and vote the shares of the undersigned, with all the powers which
the undersigned would possess if personally present, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Great
Wolf Resorts, Inc. to be held on May 23, 2006 or at any postponement or adjournment thereof.
Shares represented by this proxy will be voted by the stockholder. If no such directions are
indicated, the Proxies will have authority to vote FOR Election of Directors.
In their discretion, the Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly
come before the meeting.
(Continued and to be voted on reverse side.)
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Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. |
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if you have made changes
to your name or address details above. |
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Annual Meeting Proxy Card |
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A
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Election of Directors |
1. The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the listed nominees. |
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03 Randy Churchey
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04 Michael M. Knetter
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o
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B
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Authorized Signatures Sign Here This section must be completed for your instructions
to be executed. |
NOTE: Please sign your name(s) EXACTLY as your name(s) appear(s) on this proxy. All joint
holders must sign. When signing as attorney, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian or
corporate officer, please provide your FULL title. |
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Signature 1 Please keep signature within the box
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Signature 2 Please keep signature within the box
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Date (mm/dd/yyyy)
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/
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0 0 8 9 5 0 1
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1 U P X
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C O Y
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+ |
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Proxy Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. |
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Great
Wolf Resorts
1 Great Wolf Drive
Scotrun, PA 18355
Proxy Solicited by Board of Directors for Annual Meeting May 23, 2006 at 9:00 a.m.
John Emery and J. Michael Schroeder, or any of them, each with the power of substitution, are
hereby authorized to represent and vote the shares of the undersigned, with all the powers which
the undersigned would possess if personally present, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Great
Wolf Resorts, Inc. to be held on May 23, 2006 or at any postponement or adjournment thereof.
Shares represented by this proxy will be voted by the stockholder. If no such directions are
indicated, the Proxies will have authority to vote FOR Election of Directors.
In their discretion, the Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly
come before the meeting.
(Continued and to be voted on reverse side.)