Investment Banking for Merrill Lynch & Co., where he worked from 1995 to 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Vander Ploeg was a Managing Director of Salomon Brothers and Head of the firm’s San Francisco investment banking business. Mr. Vander Ploeg formerly served as a director of Okabena Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is the investment and business company for the Dayton Family, founders of Target Corporation. He was a member of that Board’s Investment Committee and was Chair of the Compensation & Personnel Committee. Elsewhere, Mr. Vander Ploeg serves as a director of the Spencer Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, and chairs its Investment Committee, and also serves as an associate member of Stanford University’s Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). Mr. Vander Ploeg has an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and a B.A. from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, where he is a former trustee and served as Board Chair from 2000 to 2006.
Craig W. Cooper. Mr. Cooper was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company in connection with the closing of the Merger in February 2015. Mr. Cooper previously served as a director of Legacy Dawson from September 2010 until February 2015, including as Lead Director from January 2013 until February 2015. Prior to his retirement in April 2010, Mr. Cooper was a Senior Advisor, Seismic at BP p.l.c., in the Unconventional Gas unit from 2008 to 2010. Prior to 2008, Mr. Cooper was the Seismic Program Coordinator, North America at BP p.l.c. for three years, Seismic Technology Advisor for two years and Manager of Seismic Imaging & Operations for four years. Mr. Cooper was employed by BP p.l.c. and its predecessor, Amoco Corporation, for 35 years.
Michael L. Klofas. Mr. Klofas was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders held on May 1, 2018. Mr. Klofas was a member of Babson Capital Management and Affiliates, a MassMutual Financial Group Company from 1988 to 2016 where he served as Managing Director, Head of the Mezzanine and Private Equity Group from 2009 to 2016. Mr. Klofas served as President of Babson Capital Corporate Investors and President of Babson Capital Participation Investors, both NYSE-listed closed-end bond funds, from 2009 to 2016. Mr. Klofas is a Director of PeoplesBank, a Massachusetts-chartered mutual bank, since 2017; was a Director of Supreme Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of specialized truck bodies from 2016 until the company was sold in 2017; and was a Director of Glynlyon Holding Company, a provider of web-based educational content and curriculum for public school districts, from 2016 to 2019.
Ted R. North. Mr. North was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company in connection with the closing of the Merger in February 2015. Mr. North previously served as a director of Legacy Dawson from August 2008 until February 2015. Mr. North was a partner at Grant Thornton LLP from August 1987 to his retirement on July 31, 2008. He served as the Managing Partner and in other positions of responsibility in the Midland, Texas and Oklahoma City offices of Grant Thornton. He is a Certified Public Accountant with over 30 years of public accounting experience.
Director Emeritus
In order to provide continued access to their specialized knowledge and expertise concerning the Company, the Board of Directors has requested and William J. Barrett and Gary M. Hoover, PhD., both of whom were previous directors of the Company prior to their retirements in 2020, have agreed that they will each serve as a Director Emeritus until the next annual meeting of shareholders. As a Director Emeritus, Mr. Barrett and Dr. Hoover will be invited to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and participate in board discussions, but they will not be entitled to vote on any matters. Each of Mr. Barrett and Dr. Hoover will be entitled to receive a cash fee of $3,000 for each board meeting they attend and cash compensation of $24,000 annually up to a maximum of $36,000 per year during their term as Director Emeritus.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Independent” Directors
Messrs. Cooper, Klofas, North and Vander Ploeg qualify as “independent” in accordance with the published listing requirements of The NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”). Further, during 2020 and currently, each of the members of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating Committee, as applicable, qualified as “independent” in accordance with the NASDAQ listing requirements. The NASDAQ independence definition includes a series of objective tests, such as that the director is not an employee of the company and has not engaged