PROPOSAL ONE
ELECTION OF CLASS I DIRECTORS
In accordance with the terms of our Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, our Board of Directors consists of seven
members; three of the members were appointed by our general partner at our first annual meeting following our initial public offering and four members were elected into three different classes. The appointed directors serve as directors for terms
determined by our general partner or until his or her successor is duly appointed. The classified directors are elected by holders of our common units. The four classified directors are elected by holders of our common units for a term corresponding
to their respective classes, currently consisting of two Class I directors having a term expiring at this annual meeting of Limited Partners, one Class II director having a term expiring at the 2025 annual meeting of Limited Partners, and
one Class III director having a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting.
The Board of Directors has nominated Kunihide Akizawa and
Alexander Kalafatides, who presently serve as the Class I directors, to stand for election as Class I directors at this years annual meeting, for a three-year term expiring at our 2027 annual meeting.
Unless the proxy is marked to indicate that such authorization is expressly withheld, the persons named in the enclosed proxy intend to vote
the common units authorized thereby FOR the election of the following nominees. It is expected that such nominees will be able to serve, but if before the election it develops that either or both of the nominees is unavailable, the
persons named in the accompanying proxy will vote for the election of such substitute nominee(s) as the current Board of Directors may recommend.
Nominee for Election to the Companys Board of Directors
Information concerning the nominees for election to our Board of Directors is set forth below:
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Name |
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Age |
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Position |
Kunihide Akizawa |
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64 |
|
Class I Director |
Alexander Kalafatides |
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60 |
|
Class I Director |
Kunihide Akizawa has been a member of our Board of Directors since 2018.
Mr. Akizawa has 42 years of experience in shipping and logistics. He started his shipping career in 1982 in Japan with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., where he worked in the accounting department, the export department focusing on the Red Sea
and Mediterranean areas, the bulk department, and a chartering manager of Skaarup Shipping International Corporation, which was a joint-venture company with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. In 1995, Mr. Akizawa joined ITOCHU Corporation in the
logistics division. In 2011, he became President of MarineNet, a subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation as well as five other major Japanese trading houses. In 2016, he was appointed as President of IMECS Co., Ltd, the ship-owning arm of ITOCHU and full
subsidiary. From 2021 to December 2022, Mr Akizawa served as Vice President Business Development of Fleet Management Limited. As of April 1, 2023, Mr. Akizawa joined Synergy Marine Japan, as Group Representative in Japan. Mr. Akizawa
is a graduate of Gakushuin University, Tokyo with a B.A. degree in Economics.
Alexander Kalafatides has been a member
of our Board of Directors since 2019. Mr. Kalafatides has over 40 years of experience in general management and marketing. Mr. Kalafatides is a Senior M&A Advisor for Hughes Klaiber, a boutique M&A investment bank for small to
middle market firms. He also holds the position of Special Projects Director at IUC International LLC, a designer and importer of consumer products. He has been involved in considerable turnarounds in various sectors including the marine sector,
where he served as Partner and Vice President of CCSI, Inc., a company acting as the sales agent of the Chevron/Texaco joint venture. Following its successful turnaround, the company was acquired by the Chevron/Texaco group. Mr. Kalafatides
received his M.B.A. in marketing and international business from the New York University, his B.S.E. in computer engineering & science at the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate of Director Education from Drexel Universitys
Gupta Governance Institute. Mr. Kalafatides serves as chairman of the Conflicts Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee, is an independent director.
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