We describe below our compensation objectives, policies and decisions as applied to the compensation provided by us in 2023 to the “named executive officers” identified below under “ — Named Executive Officers” and in the “ — Summary Compensation Table”. This discussion focuses on the information contained in the compensation tables appearing herein, but also describes our historic compensation structure to enhance an understanding of our executive compensation program.
Historically, except with respect to equity-based awards which are determined by our compensation committee, our board made compensation determinations after taking into account the recommendations of the compensation committee. In late 2022, our board delegated to the compensation committee the authority to make compensation determinations (including determinations of the amounts paid to Majestic Property Management Corp., which we refer to as Majestic, pursuant to the compensation and services agreement, which we refer to as the “C&SA”). As a result, (i) base salary, perquisites and amounts to be paid pursuant to the C&SA for 2023 were approved by the compensation committee and ratified by the board in late 2022, (ii) bonuses for 2023 were determined by the compensation committee in late 2023 and (iii) equity awards for 2023 were determined by the compensation committee in mid-2023 and early 2024. Majestic is wholly-owned by Fredric H. Gould, the Vice Chairman of our Board of Directors, and provides compensation to several of our part-time named executive officers. See “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.”
Background
We have two categories of officers: (i) officers who devote their full business time to our affairs; and (ii) officers who devote their business time to us on a part-time basis. Our full-time officers and employees are compensated directly and solely by us. Except for Equity Awards and our payment of the chairman’s and vice chairman’s fee, substantially all of our part-time executive officers and employees are compensated by Majestic which, pursuant to the C&SA, provides us with (i) certain executive, administrative, legal, accounting, clerical, property management, property acquisition and consulting (i.e., sale, leasing, mortgage financing and construction supervisory) services and (ii) certain facilities and other resources (collectively, the “Services”). See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”
Substantially all of our full-time and part-time executive officers and other employees, including employees of affiliated companies who perform services for us on a part-time basis, receive Equity Awards approved by, or pursuant to authority delegated by, the compensation committee.
Named Executive Officers
Our named executive officers for 2023 are Patrick J. Callan, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer and Lawrence G. Ricketts, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, both of whom devote their full-time to our affairs, as well as Matthew J. Gould, Chairman of our Board, Jeffrey A. Gould, Senior Vice President, David W. Kalish, Senior Vice President-Finance and Isaac Kalish, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, each of whom devote time to our affairs on a part-time, as needed, basis. David W. Kalish served as our Chief Financial Officer through June 2023 at which time Isaac Kalish, his son, began to serve as our Chief Financial Officer.
Our compensation committee is authorized by its charter to retain independent counsel, compensation and benefits consultants, and other outside experts or advisors. In 2022, our compensation committee engaged Ferguson Partners Consulting L.P., which we refer to as “Ferguson”, to analyze the competitiveness of our compensation practices in a benchmarking study. Ferguson, a nationally recognized compensation consulting firm specializing in the real estate industry, has no relationship with us or any of our affiliates. (Ferguson also serves as the independent compensation consultant for BRT Apartments Corp).
In its analysis, Ferguson compared our compensation practices to the following REITs, which we refer to as the “Compensation Peer Group”: Broadstone Net Lease, Inc., Chatham Lodging Trust, Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated, CTO Realty Growth, Inc., Franklin Street Properties Corp., Global Medical REIT Inc.,