Independence of Directors. To assist our Board in determining the independence of each director, our Board has adopted categorical Standards for Determining Director Independence, a copy of which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Exhibit A and available on our website at www.emcorgroup.com. To be considered independent, our Board must affirmatively determine that the director has no material relationship with us. Our Board has determined that eight of our nine current directors are independent, including all members of the Audit Committee of our Board, which we refer to as the “Audit Committee,” the Compensation and Personnel Committee of our Board, which we refer to as the “Compensation Committee,” and the Corporate Governance Committee, as the term “independent” is defined by the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange and all applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our eight independent directors are: John W. Altmeyer, Amy E. Dahl, Ronald L. Johnson, Carol P. Lowe, M. Kevin McEvoy, William P. Reid, Steven B. Schwarzwaelder, and Robin Walker-Lee. Anthony J. Guzzi, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, is not independent.
Executive Sessions of the Board. At regularly scheduled meetings of the Board, our independent directors meet without any management representatives present and with Mr. McEvoy, our independent Lead Director, presiding as Chairman.
Board Leadership Structure. Our Chairman of the Board is Mr. Anthony J. Guzzi. Mr. Guzzi was first elected to the Board on December 15, 2009 and was elected as the Chairman of the Board on June 1, 2018. He presides at meetings of the Board and at annual meetings of stockholders and sets the agenda for our Board meetings in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, our independent Lead Director.
Board Committee Charters. Our Board has adopted written charters for its Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Corporate Governance Committee. At least annually, each committee reviews its charter and recommends any proposed changes to the Board for approval. A copy of each committee charter is available on our website at www.emcorgroup.com.
Annual Board Assessments and Succession Planning. The Board conducts a self-assessment of its performance and effectiveness as well as that of its committees on an annual basis. For 2024, each director completed a written questionnaire which solicited open-ended and candid feedback on an anonymous basis. The collective ratings and comments were compiled, summarized and presented to the Board and its committees. During this evaluation process, the Board also conducts succession planning with respect to its own composition and that of its committees.
Management Succession Planning. Management conducts regular succession planning reviews with the Board of Directors. During these reviews, our Chief Executive Officer and the Board discuss succession plans for key positions and identify top talent for development in future leadership roles. The Board is actively engaged in this process and regularly evaluates our succession strategy and leadership pipeline for key roles. High potential leaders are given exposure and visibility to the Board when they are invited to lead Board presentations and attend informal Board events.
Standards of Conduct. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applies to all of our directors, officers and employees and those of our subsidiaries. In addition, our Board has adopted a separate Code of Ethics for our Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers which imposes additional ethical obligations upon them.
Political Activities and Contributions. We do not use corporate funds for lobbying activities. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics prohibits direct or indirect contributions, loans, gifts or services to any political candidate, campaign, committee, political party or political action committee without the prior written approval of our General Counsel. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics also prohibits political contributions by employees that are made on our behalf, reimbursed by the Company or charged to customers. Our General Counsel oversees compliance with these policies, in coordination with our Corporate Governance Committee.
Stockholder Communications. Stockholders and other interested persons may communicate with our Board as a whole, or with one or more members of our Board (including all independent directors) individually or as a group, by writing to them c/o EMCOR Group, Inc., 301 Merritt Seven, 6th Floor, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Such communications will be forwarded to the individuals addressed. However, the Corporate Secretary will not forward communications to the Board that advocate illegal activity, are offensive or lewd, have no relevance to the business or operations of the Company, or constitute mass mailings, solicitations or advertisements. The Corporate Secretary will determine when a communication is not to be forwarded.