LOGO

December 27, 2005

 

Dear Atmos Energy Shareholder:

 

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Wednesday, February 8, 2006, at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time. The meeting will be held in the Rio Grande Ballroom at the Ambassador Hotel, 3100 I-40 West, Amarillo, Texas 79102.

 

The matters to be acted upon at the meeting are described in the attached Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement. In addition, we will review with you the affairs and progress of the Company during the past year and review the results of operations for the first quarter of the 2006 fiscal year.

 

Your participation at this meeting is very important, regardless of the number of shares you hold or whether you will be able to attend the meeting in person. If you wish to submit a written proxy, please date, sign and return the proxy card in the enclosed envelope to ensure that your shares are represented at the meeting. You may also vote your proxy over the Internet or by telephone by following the instructions on the enclosed proxy card.

 

On behalf of your Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support and interest in Atmos Energy Corporation.

 

Sincerely,

LOGO

Robert W. Best

Chairman of the Board, President

and Chief Executive Officer


ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

P.O. Box 650205

Dallas, Texas 75265-0205

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

 

To the Shareholders:

 

The Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Atmos Energy Corporation (the “Company”) will be held in the Rio Grande Ballroom at the Ambassador Hotel, 3100 I-40 West, Amarillo, Texas 79102, on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time for the following purposes:

 

  1. To elect five Class II directors for three-year terms expiring in 2009.

 

  2. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof.

 

Shareholders of record of the Company’s common stock at the close of business on December 15, 2005, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, such meeting. The stock transfer books will not be closed. Your vote is very important to us. Regardless of the number of shares you own, please vote. All shareholders of record can vote (i) by written proxy by signing and dating the proxy card and returning it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope, (ii) via the Internet (www.voteproxy.com), (iii) by telephone (toll-free at 1-800-PROXIES) or (iv) by attending the Annual Meeting in person. These various options for voting are described on the enclosed proxy card.

 

For all shareholders who participate in the Company’s Retirement Savings Plan and Trust (“RSP”), your proxy card, Internet or telephone proxy vote will serve as voting instructions to the trustee of the RSP. If you have shares of the Company’s common stock credited in the RSP, only the trustee can vote your plan shares even if you attend the Annual Meeting in person.

 

All shareholders who hold their shares in street name (in the name of a broker, bank or other nominee) may submit a written vote through voting instruction cards provided by their brokers or banks. Such shareholders who hold their shares in street name can also generally vote their proxy via the Internet or by telephone, in accordance with instructions provided by their brokers, banks or other nominees. Under New York Stock Exchange rules, brokers and banks will have the discretion to vote the shares of customers who fail to provide voting instructions. If you do not provide instructions to your broker or bank to vote your shares, they may either vote your shares on the matters being presented at our Annual Meeting or leave your shares unvoted. If you own your shares in street name and you want to vote in person at the meeting, you must first obtain a legal proxy from your street name nominee and bring that legal proxy to the annual meeting.


Included with this Proxy Statement is a copy of our Summary Annual Report to all shareholders and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2005 fiscal year. You may also view a copy of these materials on our website at www.atmosenergy.com. We encourage you to receive future Summary Annual Reports and other proxy materials electronically to help us save costs in producing and distributing these materials. If you wish to receive these materials electronically next year, please follow the instructions on the enclosed proxy card.

 

By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

DWALA KUHN

Corporate Secretary

 

December 27, 2005

 

IMPORTANT: PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR PROXY CARD AND RETURN IT PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. YOU MAY ALSO VOTE BY TELEPHONE OR INTERNET, BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROXY CARD. IF YOU VOTE BY TELEPHONE OR INTERNET, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MAIL IN YOUR PROXY CARD. IF YOU ARE A SHAREHOLDER OF RECORD, VOTING IN ADVANCE BY MAIL, TELEPHONE OR INTERNET WILL NOT PREVENT YOU FROM VOTING IN PERSON AT THE MEETING, BUT IT WILL HELP TO ASSURE A QUORUM AND AVOID ADDED COSTS.


ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

P.O. Box 650205

Dallas, Texas 75265-0205

 

PROXY STATEMENT

 

Solicitation and Revocability of Proxies

 

The proxy enclosed with this statement is solicited by the management of Atmos Energy Corporation (the “Company”) at the direction of the Company’s Board of Directors. These materials were first mailed to the Company’s shareholders on December 27, 2005.

 

Any shareholder of record giving a proxy has the power to revoke the proxy at any time prior to its exercise by (1) submitting a new proxy with a later date, including a proxy given over the Internet or by telephone; (2) notifying our Corporate Secretary in writing before the meeting; or (3) voting in person at the meeting. Any shareholders owning shares in street name who wish to revoke voting instructions previously given to their broker, bank or other nominee should contact such broker, bank or other nominee for further instructions. An independent inspector will count the votes. Your vote will not be disclosed to us and will remain confidential except under special circumstances. For example, a copy of your proxy card will be sent to us if you add any written comments to the card. We expect to solicit proxies primarily by mail, but our directors, officers, employees and agents may also solicit proxies in person or by telephone or other electronic means. The cost of preparing, assembling and mailing the proxies and accompanying materials for this Annual Meeting of Shareholders, including the cost of reimbursing brokers and nominees for forwarding proxies and proxy materials to their principals, will be paid by the Company. In addition, Morrow & Co., Inc. (“Morrow”) will assist us in the solicitation of proxies. We will pay approximately $6,500 in fees, plus expenses and disbursements, to Morrow for its proxy solicitation services.

 

Common Stock Information; Record Date

 

As of December 15, 2005, there were 80,831,796 shares of our common stock, no par value, issued and outstanding, all of which are entitled to vote. These shares constitute the only class of our stock issued and outstanding. As stated in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting, only shareholders of record at the close of business on December 15, 2005 will be entitled to vote at the meeting. Each share is entitled to one vote.


Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners.     The following table lists the beneficial ownership, as of November 30, 2005, with respect to each person known by the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of any class of our voting securities.

 

Title of Class


  

Name and Address

of Beneficial Owner


   Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial Ownership


   Percent
of Class


Common Stock

   Franklin Advisers, Inc.(a) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403    4,500,000    5.6% (b)

(a) Franklin Advisers, Inc. has informed the Company that it is the beneficial owner of 4,500,000 shares of our common stock. Of such shares, Franklin Advisers has advised us that it has both sole voting power and sole dispositive power with respect to all 4,500,000 shares. On February 11, 2005, a Schedule 13G was filed jointly with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Franklin Resources, Inc. and its affiliates, Franklin Advisers, Inc., Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. According to the Schedule 13G, Franklin Advisers, Inc. beneficially owned 4,055,000 shares of our common stock as of December 31, 2004 and possessed sole voting and dispositive power over all 4,055,000 shares. Neither Franklin Advisers, Inc. nor any of its affiliates has subsequently filed any Schedules 13G or amendments thereto with respect to their beneficial ownership of the Company’s securities.

 

(b) The percent of our voting securities is based on the number of outstanding shares of our common stock as of November 30, 2005.

 

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Security Ownership of Management and Directors.     The following table lists the beneficial ownership, as of the close of business on November 30, 2005, of our common stock, the only class of securities issued and outstanding, with respect to all directors and nominees for director of the Company, the executive officers of the Company named in the Summary Compensation table on pages 13-15 of this Proxy Statement and all directors and executive officers of the Company as a group.

 

Name of Beneficial Owner


   Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial Ownership


   Percent of
Class


Travis W. Bain II

   26,058    (a)(b)

Robert W. Best

   665,706    (a)(c)

Dan Busbee

   28,361    (a)(b)

Richard W. Cardin

   17,952    (a)(b)

R. Earl Fischer

   79,476    (a)(c)

Thomas J. Garland

   25,421    (a)(b)

Richard K. Gordon

   16,020    (a)(b)

Louis P. Gregory

   40,303    (a)(c)

Gene C. Koonce

   43,311    (a)(b)

Thomas C. Meredith

   20,168    (a)(b)

Phillip E. Nichol

   31,871    (a)(b)

Nancy K. Quinn

   3,044    (a)(b)

John P. Reddy

   162,856    (a)(c)

Stephen R. Springer

   1,000    (a)(b)

Charles K. Vaughan

   62,047    (a)(b)

Richard Ware II

   35,328    (a)(b)

JD Woodward, III

   828,449    1.02%(c)

All directors and executive officers as a group (18 individuals)

   2,135,506    2.6%

(a) The percentage of shares beneficially owned by such individual does not exceed one percent of the class so owned.

 

(b) Includes cumulative share units credited to the following directors under the Company’s Equity Incentive and Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors and 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan in the following respective amounts: Mr. Bain, 20,954 units; Mr. Busbee, 21,361 units; Mr. Cardin, 14,452 units; Mr. Garland, 19,311 units; Mr. Gordon, 6,020 units; Mr. Koonce, 27,279 units; Dr. Meredith, 14,619 units; Mr. Nichol, 21,871 units; Ms. Quinn, 2,044 units; Mr. Springer, -0- units; Mr. Vaughan, 22,338 units; and Mr. Ware, 13,392 units.

 

(c) Includes shares issuable upon the exercise of options held by the following executive officers within 60 days of November 30, 2005 under the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan in the following respective amounts: Mr. Best, 427,526 shares; Mr. Fischer, 38,267 shares; Mr. Reddy, 102,267 shares; Mr. Woodward, 26,191 shares; and Mr. Gregory, 3,832 shares.

 

3


ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

Pursuant to the Company’s Bylaws, the Board of Directors is divided into three classes, each of which class consists, as nearly as possible, of one-third of the total number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors. Directors for Class II are to be elected at this Annual Meeting for three-year terms expiring in 2009. Richard W. Cardin, Thomas C. Meredith, Nancy K. Quinn, Stephen R. Springer and Richard Ware II have been nominated to serve as Class II directors. All nominees were recommended for nomination by the non-management members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors. We did not pay a fee to any third party to identify, evaluate or assist in identifying or evaluating potential nominees for the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee did not receive any recommendations from a shareholder or a group of shareholders who, individually or in the aggregate, beneficially owned greater than five percent of our common stock for at least one year.

 

Mr. Cardin, Dr. Meredith, and Mr. Ware were last elected to three-year terms by the shareholders at the 2003 Annual Meeting. Ms. Quinn was elected to a one-year term as a Class II director by the shareholders at the 2005 Annual Meeting, after having been appointed to the Board effective August 16, 2004, while Mr. Springer was appointed to the Board as a Class II director, effective September 1, 2005. The Board is nominating Ms. Quinn, Dr. Meredith and Messrs. Cardin, Springer and Ware to continue serving as Class II directors, whose three-year terms will expire in 2009.

 

The other directors listed on the following pages will continue to serve in their positions for the remainder of their current terms. The names, ages and biographical summaries of (i) the persons who have been nominated to serve as directors of the Company and (ii) the directors who are continuing in office until the expiration of their terms and the class in which such nominee or other director has been designated, are set forth in the following table. Each of the nominees has consented to be a nominee and to serve as a director if elected, and all votes authorized by the enclosed proxy will be cast FOR all of the nominees. If we receive proxies that are signed but do not specify how to vote, we will vote your shares FOR all of the nominees. If we receive proxies that contain a vote to “withhold authority” for the election of one or more director nominees, such vote will not be counted in determining the number of votes cast for those nominees but will be counted for quorum purposes. In order to be elected as a director, our Bylaws require a nominee to receive the vote of a majority of all outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote and represented in person or by proxy at a meeting of shareholders at which a quorum is present.

 

4


THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THE FOLLOWING NOMINEES:

 

Name; Principal Occupation or Employment

During Past Five Years; Other Directorships


   Age

  

Year in Which

First Became a

Director

of the Company


  

Class Designation

and Year of

Expiration of

Term


Richard W. Cardin

Retired. Formerly an audit partner and office managing partner of Arthur Andersen LLP in Nashville, Tennessee from 1968 to 1995. Director of United States Lime and Minerals, Inc. and Intergraph Corporation.

   70    1997    Class II
2009

***************************************************************************************************

Thomas C. Meredith, Ed.D.

Commissioner of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning in Jackson, Mississippi since October 2005. Formerly Chancellor of the University System of Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia from January 2002 through September 2005. Formerly Chancellor of The University of Alabama System in Tuscaloosa, Alabama from June 1997 through December 2001. Director of American Cast Iron and Pipe Company.

   64    1995    Class II
2009

*****************************************************************************************************

Nancy K. Quinn

Principal of Hanover Capital in New York, New York since July 1996. Director of Endeavor International Corporation.

   52    2004    Class II
2009

****************************************************************************************************

Stephen R. Springer

Retired. Formerly Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Midstream Division of The Williams Companies, Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma from January 1999 to February 2002.

   59    2005    Class II
2009

*****************************************************************************************************

 

5


Name; Principal Occupation or Employment

During Past Five Years; Other Directorships


   Age

  

Year in Which

First Became a

Director

of the Company


  

Class Designation

and Year of

Expiration of

Term


Richard Ware II

President of Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas since 1981. Member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

   59    1994    Class II
2009

*****************************************************************************************************

 

The following persons are directors of the Company who will be continuing in office until the expiration of their terms as set forth below.

 

Name; Principal Occupation or Employment

During Past Five Years; Other Directorships


   Age

  

Year in Which

First Became a

Director

of the Company


  

Class Designation

and Year of

Expiration of

Term


Travis W. Bain II

Chairman of Texas Custom Pools, Inc. in Plano, Texas since March 1999. Director of Delta Industries, Inc.

   71    1988    Class I
2008
*****************************************************************************************************

Robert W. Best

Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since March 1997.

   59    1997    Class III
2007
*****************************************************************************************************

Dan Busbee

Adjunct Professor at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas since February 2003; Professional Fellow at the SMU Dedman School of Law Institute of International Banking and Finance since January 2001; Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary, University of London since January 2001.

   72    1988    Class I
2008
*****************************************************************************************************

 

6


Name; Principal Occupation or Employment

During Past Five Years; Other Directorships


   Age

  

Year in Which

First Became a

Director

of the Company


  

Class Designation

and Year of

Expiration of

Term


Thomas J. Garland

Senior Advisor to the Niswonger Foundation since July 2002 and Chairman of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership and Policy in Greenville, Tennessee since 1998.

   71    1997    Class III
2007
*****************************************************************************************************

Richard K. Gordon

General Partner of Juniper Capital LP and Juniper Advisory LP in Houston, Texas since March 2003. Formerly Vice Chairman, Investment Banking, for Merrill Lynch & Co. in Houston, Texas from March 1993 through March 2003.

   56    2001    Class I
2008
*****************************************************************************************************

Gene C. Koonce

Retired. Formerly Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Cities Gas Company in Nashville, Tennessee from May 1996 until the merger of United Cities with the Company in July 1997.

   73    1997    Class I
2008
*****************************************************************************************************

Phillip E. Nichol

Retired. Formerly Senior Vice President of Central Division Staff of UBS PaineWebber Incorporated in Dallas, Texas from July 2001 through July 2003. Formerly Senior Vice President and Branch Manager of UBS PaineWebber Dallas, Texas from March 1999 through June 2001.

   70    1985    Class III
2007
*****************************************************************************************************

 

7


Name; Principal Occupation or Employment

During Past Five Years; Other Directorships


   Age

  

Year in Which

First Became a

Director

of the Company


  

Class Designation

and Year of

Expiration of

Term


Charles K. Vaughan

Retired. Formerly Chairman of the Board of the Company from June 1994 until March 1997.

   68    1983    Class III
2007
*****************************************************************************************************

 

Certain Business Relationships

 

Until his retirement from the firm in March 2003, Mr. Gordon was Vice Chairman, Investment Banking, for Merrill Lynch & Co., which firm has provided various types of investment banking services to the Company, including serving as an underwriter on our public debt and equity offerings and providing advice in connection with merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Ware is the president and a shareholder of Amarillo National Bank, Amarillo, Texas, which bank provides an $18 million short-term line of credit to the Company, serves as a depository bank for the Company and is trustee for the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan. The Company pays fees to Amarillo National Bank, which are normal and customary for these types of services.

 

Independence of Directors

 

All non-management members of the Board of Directors, other than Mr. Springer, satisfy the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange. Because Mr. Springer’s son-in-law is employed as an auditor with Ernst & Young LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, under the corporate governance-related listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, Mr. Springer may not be considered independent from the Company. Mr. Springer’s son-in-law is not involved in the audit of the Company and is not considered a “covered person” with respect to the Company, as defined under the SEC’s independence-related regulations for auditors. Thus, this relationship has no effect on Ernst & Young LLP’s independence as our auditors. In addition, Mr. Springer does not serve on our Audit Committee. The Board of Directors has also adopted categorical standards of director independence, which are attached as Exhibit A to this Proxy Statement, which standards supplement the independence requirements by the New York Stock Exchange. Directors who meet these standards are considered to be “independent.” Note that for purposes of the standards, the Board has adopted the definition of an “immediate family member”, as set forth by the New York Stock Exchange, which includes parents, siblings and in-laws of the director, as well as anyone else (other than domestic employees) who shares such director’s home. The Board has determined that Messrs. Gordon and Ware, as well as all other current non-management directors other than Mr. Springer, as discussed above, meet these standards and are, therefore, considered to be independent directors because none of their relationships with the Company have been determined to be material.

 

8


Presiding Director and Communications with Directors

 

In accordance with the corporate governance-related listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, the Company has designated Mr. Vaughan as the presiding director at all meetings of non-management directors during the 2006 fiscal year, which meetings will be held on a regular basis. Shareholders may communicate with Mr. Vaughan, individual non-management directors, or the non-management directors as a group, by writing to Board of Directors, Atmos Energy Corporation, P.O. Box 650205, Dallas, Texas, 75265-0205 or by email at boardofdirectors@atmosenergy.com. The Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, Louis P. Gregory, receives all such communications initially and forwards such communications to Mr. Vaughan or another individual non-management director, if applicable, as he deems appropriate. Shareholders may also contact the only management director of the Company, Mr. Robert W. Best, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, by mail at Atmos Energy Corporation, P.O. Box 650205, Dallas, Texas 75265-0205, by email at robert.best@atmosenergy.com or by telephone at 972-934-9227.

 

The Board of Directors: Committees, Meetings and Directors’ Fees

 

Standing Committees.     The Company has certain standing committees, each of which is described below.

 

The Executive Committee consists of Messrs. Best, Koonce and Vaughan. Mr. Vaughan serves as chairman of the committee. In accordance with the Bylaws of the Company, the Executive Committee has, and may exercise, all of the powers of the Board during the intervals between the Board’s meetings, subject to certain limitations and restrictions as set forth in the Bylaws or as may be established by resolution of the Board of Directors from time to time. In addition, Messrs. Best and Vaughan serve as ex officio members of every other Board Committee. The Executive Committee held no meetings during the 2005 fiscal year.

 

The Board of Directors has established a separately-designated standing Audit Committee in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Audit Committee consists of Ms. Quinn and Messrs. Bain, Busbee, Cardin and Dr. Meredith. Mr. Busbee serves as chairman of the committee. Each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the independence standards of Section 301 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the corporate governance-related listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange. The Board of Directors has designated Messrs. Busbee and Cardin as well as Ms. Quinn, each as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined by applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Audit Committee oversees the accounting and financial reporting processes and procedures of the Company; reviews the scope and procedures of the internal audit function; appoints the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for the oversight of its work and the review of the results of its independent audits. The

 

9


Audit Committee held eight meetings during the last fiscal year. The Audit Committee has adopted a charter, which it follows in conducting its activities. The Committee’s charter is attached hereto as Exhibit B and is also available on the Company’s web site at www.atmosenergy.com under the link entitled “Corporate Governance.”

 

The Human Resources Committee consists of Messrs. Bain, Busbee, Garland, Gordon, Koonce and Nichol. Mr. Koonce serves as chairman of the committee. Each member of the Committee satisfies the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange. This committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding compensation for the Chief Executive Officer as well as other officers of the Company. In addition to compensation matters, the committee determines, develops and makes recommendations to the Board regarding benefit packages, special bonus or stock plans, severance agreements and succession planning with respect to the Company’s officers. This committee also administers the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan and Annual Incentive Plan for Management. During the last fiscal year, the Human Resources Committee held three meetings. The Committee has adopted a charter, which it follows in conducting its activities. The Committee’s charter is available on the Company’s web site at www.atmosenergy.com under the link entitled “Corporate Governance.”

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consists of Ms. Quinn, Messrs. Cardin, Gordon, Nichol, Ware and Dr. Meredith. Mr. Nichol serves as chairman of the committee. Each member of the Committee satisfies the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange. This committee selects candidates for consideration by the full Board to fill any vacancies on the Board, which may occur from time to time, and oversees all corporate governance matters for the Company. The Committee held four meetings during the last fiscal year. The Committee has adopted a charter, which it follows in conducting its activities. The Committee’s charter is available on the Company’s web site at www.atmosenergy.com under the link entitled “Corporate Governance.”

 

The Committee also considers sound and meritorious nomination suggestions for directors from shareholders. Nominees for director should possess the level of education, experience, sophistication and expertise required to perform the duties of a member of the board of directors of a public company of the Company’s size and scope. Neither the Committee, the Board of Directors nor the Company itself discriminates in any way against potential nominees on the basis of age, sex, race, religion or other personal characteristics. There are no differences in the manner in which the Committee evaluates nominees for director based on whether or not the nominee is recommended by a shareholder. All letters of recommendation for nomination should be sent to the Corporate Secretary of the Company at the Company’s headquarters and must be received no later than January 23, 2006. Such letters should include, in addition to the name, address and number of shares owned by the nominating shareholder, the nominee’s name and address, a listing of the nominee’s background and

 

10


qualifications. A signed statement from the nominee should accompany the letter of recommendation indicating that he or she consents to being considered as a nominee and that, if nominated by the Board and elected by the shareholders, he or she will serve as a director.

 

The Work Session/Annual Meeting Committee consists of Messrs. Bain, Garland, Koonce, Nichol, Springer and Ware. Mr. Bain serves as chairman of the committee. This committee selects the site and plans the meeting and agenda for the special meeting of the Board held each year for the purpose of focusing on long-range planning and corporate strategy issues and selects the site for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. During the last fiscal year, the Work Session/Annual Meeting Committee held three meetings.

 

Attendance at Board Meetings.     During the last fiscal year, the Board of Directors of the Company held 13 meetings. During the 2005 fiscal year, each director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of (a) all meetings of the Board and (b) all meetings of the committees of the Board on which such director served. In addition, all members of the Board of Directors attended the 2005 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Dallas, Texas on February 9, 2005. The Company strongly supports and encourages each member of the Board of Directors to attend each of the Company’s annual meetings of shareholders.

 

Directors’ Fees.     As compensation for serving as a director, each of the non-employee directors receives an annual retainer of $30,000; however, beginning October 1, 2005, each of the non-employee directors will receive an annual retainer of $35,000. Each non-employee director receives a fee of $1,500 per meeting for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors or Board committee as well as any other Company-related business meeting (excluding telephone conference meetings). The fee paid to non-employee directors for participation in any telephonic conference meeting is one-half of the regular meeting fee. Committee chairpersons are also paid an additional annual fee of $5,000 for additional work done in connection with their committee duties and responsibilities.

 

In August 1998, the Board adopted the Company’s Equity Incentive and Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the “Plan”), representing an amendment to the Company’s Deferred Compensation Plan for Outside Directors that was originally adopted in May 1990. This amended plan became effective when shareholders of the Company approved such amendment at the 1999 Annual Meeting in February 1999 and replaced the annual pension formerly payable to the Company’s non-employee directors under the Company’s Retirement Plan for Non-Employee Directors. Under the terms of the Plan, each non-employee director is allowed to defer receipt of his annual retainer and meeting fees and to invest his deferred compensation into either a cash account or a stock account. In addition, each non-employee director has received under the Plan an annual grant of share units. Beginning in the 2004 fiscal year, each non-employee director has continued to receive an annual grant of share units under the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Such directors have

 

11


also been allowed to continue to defer receipt of his or her annual retainer and meeting fees and to invest his or her deferred compensation into either a cash account or a stock account under the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan. The specific unit amounts credited to each director are shown in the Security Ownership table on page 3 of this Proxy Statement.

 

In November 1994, the Board adopted the Outside Directors Stock-for-Fee Plan, which plan was approved by the shareholders of the Company in February 1995. The plan permits non-employee directors to receive all or part of their annual retainer and meeting fees in our common stock rather than in cash or having such retainer and fees deferred under the Company’s Equity Incentive and Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors or 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan. An election by a director to receive his or her fees in stock does not alter the amount of fees payable but results in the deferral of payment of the stock portion of the fees until after the end of each quarter in which the fees were earned. The number of shares of common stock issued at such time will be equal to (a) the dollar amount of the fees to be paid in stock divided by (b) the fair market value of our common stock on the last day of the applicable quarter. The fair market value is the closing price of a share of our common stock as reported by the New York Stock Exchange. Only whole numbers of shares are issued; fractional shares are paid in cash. All such shares issued to non-employee directors are reflected in the Security Ownership table on page 3 of this Proxy Statement.

 

Other Compensation for Non-Employee Directors.     The Company provides business travel accident insurance for non-employee directors and their spouses. The policy provides $100,000 coverage to directors and $50,000 coverage to their spouses per accident while traveling on Company business.

 

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

 

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company’s directors and executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our common stock to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Stock Exchange initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in their ownership in our common stock. Directors, executive officers and greater-than-ten-percent beneficial shareholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company, the Company believes that, during the 2005 fiscal year, all of the Company’s directors, executive officers and greater-than-ten-percent beneficial owners were in compliance with the Section 16(a) filing requirements.

 

Corporate Governance

 

In accordance with and pursuant to relevant provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, related rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the corporate governance-related listing

 

12


standards of the New York Stock Exchange, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and revised the Company’s Code of Conduct, which is applicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company. In addition, the Board of Directors updated the charters for each of its Audit, Human Resources and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. All of the foregoing documents are posted on the Corporate Governance page of the Company’s website at www.atmosenergy.com and are also available in print to any shareholder who requests a printed copy of such documents from the Corporate Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Company.

 

Executive Compensation

 

Summary Compensation Table.     The following table sets forth the compensation paid by the Company for each of the Company’s last three completed fiscal years to Mr. Best, the Company’s president and chief executive officer, as well as the Company’s four most highly compensated executive officers other than Mr. Best.

 

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

 

          Annual Compensation

  Long Term Compensation

       

Name and Principal Position


   Year

   Salary
($)


   Bonus
($)


    Other Annual
Compensation
($)


  Restricted
Stock
Awards(a)
($)


   Securities
Underlying
Options/
SARs(#)


    All Other
Compensation
($)


 

Robert W. Best

Chairman of the Board,

President and Chief

Executive Officer

   2005
2004
2003
   736,705
676,108
651,116
   494,900
563,500
338,500
(b)
 
 
  (c)
(c)
(c)
  1,407,120
891,360
301,680
   -0-
-0-
111,210
 
 
(e)
  10,053
10,822
10,184
(d)
 
 

R. Earl Fischer

Senior Vice President,

Utility Operations

   2005
2004
2003
   345,249
289,929
260,551
   188,600
190,200
101,900
(b)
 
 
  (c)
(c)
(c)
  487,080
445,680
90,085
   -0-
-0-
18,400
 
 
 
  9,904
10,510
9,630
(d)
 
 

John P. Reddy

Senior Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

   2005
2004
2003
   345,249
304,283
293,449
   188,600
190,200
114,300
(b)
 
 
  (c)
(c)
(c)
  487,080
445,680
90,085
   -0-
-0-
18,400
 
 
 
  9,904
10,540
9,835
(d)
 
 

JD Woodward, III(f)

Senior Vice President, Nonutility Operations

   2005
2004
2003
   320,586
279,654
269,889
   178,500
192,280
-0-
(b)
 
 
  (c)
(c)
(c)
  487,080
445,680
90,085
   -0-
-0-
48,576
 
 
(e)
  9,798
10,386
9,687
(d)
 
 

Louis P. Gregory

Senior Vice President and

General Counsel

   2005
2004
2003
   247,102
215,151
207,034
   138,000
137,863
82,820
(b)
 
 
  (c)
(c)
(c)
  232,716
212,936
90,085
   -0-
-0-
29,897
 
 
(e)
  9,364
9,983
9,295
(d)
 
 

 

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(a)   Dollar amounts shown equal the number of shares of restricted stock and number of restricted share units granted multiplied by the closing price on grant date. The grants in the 2005 fiscal year were comprised of equal amounts of performance-based restricted share units and time-lapse restricted shares, both with three-year cliff-vesting periods. This valuation does not take into account the diminution in value attributable to the restrictions applicable to the shares and share units. The number and value of the aggregate restricted stock holdings at the end of the last fiscal year for each of the executive officers listed above, based on the closing price on the New York Stock Exchange of our common stock at September 30, 2005 of $28.25 per share, were as follows: Robert W. Best, 115,737 shares and share units with a value of $3,269,570 (not including 7,086 shares that were converted from Mr. Best’s bonus awarded November 8, 2005, as discussed in footnote (b) below and not including a grant in November 2005 of 20,000 shares of time-lapse restricted stock); R. Earl Fischer, 40,300 shares and share units with a value of $1,138,475; John P. Reddy, 58,309 shares and share units with a value of $1,647,229 (not including 10,802 shares that were converted from Mr. Reddy’s bonus awarded November 8, 2005, as discussed in footnote (b) below); JD Woodward, III, 40,300 shares and share units with a value of $1,138,475 (not including 5,112 shares that were converted from Mr. Woodward’s bonus awarded November 8, 2005, as discussed in footnote (b) below) and Louis P. Gregory, 29,811 shares and share units with a value of $842,161 (not including 7,904 shares that were converted from Mr. Gregory’s bonus awarded November 8, 2005, as discussed in footnote (b) below). Dividends are paid on the time-lapse restricted shares at the same rate they are paid on all of our common stock, while the dividends on the performance-based restricted share units are credited to the recipient’s account with the payment of such dividends not occurring until the three-year cumulative earnings per share performance targets are measured and vesting is completed at the end of three years after grant.

 

(b) The bonuses were actually paid after the end of the fiscal year in which they are reported. Because their payment relates to services rendered in the fiscal year prior to payment, the Company has consistently reported bonus payments in such prior fiscal year. Certain named executive officers elected to convert all or a portion of their 2005 fiscal year bonuses to shares of time-lapse restricted stock under the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan with a conversion date of November 8, 2005, which elections by Messrs. Best, Reddy, Woodward and Gregory are not reflected in the table above. Mr. Best elected to convert 25% of his bonus of $494,900, or $123,725, to shares of restricted stock valued at 150% of the converted amount of the bonus, or $185,588, divided by the mean of the high and low stock price of $26.19 on the New York Stock Exchange on the conversion date, or 7,086 shares of restricted stock. Mr. Reddy elected to convert 100% of his bonus of $188,600 to a total of 10,802 shares of restricted stock. Mr. Woodward elected to convert 50% of his bonus of $178,500 to a total of 5,112 shares of restricted stock and the remaining 50% of his bonus, or $89,250, to options to purchase shares of our common stock, valued at 250% of the converted amount of the bonus, or $223,125, divided by the value of each stock option of $2.59 using the Black-Scholes pricing model, or options to purchase a total of 86,149 shares. Mr. Gregory elected to convert 100% of his bonus of $138,000 to a total of 7,904 shares of restricted stock.

 

(c) The total dollar value of perquisites and other personal benefits for the named executive officer was less than the reporting thresholds established by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(d)

This amount reflects the amount of Company matching contributions made during the 2005 fiscal year to the named executive officer’s account pursuant to the Company’s Retirement Savings Plan and Trust (“RSP”) and the amount of premiums paid by the Company during the 2005 fiscal year with respect to the purchase of term life insurance for the benefit of the named executive officer. The amounts paid during the 2005 fiscal year for each named executive officer were as follows: Mr. Best, $7,869 in Company matching contributions made pursuant to the RSP and $2,184 in term life insurance premiums; Mr. Fischer, $7,869 in Company matching contributions made pursuant to the RSP and $2,035 in term life insurance premiums; Mr. Reddy, $7,869 in Company matching contributions made pursuant to the RSP and $2,035 in term life insurance premiums; Mr. Woodward, $7,869 in Company matching contributions made pursuant to

 

14


 

the RSP and $1,929 in term life insurance premiums; and Mr. Gregory, $7,869 in Company matching contributions made pursuant to the RSP and $1,495 in term life insurance premiums.

 

(e) The number of securities underlying options for the named executive officer reflects his election to convert a portion of his bonus received on November 12, 2002, attributable to the 2002 fiscal year, to options to purchase shares of our common stock, as discussed in footnote (a) to the Summary Compensation Table on pages 11-13 of the Company’s Proxy Statement dated December 27, 2002.

 

(f) Mr. Woodward’s compensation does not include a total of $365,829 paid by an entity wholly-owned by the Company, Atmos Energy Marketing, LLC, to a corporation owned by Mr. Woodward, Woodward Development, Inc., during the fiscal year. Such amount represents lease payments paid for office space leased from Woodward Development, Inc. by Atmos Energy Marketing, LLC for the 2005 fiscal year.

 

Stock Options.     During the last fiscal year, no stock options were granted to any of the named executive officers to purchase our common stock under the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan nor did any of the named executive officers receive any stock options through the conversion of a portion of their bonuses for the 2003 or 2004 fiscal years. As noted above in footnote (b), however, Mr. Woodward did elect to convert a total of 50% of his bonus for the 2005 fiscal year to stock options.

 

The following table provides information concerning the aggregate exercises of options to purchase our common stock under the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan by each named executive officer during the last fiscal year. The options previously granted have a term of ten years and may be exercised as follows: one-third after one year from the date of grant, another one-third after two years from the date of grant and the remaining one-third after three years from the date of grant.

 

AGGREGATED OPTION/ SAR EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR

AND FISCAL YEAR-END OPTION/SAR VALUES

 

Name


   Shares
Acquired
On
Exercise
(#)


   Value
Realized
($)(a)


   Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options/SARs at Fiscal
Year-End (#) (b)
Exercisable/Unexercisable


  

Value of Unexercised

In-the-Money
Options/SARs at Fiscal
Year-End ($)(c)
Exercisable/Unexercisable


Robert W. Best (d)

   -0-    -0-    411,423/37,069    2,672,808/254,588

R. Earl Fischer

   88,000    730,062    38,267/6,133    210,174/43,054

John P. Reddy

   -0-    -0-    102,267/6,133    526,414/43,054

JD Woodward, III (e)

   46,252    266,453    16,133/16,191    98,754/110,141

Louis P. Gregory (f)

   79,932    562,523    -0-/9,965    -0-/68,613

(a) Value realized is calculated based on the difference between the option exercise price and the closing market price of our common stock on the date of exercise, multiplied by the number of shares underlying the exercised options.

 

15


(b) Includes options to purchase shares granted on March 11, 2003 to Mr. Best, 62,900 shares, and to Messrs. Fischer, Reddy, Woodward and Gregory, 18,400 shares each, that also contain an equal number of limited stock appreciation rights in the event of a “change in control” of the Company, as such term is defined in the Company’s 1998 Long-Term Incentive Plan. In the event of a “change in control”, the named executive will receive in exchange for the surrender of the unvested portion of the option, a cash payment equal to the amount by which the fair market value of the shares of our common stock subject to the unvested portion of the option during the exercise period (from and 60 days after a “change of control”) exceeds the exercise price of the unvested portion of the option (“limited stock appreciation right”). In the event that the exercise price of the unvested portion of the option exceeds the fair market value of the shares of our common stock subject to the unvested portion of the option during the exercise period, then such limited stock appreciation right and unvested portion of the option shall be automatically terminated on the last day of the exercise period.

 

(c) Based on a price for our common stock of $28.25 per share, which was the closing trading price on the New York Stock Exchange on September 30, 2005.

 

(d) The number of securities underlying unexercised options for Mr. Best reflects his election to convert 25% each of his bonus