Fiscal year 2025 executive and director compensation, incentive-plan design, equity activity, and governance — every figure in this brief is traceable to its exact location in the company’s SEC filing — the document, the section, the page, and the table, linked directly.
Each company listed discloses CWT in its own benchmarking peer group, as disclosed in each company's most recent proxy statement within the last two proxy seasons. Two companies are therefore absent by design: one that named CWT in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.
| Named executive officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension / NQDC | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Kropelnicki | $1,080,688 | $0 | $1,950,119 | $0 | $1,524,915 | $2,254,426 | $65,108 | $6,875,256 |
| Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| James Lynch | 488,294 | 0 | 272,015 | 0 | 275,684 | 479,826 | 47,466 | 1,563,285 |
| Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | ||||||||
| Shannon Dean | 346,646 | 0 | 272,015 | 0 | 195,708 | 625,723 | 47,358 | 1,487,450 |
| Senior Vice President, Customer Service & Chief Sustainability Officer | ||||||||
| Michael Luu | 464,787 | 0 | 272,015 | 0 | 262,373 | 276,421 | 48,300 | 1,323,896 |
| Senior Vice President, Corporate Services & Chief Risk Officer | ||||||||
| Shawn Bunting | 434,324 | 0 | 272,015 | 0 | 245,171 | 244,878 | 58,698 | 1,255,086 |
| Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Business Development | ||||||||
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column; 0 means it reported zero. Figures are as printed in the filing, without adjustment.
| Named executive officer | FY2025 total | FY2024 total | FY2023 total | Δ FY2024→2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Kropelnicki | $6,875,256 | — | — | — |
| James Lynch | 1,563,285 | — | — | — |
| Shannon Dean | 1,487,450 | — | — | — |
| Michael Luu | 1,323,896 | — | — | — |
| Shawn Bunting | 1,255,086 | — | — | — |
Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.
No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.
| Executive | Award | Shares unvested | Exercise price | Market value unvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Kropelnicki | PSU | 31,560 | — | $1,367,495 |
| Martin Kropelnicki | PSU | 26,535 | — | 1,149,762 |
| Martin Kropelnicki | PSU | 14,144 | — | 612,860 |
| Martin Kropelnicki | RSU | 10,315 | — | 446,949 |
| Martin Kropelnicki | RSU | 4,200 | — | 181,986 |
| James Lynch | PSU | 4,188 | — | 181,466 |
| James Lynch | PSU | 3,016 | — | 130,683 |
| Shannon Dean | PSU | 3,016 | — | 130,683 |
| Michael Luu | PSU | 4,188 | — | 181,466 |
| Shannon Dean | PSU | 4,188 | — | 181,466 |
| Shawn Bunting | PSU | 4,188 | — | 181,466 |
| Michael Luu | PSU | 3,016 | — | 130,683 |
| Shawn Bunting | PSU | 3,016 | — | 130,683 |
| Michael Luu | PSU | 1,955 | — | 84,710 |
| Michael Luu | RSU | 1,653 | — | 71,624 |
| Shannon Dean | RSU | 1,653 | — | 71,624 |
| Shannon Dean | PSU | 1,995 | — | 84,710 |
| Shawn Bunting | PSU | 1,630 | — | 70,628 |
| James Lynch | RSU | 1,653 | — | 71,624 |
| Shawn Bunting | RSU | 1,653 | — | 71,624 |
| James Lynch | RSU | 672 | — | 29,118 |
| Michael Luu | RSU | 672 | — | 29,118 |
| Shawn Bunting | RSU | 672 | — | 29,118 |
| Shannon Dean | RSU | 672 | — | 29,118 |
| Martin Kropelnicki | RSU | 656 | — | 28,424 |
| Michael Luu | RSU | 105 | — | 4,550 |
| Michael Luu | PSU | 444 | — | 19,239 |
| Shannon Dean | RSU | 105 | — | 4,550 |
| Shawn Bunting | RSU | 87 | — | 3,770 |
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | — |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | — |
| Clawback policy | — |
| Anti-hedging | — |
| Anti-pledging | — |
| Meeting year | Meeting date | For | Against | Abstain | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-05-20 | 46,971,099 | 2,539,067 | 198,318 | 94.87% | Passed |
| 2025 | 2025-05-28 | 32,524,231 | 15,671,224 | 192,963 | 67.48% | Passed |
| 2024 | 2024-05-29 | 46,178,612 | 1,866,216 | 161,220 | 96.12% | Passed |
| 2023 | 2023-05-31 | 44,409,824 | 1,596,800 | 193,096 | 96.53% | Passed |
| 2022 | 2022-05-25 | 39,361,252 | 3,402,509 | 199,096 | 92.04% | Passed |
| 2021 | 2021-05-26 | 36,953,393 | 2,619,749 | 245,192 | 93.38% | Passed |
Rows are labeled by annual-meeting year, with the meeting date beside each; the vote held in a given year acts on the prior fiscal year's compensation.
| Meeting year | Meeting date | Approval — company's computation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-05-20 | 94.87%a |
| 2025 | 2025-05-28 | 67.48%b |
| 2024 | 2024-05-29 | 96.12%c |
a. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
b. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
c. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
Approval percentages are the company's own reported computations under its own stated standard, not recomputed by Velarion. Where a company does not state a standard, none is assumed.
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott L. MorrisIndependent · Lead Independent Director · Nominating/Governance (Chair) · Organization and Compensation | $173,000 | $123,178 | — | — | — | $296,178 |
| Gregory E. AliffIndependent · Audit (Chair) · Enterprise Risk Management, Safety, and Security · Finance and Capital Investment | 143,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 266,178 |
| Thomas M. Krummel, M.DIndependent · Nominating/Corporate Governance · Compensation (Chair) | 138,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 261,178 |
| Patricia K. WagnerIndependent · Audit · Finance and Capital Investment · Organization and Compensation · Lead Independent Director | 133,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 256,178 |
| Lester A. SnowIndependent · Risk (Chair) · Finance and Capital Investment · Organization and Compensation · Committee Member · Audit Committee Financial Expert | 133,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 256,178 |
| Charles R. PattonIndependent · Audit · Finance and Capital Investment (Chair) · Chairman of the Board | 118,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 241,178 |
| Yvonne A. Maldonado, M.DIndependent · Enterprise Risk Management, Safety, and Security · Nominating/Corporate Governance | 118,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 241,178 |
| Jeffrey KightlingerIndependent · Audit · Enterprise Risk Management, Safety, and Security | 118,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 241,178 |
| Carol M. PottengerIndependent · Enterprise Risk Management, Safety, and Security · Finance and Capital Investment · Nominating/Corporate Governance · Committee Chair | 118,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 241,178 |
| Shelly M. EsqueIndependent · Enterprise Risk Management, Safety, and Security · Nominating/Corporate Governance | 118,000 | 123,178 | — | — | — | 241,178 |
| Martin A. KropelnickiEmployee director · Board Chair | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Annual cash retainer | $118,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $120,000 |
| Per board meeting fee | — |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 25,000 / 20,000 / 15,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | — |
| Component | FY2025 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $1,310,000 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $1,231,780 |
| All other compensation | $0 |
| Total cost of the board | $2,541,780 |
Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.
Most recent fiscal-year chief executive compensation at each disclosed peer, taken from that company's own proxy statement.
| Rank | Company | FY | Chief executive | Salary | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Water Service Group | 2025 | Martin Kropelnicki | $1,080,688 | $1,950,119 | $0 | $1,524,915 | $6,875,256 |
Each peer's compensation is from its most recently filed proxy; fiscal years differ by company. Each peer's figures come from its own filings; the subject company is highlighted. Peers whose chief executive compensation is outside our coverage universe are stated as such, never left blank.
Each figure's location is given both for the eye (section · page · table · row · column) and for a script (table/row/column index and exact character span in the filed document). Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.
| # | Supports | Document | Filed | Accession | Location in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Section 01, Martin Kropelnicki | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 6,875,256. Filing ↗machine: r1 · c49 · span 2165398–2165407 |
| 2 | Section 01, James Lynch | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 1,563,285. Filing ↗machine: r4 · c49 · span 2183734–2183743 |
| 3 | Section 01, Shannon Dean | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 1,487,450. Filing ↗machine: r12 · c49 · span 2234545–2234554 |
| 4 | Section 01, Michael Luu | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 1,323,896. Filing ↗machine: r6 · c49 · span 2196745–2196754 |
| 5 | Section 01, Shawn Bunting | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 1,255,086. Filing ↗machine: r9 · c49 · span 2214949–2214958 |
| 6 | Section 08, Scott L. Morris | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 296,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1162192–1162199 |
| 7 | Section 08, Gregory E. Aliff | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 266,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1148039–1148046 |
| 8 | Section 08, Thomas M. Krummel, M.D | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 261,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1156578–1156585 |
| 9 | Section 08, Patricia K. Wagner | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 256,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1173942–1173949 |
| 10 | Section 08, Lester A. Snow | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 256,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1170400–1170407 |
| 11 | Section 08, Charles R. Patton | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 241,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1164821–1164828 |
| 12 | Section 08, Yvonne A. Maldonado, M.D | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 241,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1159215–1159222 |
| 13 | Section 08, Jeffrey Kightlinger | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 241,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1153620–1153627 |
| 14 | Section 08, Carol M. Pottenger | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 241,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1167774–1167781 |
| 15 | Section 08, Shelly M. Esque | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 241,178. Filing ↗machine: span 1150989–1150996 |
| 16 | Section 08, Martin A. Kropelnicki | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 17 | Section 06, 2026 vote | Form 8-K | 2026-05-21 | 0001104659-26-065135 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 94.87% (votes for as printed: 46,971,099). Filing ↗ |
| 18 | Section 06, 2025 vote | Form 8-K | 2025-05-29 | 0001104659-25-054291 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 67.48% (votes for as printed: 32,524,231). Filing ↗ |
| 19 | Section 06, 2024 vote | Form 8-K | 2024-06-03 | 0001104659-24-067322 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 96.12% (votes for as printed: 46,178,612). Filing ↗ |
| 20 | Section 09b board cost (computed) | Computed | — | computed | Cash 1,310,000 + equity 1,231,780 + all other 0 = 2,541,780, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 2,541,780 |
| 21 | California Water Service Group (subject), Section 10b CEO total | DEF 14A | 2026-04-08 | 0001104659-26-040708 | CEO total compensation as printed in California Water Service Group's own proxy. As printed: 6,875,256. Filing ↗machine: r1 · c49 · span 2165398–2165407 |