Ethics, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Ethics Committee is responsible for identifying, reviewing and evaluating candidates to serve as our directors (consistent
with criteria approved by our Board), reviewing and evaluating incumbent directors, recommending to our Board for selection candidates for election to our Board, making recommendations to our Board regarding the membership of the committees of our
Board, assessing the performance of our Board, and developing our corporate governance principles. Our Ethics Committee charter can be found in the Investors section of our website at www.gladstonecapital.com. Each member of the Ethics
Committee is independent (as independence is currently defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq listing standards).
Information Regarding the
Process for Nominating Director Candidates
The Ethics Committee believes that candidates for director should have
certain minimum qualifications, including being able to read and understand basic financial statements, being over 21 years of age and having the highest personal integrity and ethics. The Ethics Committee also considers such factors as possessing
relevant expertise upon which to be able to offer advice and guidance to management, having sufficient time to devote to our affairs, demonstrated excellence in his or her field, having the ability to exercise sound business judgment and having the
commitment to rigorously represent the long-term interests of our stockholders. However, the Ethics Committee retains the right to modify these qualifications from time to time. Candidates for director nominees are reviewed in the context of the
current composition of our Board, our operating requirements and the long-term interests of our stockholders.
The Ethics
Committee and Board believe that diversity is an important attribute of directors and that our Board should be the culmination of an array of backgrounds and experiences and be capable of articulating a variety of viewpoints. Accordingly, under the
Ethics Committee charter, the Ethics Committee considers and discusses diversity in its annual review of the Board and its review of director nominees. Factors considered by the Board in reviewing the diversity on our Board include honesty, loyalty,
personal lifestyle, values, disciplines, ethics, age, experience, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, expertise, background and skills, all in the context of an assessment of the perceived needs of us and our Board at that point in
time in order to create and maintain a balance of knowledge, experience and capability that will best serve us and our stockholders. Similarly, upon the occurrence of any vacancy on the Board, the Ethics Committee will actively seek out highly
qualified candidates (including female candidates and racially or ethnically diverse candidates) to include in the pool from which an ultimate nominee for director is chosen.
In the case of incumbent directors whose terms of office are set to expire, the Ethics Committee reviews such directors
overall service to us during their term, including the number of meetings attended, level of participation, quality of performance, and any other relationships and transactions that might impair such directors independence. In the case of new
director candidates, the Ethics Committee also determines whether such new nominee must be independent for Nasdaq purposes, which determination is based upon applicable Nasdaq listing standards, applicable SEC rules and regulations and the advice of
counsel, if necessary. The Ethics Committee then uses its network of contacts to compile a list of potential
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