In Brief: Minority Shareholder Nominates Own Slate

An Illinois car dealer has nominated himself and three associates to a Missouri thrift company's board and says he may push for sale.

Gary L. Holland presided several years ago over the sale of an Illinois bank. He made the nominations to the board of Jefferson Savings Bancorp in Ballwin, Mo., in a proxy statement filed last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Jefferson has $1.4 billion of assets and two thrifts, one in Ballwin and the other in Longview, Tex. Mr. Holland owns 4% of its shares as well as a chain of car dealerships based in Harrisburg, Ill.

He complained about Jefferson's financial performance. Last year the company returned 0.6% on assets and 6.59% on equity, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

If elected, Mr. Holland said, he would immediately urge that a consultant or other adviser be hired to "make recommendations" on how to improve earnings. He added that he would not rule out calling for the sale of the company.

Mr. Holland was chairman of the board of Harrisburg National Bank in Illinois from January 1993 until its May 1995 sale to CNB Bancshares of Evansville, Ind.

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