Company: FRME
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000712534-25-000077
Chunk: 22

Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 22
---
 of communications with the Audit Committee and management

• External data on the firm's quality and performance, including PCAOB reports

• Expertise in our industry

• Tenure as our registered public accounting firm, including the risks and benefits of engaging a new accounting firm as compared to a longer tenured firm

• The appropriateness of audit fees

• The experience, qualifications, and performance of our audit team

• The quality of recent and past audit plans for our audit

Based on this evaluation, the Audit Committee retained Forvis as the Company’s Auditor for 2024. Forvis (or its predecessor) has been the independent auditor for the Company since at least 1982.

The Audit Committee concluded that the Company benefits from the audit quality that comes from Forvis' knowledge of the institution, its experience serving the industries in which we operate, and its continued objectivity. The Audit Committee concluded that it is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders to retain Forvis as the Company's independent auditor for the year ending December 31, 2025. The Board, acting upon the Audit Committee's recommendation, appointed Forvis as the Company's independent auditor for 2025, subject to ratification by the shareholders at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The Audit Committee has received from the independent auditor written disclosures regarding the auditor’s independence required by PCAOB Ethics and Independence Rule 3526, Communication with Audit Committees Concerning Independence , and has discussed with the independent auditor, the independent auditor’s independence.

Based on these reviews and discussions, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Michael R. Becher, Chair

Clark C. Kellogg

Jason R. Sondhi

Jean L. Wojtowicz

#### THE NOMINATING AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
The Nominating and Governance Committee is comprised of Ms. Brooks (Chair), Mr. Becher, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Wojtowicz. The Committee met two (2) times during 2024. The Board has determined that all of the Committee members are independent directors under the definition in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2).

The Nominating and Governance Committee’s responsibilities include:

• developing and recommending to the Board the appropriate size and structure of the Board and its standing committees, as well as