Who says options have become passe?

Last year, Aether Systems, Inc.’s CFO David C. Reymann received a respectable $150,000 salary and a $30,000 bonus from the Owing Mills, Md.-based provider of wireless systems and services. However, he also exercised more than $2 million in options, according to the company’s recently released proxy.

As a result, his total compensation came to $2,243,457.

In 1999, Reymann took home a total of $126,042, all of which came from his salary.

Reymann has worked at Aether Systems since June 1998. He is responsible for treasury management services, investor relations and human resources.

Before joining Aether, Reymann was director of finance and accounting for The Sweetheart Cup Co. from June 1996 until May 1998, where he managed the financial analysis department and the accounting operations for 11 North American manufacturing plants. Prior to that, Reymann spent 12 years with Procter & Gamble, serving in several key finance, accounting and operations positions.

Before that, he worked for five years at Ernst & Young, where he specialized in emerging growth companies.

Reymann received a B.S. in accounting from the University of Baltimore, and is a certified public accountant.

For the year 2000, Aether reported a nine-fold increase in revenue to $58.2 million, compared with $6.3 million for the same period in 1999. The results include recurring services revenue of $31.2 million, engineering services revenue of $9.4 million, and software product revenue of $17.6 million.

In the same period the year before, recurring services revenue accounted for $3.7 million and engineering services revenue was $2.6 million.

Still, Aether reported a loss of $362.7 million in 2000, compared to a loss of $30.7 million in 1999.

Elsewhere among recently released proxies:

• Weis Markets, Inc. paid its VP of finance and secretary, William R. Mills $214,096 in total compensation, according to the company’s recently released proxy.

Mills received $198,000 in salary, $2,970 in bonus, and $13,126 in other compensation from the Sunbury, Pa.-based grocery retailer.

In 1999, Mills received $188,000 in salary, a $2,820 bonus, $10,313 toward payments on stock appreciation rights, and $13,022 in other compensation. Total Compensation: $214,155.

For both years, “all other compensation” consists of vested and non- vested benefits in profit sharing, employee stock bonus, supplemental retirement and retirement benefit savings plans.

Mills joined Weis Markets in 1992 as VP of finance and was given the added title of secretary in 1995. He has been a member of the company’s board of directors since 1996.

In 2000, Weis Markets’ sales increased 2.8 percent to $2.1 billion while net income slipped to $73.8 million from $79.7 million in 1999.

In addition to costs related to a litigation settlement in the fourth quarter, the company’s net income for 2000 was affected by $3.2 million in expenses related to its ongoing examination of various options for increasing shareholder value.

American Vanguard Corp. paid its senior VP, CFO and secretary/treasurer James A. Barry $184,360 in total compensation in 2000, up 21 percent from the prior year, according to the company’s recently released proxy.

Barry received $179,000 in salary and $5,360 in other compensation from the Newport Beach, Calif.-based specialty chemical maker.

In 1999, Barry received $148,000 in salary and $4,700 in other compensation. Total Compensation: $152,700.

In both years, “other compensation” represents company contributions to its retirement savings plan.

Barry, 50, has served as CFO of American Vanguard and all of its operating subsidiaries since 1987. He served as assistant treasurer from 1990 to July 1994, when he was promoted to treasurer. He served as the company’s VP and assistant secretary from 1990 to 1998. He was appointed SVP in February 1998 and secretary in August 1998. Barry has also served as a director of American Vanguard since 1994.

In 2000, American Vanguard earned $4.3 million on $78 million in revenue, compared to $3.2 million on $69.2 million in 1999.

• Allegiance Telecom, Inc.’s EPV of corporate development and CFO Thomas M. Lord took home $225,000, all from salary, according to the company’s recently released proxy.

In 1999, Lord received a bonus of $150,000 on top of a $200,000 salary from the Dallas-based local exchange carrier, which brought his total compensation to $350,000.

Lord, a co-founder, director, and EVP of corporate development and CFO since August 1997, is responsible for overseeing Allegiance’s mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and investor relations functions.

Lord is an 18-year veteran in investment banking, securities research and portfolio management, including serving as a managing director of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. from January 1986 to December 1996.

Lord has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of Miami.

In the five-year period ending December 1996, Lord oversaw 43 different transactions valued in excess of $6.2 billion for the telecommunications, information services, and technology industries.

In 2000, Allegiance Telecom lost $277.6 million on revenue of $285.2 million. In 1999, the company lost $214.7 million on revenue of $99.1 million.