An employee who is classified or designated as an Eligible Employee during a Plan Year

All executive officers, chairmen and vice chairmen of boards, presidents, executive vice presidents, senior vice presidents and vice presidents of Commerce or any of its affiliated banks or subsidiary companies shall be eligible to participate in the Plan, together with such other officers or employees of Commerce and its affiliated banks and subsidiary companies as the Committee shall determine.

Newly Eligible Employees. Notwithstanding anything in paragraph # above, if an Eligible Employee becomes a Participant on or after the beginning of a Plan Year, as determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(a)(7)(ii) and the “plan aggregation” rules provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(c)(2), the Participant may be permitted to execute a Plan Election no later than 30 days after the Participant first becomes eligible to participate in the Plan.

Newly Eligible Director. “Newly Eligible Director” means a Director who either # was not previously eligible to participate in this Plan or any other non-qualified, deferred compensation plans maintained for directors or independent contractors by a Participating Employer or other Affiliate, # had been paid all amounts previously deferred under all non-qualified, deferred compensation plans maintained for directors or independent contractors by a Participating Employer or other Affiliate and had ceased to be eligible to continue to participate in such plans on or before the date of payment of all amounts due under such plans, or # was not eligible to participate in any non-qualified deferred compensation plans (other than the accrual of earnings) maintained for directors or independent contractors by a Participating Employer or other Affiliate at any time during the 24-month period ending on the date the Director has again become eligible to participate in the Plan.

Newly Eligible Director For a Newly Eligible Director, the deferral election may be made after the first day of a Plan Year provided it is made within 30 days after becoming eligible to participate in this Plan Such a deferral election by a Newly Eligible Director is irrevocable once it has been received by the Plan Administrator and the deadline for making such election has expired, except as otherwise provided under this Plan Such election will be effective with respect to Retainers for services commencing with the next full calendar quarter or fiscal quarter, as applicable, after the deferral election becomes irrevocable

Newly Eligible Employee. “Newly Eligible Employee” means an Employee who either # was not previously eligible to participate in this Plan or any other non-qualified, deferred compensation plans maintained by a Participating Employer or other Affiliate, # had been paid all amounts previously deferred under all non-qualified, deferred compensation plans maintained by a Participating Employer or other Affiliate and had ceased to be eligible to continue to participate in such plans on or before the date of payment of all amounts due under such plans, or # was not eligible to participate in any non-qualified deferred compensation plans (other than the accrual of earnings) maintained by a Participating Employer or other Affiliate at any time during the 24-month period ending on the date the Employee has again become eligible to participate in the Plan.

Eligibility for Newly Eligible Director. A Newly Eligible Director is eligible to participate in this Plan on the date that is 30 days after he or she becomes a Director.

Participants who are newly employed before April 1 of the Plan Year are eligible for full participation in the Plan for such Plan Year. Participants who are newly employed on or after April 1 of the Plan Year and before July 1 of the Plan Year are eligible for half of any Plan award available based on Personal/Team Performance and Financial Performance for the Plan Year.

An Eligible Employee shall also include a Newly Hired Employee and a Late Year Newly Hired Employee.

Participants. The Employees of the "Terminated Employer" shall cease to be eligible to accrue additional benefits under the Plan with respect to Compensation paid by the "Terminated Employer," effective as of the date of termination. To the extent that these Employees have accrued but unpaid contributions as of the date of termination, the "Terminated Employer" shall pay such amoun ts to the Plan or the "spin-off plan" no later than thirty (30) days after the date of termination, unless the "Terminated Employer" effectively selects the Transfer option under ​ above.