ADVANCED PHOTONIX INC
DEF 14A, 1998-07-30
SEMICONDUCTORS & RELATED DEVICES
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 SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
              Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
                      Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                             
Filed by the Registrant [X]
Filed by a party other than the Registrant [ ]

Check the appropriate box:

[ ] Preliminary Proxy Statement
[ ] Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by 
    Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
[X] Definitive Proxy Statement
[ ] Definitive Additional Materials
[ ] Soliciting Material Pursuant to 240.14a-11(c) or 240.14a-12

                           Advanced Photonix, Inc.
___________________________________________________________________________
             (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
___________________________________________________________________________
    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

[X] No fee required.
[ ] Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 
    0-11.
   (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
   ________________________________________________________________________
   (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
   ________________________________________________________________________
   (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed 
       pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which 
       the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
   ________________________________________________________________________
   (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
   ________________________________________________________________________
   (5) Total fee paid:
   ________________________________________________________________________

[ ] Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

[ ] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act 
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was 
paid previously.  Identify the previous filing by registration statement 
number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

    (1) Amount Previously Paid:
    _______________________________________________________________________
    (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
    _______________________________________________________________________
    (3) Filing Party:
    _______________________________________________________________________
    (4) Date filed:
    _______________________________________________________________________

<PAGE>
                    Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
                                   To Be Held
                                 August 19, 1998

To the Stockholders of Advanced Photonix, Inc.:

You are  invited to attend  the Annual  Meeting  of  Stockholders  (the  "Annual
Meeting") of Advanced Photonix, Inc. (the "Company"),  which will be held at the
Westlake Village Inn, 31943 Agoura Road,  Westlake Village,  California at 10:00
a.m., Pacific time, on August 19, 1998, to consider the following matters:

(1)   The  election  of four  Directors  to hold  office  until the next  Annual
      Meeting of  Stockholders  and until their  respective  successors are duly
      elected and  qualified.  The persons  nominated  by the Board of Directors
      (Robert G. Allison,  Hayden Leason, Harry Melkonian and Jon B. Victor) are
      described in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

 (2)  The  transaction  of such other  business as may properly  come before the
      Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.

The Board of  Directors  has fixed the close of business on June 26, 1998 as the
record date for the Annual Meeting. Only stockholders of record of the Company's
Common  Stock at the close of  business  on June 26,  1998 will be  entitled  to
notice  of,  and  to  vote  at,  the  Annual  Meeting  or  any  adjournments  or
postponements  thereof.  Shares can be voted at the Annual  Meeting  only if the
holder is present or represented by proxy.

The  accompanying  form of proxy is  solicited  by the Board of Directors of the
Company.  Reference  is  made  to  the  attached  Proxy  Statement  for  further
information with respect to the business to be transacted at the Annual Meeting.

A complete list of stockholders  entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting shall be
open to the  examination  of any  stockholder,  for any  purpose  germane to the
Annual Meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least 10 days
prior to the Annual Meeting,  at the Company's  principal  office,  1240 Avenida
Acaso, Camarillo, CA 93012.

Stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting.  Whether or not
you expect to attend the Annual  Meeting in person,  please  complete,  date and
sign the  accompanying  proxy card and return it without  delay in the  enclosed
postage  prepaid  envelope.  Your proxy will not be used if you are  present and
prefer to vote in person or if you revoke the proxy.

                                By Order of the Board of Directors

                                /s/ P. J. Holmes

                                Patrick J. Holmes
July 24, 1998                   Secretary


<PAGE>


                                 Proxy Statement

                         Annual Meeting of Stockholders

                                 August 19, 1998

This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies
by the Board of Directors  of Advanced  Photonix,  Inc., a Delaware  corporation
(the  "Company"),  for use at the 1998  Annual  Meeting of  Stockholders  of the
Company and for any adjournments or postponements thereof (the "Annual Meeting")
to be held at the Westlake  Village Inn,  31943 Agoura Road,  Westlake  Village,
California,  at 10:00 a.m.,  Pacific time, on August 19, 1998,  for the purposes
set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders.  A Board
of Directors'  proxy (the "Proxy") for the Annual Meeting is enclosed,  by means
of which you may vote as to the proposal described in this Proxy Statement.

All Proxies  that are  properly  completed,  signed and  returned to the Company
prior to the Annual Meeting,  and which have not been revoked,  will be voted in
accordance with the stockholder's  instructions  contained in such Proxy. In the
absence of instructions,  shares represented by such Proxy will be voted FOR the
election of the nominees of the Board of Directors  for  Director.  The Board of
Directors is not aware of any  business to be  presented  at the Annual  Meeting
except the matters set forth in the Notice and described in the Proxy Statement.
If any other  matters come before the Annual  Meeting,  the persons named in the
accompanying  Proxy  will vote on those  matters in  accordance  with their best
judgment.  A  stockholder  may revoke his or her Proxy at any time  before it is
exercised  by filing  with the  Secretary  of the Company at its offices at 1240
Avenida Acaso,  Camarillo,  CA 93012, either a written notice of revocation or a
duly  executed  Proxy  bearing a later date,  or by  appearing  in person at the
Annual Meeting and expressing a desire to vote his or her shares in person.

This  Proxy  Statement  and  the  accompanying   Notice  of  Annual  Meeting  of
Stockholders,  Proxy and 1998 Annual  Report to  Stockholders  are being sent to
stockholders on or about July 24, 1998.

                                VOTING SECURITIES

June 26,  1998  has  been  fixed as the  record  date for the  determination  of
stockholders  entitled  to notice of and to vote at the  Annual  Meeting  or any
adjournment  or  postponement   thereof.  As  of  that  date,  the  Company  had
outstanding  10,914,395  shares  of Class A and Class B Common  Stock,  $.01 par
value. The presence,  in person or by proxy, of stockholders  entitled to cast a
majority of votes which  stockholders  are  entitled to cast in the  election of
Directors will  constitute a quorum for the Annual  Meeting.  Holders of Class A
and Class B Common  Stock are entitled to one vote for each share owned upon all
matters to be considered at the Annual  Meeting.  Proxies  marked  "Abstain" are
included in determining a quorum, but broker proxies which have not voted in the
election of Directors are not included in  determining a quorum for such matter.
There is no cumulative voting in the election of Directors.

                                       2
<PAGE>
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The  following  table  sets  forth,  as of June 30,  1998,  certain  information
concerning  the  holdings  of each person who was known by the Company to be the
beneficial  owner of more than five  percent (5%) of the  outstanding  shares of
Class A or Class B Common Stock of the Company,  by each  director and executive
officers and by all directors and officers as a group.  The outstanding  Class B
Common Stock represents only 0.7% of the total outstanding shares.


                                            Class A Common Stock
                           -------------------------------------------
                            Shares       Shares Under       Percent
                             Owned       Exercisable        Voting(2)
                                        Options/Warrants(1)
                           -------------------------------------------
Hayden Leason(3)            2,304,100        30,000           21.3

The Townsend Group            874,100          -               8.0
                            
Advanced Detectors,            -            750,000            6.4
Inc.(4)

J. Morton Davis(5)            656,045          -               6.0
                                                      
James A. Gordon(6)            593,640        38,000            5.8
                            
Edgewater Private                            
Equity Fund(7)                593,640        38,000            5.8

Robert G. Allison(8)          593,640        38,000            5.8
                            
Jon Victor(9)                 237,400        30,000            2.4
                            
Patrick J. Holmes              62,600       108,000            1.5
                            
Harry Melkonian                10,000       116,000            1.2
                            
Directors & Officers as     3,207,740       322,000           31.3
a Group


1    Includes  shares  under  options  exercisable  on June 30, 1998 and options
     which become exercisable within 60 days thereafter.

2    Represents  combined voting power of both Class A and Class B Common Stock,
     assuming  beneficial owner exercises all exercisable  options and warrants.
     None of the named  beneficial  owners  owned Class B Common Stock and there
     are no Class B derivatives outstanding

3    The address of this  shareholder is Palmas Del Mar, 10 Monte Sol,  Humacao,
     Puerto Rico 00791.

4    Formerly Xsirius, Inc., the last known address of this beneficial owner was
     1220 Avenida Acaso, Camarillo, CA 93012.

5    The address of this  shareholder  is D.H.  Blair Inc., 44 Wall Street,  New
     York, NY 10005.  Includes  617,760  shares owned by D.H.  Blair  Investment
     Banking Corporation and 38,285 shares owned by Parliament Hill Corporation.

6    The address of this  shareholder is c/o Edgewater  Private Equity Fund, 666
     Grand Avenue,  Suite 200, Des Moines,  IA 50309.  Includes  593,640  shares
     owned by Edgewater  Private Equity Fund, L.P.  ("Edgewater")  (see footnote
     7). Mr. Gordon is the  President of Gordon  Management,  Inc.  which is the
     general  partner of Edgewater.  Also includes 5,000 options  granted to Mr.
     Allison (see footnote 8). Mr. Gordon disclaims  beneficial ownership of the
     shares owned by Edgewater and Mr. Allison.

7    The address of this  shareholder is c/o Edgewater  Private Equity Fund, 666
     Grand Avenue,  Suite 200, Des Moines,  IA 50309.  Includes  33,000  options
     granted to Mr.  Gordon (see  footnote 6) and 5,000  options  granted to Mr.
     Allison (see footnote 8).

8    The address of this shareholder is c/o Allison Venture Partners,  Inc., 103
     N. Point Drive,  Lake Forest,  CA 92630.  Includes  593,640 shares owned by
     Edgewater  (see footnote 7) and 33,000  options  granted to Mr. Gordon (see
     footnote 6). Mr. Allison is a partner in Edgewater.  Mr. Allison  disclaims
     beneficial  ownership of the shares held by Edgewater and the options owned
     by Mr. Gordon.

9    The address of this shareholder is c/o Greenwich Ventures,  LLC, 3463 State
     Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.

Section  16(a) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934  requires the  Company's
officers and Directors and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered
class of the Company's equity securities  (collectively the "Reporting Persons")
to file reports of beneficial  ownership and changes in beneficial  ownership of
the Company's equity securities with the Securities and Exchange  Commission and
to furnish the Company with copies of these reports.  Based solely on its review
of the copies of the forms received by it, the Company  believes that all of its
officers 
                                       3
<PAGE>

and directors complied with all filing  requirements  applicable to them, except
with  respect to the late  filing of Form 5's to report  January 21, 1998 option
grants for 10,000 shares each of the Company's  Class A Common Stock by James B.
Gordon,  Hayden Leason and Jon B. Victor,  which Form 5's were filed in May 1998
(approximately  one to two  weeks  late);  the late  filing of a Form 5 by Harry
Melkonian  to report a January 14, 1997 option  grant for 140,000  shares of the
Company's  Class A Common  Stock,  which Form 5 was filed in May 1998;  the late
filing of a Form 5 by  Patrick J.  Holmes to report a January  14,  1997  option
grant for 70,000 shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock,  which Form 5 was
filed in May 1998.

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

A Board of four Directors of the Company is to be elected at the Annual Meeting,
each to serve,  subject to the  provisions of the Company's  by-laws,  until the
next Annual Meeting of Stockholders  and until his successor is duly elected and
qualified. It is management's recommendation that the accompanying form of Proxy
be voted FOR the election as Directors of the four persons  named below,  all of
whom are  currently  Directors of the Company.  The Board of Directors  believes
that the nominees named below are willing to serve as Directors. However, in the
event that any of the nominees  should  become unable or unwilling to serve as a
Director,  the Proxy will be voted for the election of such person or persons as
shall be designated  by the  Directors.  The Board of Directors  does not have a
nominating  committee.  Mr.  James A.  Gordon,  a Director of the  Company,  has
determined not to stand for  reelection.  After this election,  three  vacancies
will exist on the Board that are not intended to be filled at this time.

The following persons are nominees for election as Directors:

Name                       Age      Position
- -------------------        ----     -------------------------------------------
Harry Melkonian            48       Chairman of the Board of Directors, 
                                    President and Chief Executive Officer

Robert G. Allison          41       Director

Hayden Leason              67       Director

Jon B. Victor              45       Director

Set forth  below is certain  information  relating  to the other  officer of the
Company:

Name                       Age      Position
- -------------------        ----     -------------------------------------------
Patrick J. Holmes          52       Executive Vice President, Chief Financial 
                                    Officer, Corporate Secretary and Treasurer

Harry Melkonian, Chairman of the Board, President & Chief Executive Officer
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr.  Melkonian  joined the  Company in June 1992.  He has been  President  since
November 1996, was elected Chief Executive  Officer in October 1997 and Chairman
of the Board in April 1998.  He served as General  Manager of the  Company's PIN
photodiode  business from 1993 until November 1996.  From 1989 until joining the
Company,  Mr. Melkonian  operated Melkonian  Associates,  a consulting firm that
assisted the Company in the  acquisition  of its  subsidiary,  Silicon  Detector
Corporation.  From 1987 until 1989,  he was Director of  Operations at Simulaser
Corporation;  and for six years  previously,  he held various  operations  level
positions at Sensor  Technology,  Inc. Mr. Melkonian holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University.

                                       4
<PAGE>

Robert G. Allison, Director
- ---------------------------
Mr.  Allison  became a  director  in January  1998.  He  previously  served as a
director from October 1996 to June 1997. Mr. Allison is the Managing  Partner of
Allison  Venture  Partners,  Inc., a private capital and consulting firm serving
the  technology  market.  Mr.  Allison is a partner of Edgewater  Private Equity
Fund, LP and Edgewater Private Equity Fund II, LP, limited  partnerships  formed
for investment purposes.  Prior to forming Allison Venture Partners, Mr. Allison
served as the Executive Vice President,  Chief Operating Officer and Director of
Aurora Electronics Group, Inc. (AUR-AMEX). Mr. Allison served as Vice President,
Semiconductor  Marketing and Assets at Arrow Electronics,  Inc.  (NASDQ-ARW) and
was the founder,  President and CEO of Insight Electronics,  Inc., a specialized
semiconductor distributor which was acquired by MEMEC Group, PLC.

Hayden Leason, Director
- -----------------------
Mr.  Leason became a director of the Company in July 1995. He served as Chairman
of the Board from October 1996 until October 1997 and as Chief Executive Officer
from November 1996 until  October  1997.  In 1965 Mr. Leason  founded  Filtertek
Inc.,  a designer  and  manufacturer  of specialty  filtration  elements,  which
subsequently  became a New York  Stock  Exchange  listed  company.  He served as
Chairman  and Chief  Executive  Officer  until 1992 when he sold his interest to
Schawk Inc. Since 1992, Mr. Leason has managed various private investments.  Mr.
Leason is a 1954  graduate of  Northwestern  University  where he  received  his
Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Jon B. Victor, Director
- -----------------------
Mr.  Victor became a director of the Company in June 1995. He served as Chairman
of the Board from  October 1997 until April 1998.  Mr.  Victor is the Manager of
Greenwich Ventures,  LLC, which is the general partner of Greenwich Ventures, LP
and Vantage Ventures, CV, investment partnerships which he organized in 1996. He
began his career in the equity research and trust departments of the Bank of New
York.  From 1978 through 1982 he worked for J. & W. Seligman & Co., where he was
responsible for offshore advisory relationships, and was President of the firm's
broker/dealer subsidiary. Mr. Victor founded Security Capital Management,  Inc.,
an  investment   advisory  firm,  in  1983,  and  served  as  its  President  or
Co-President until 1996. In 1992, Mr. Victor co-founded Gordon Management, Inc.,
the general partner of Edgewater  Private Equity Fund, LP, and Edgewater Private
Equity Fund II, LP. Mr. Victor is a 1973 magna cum laude  graduate of Washington
University and a 1977 graduate of the George Washington University School of Law
where he earned his J.D. cum laude and  completed  his M.B.A.  course work.  Mr.
Victor serves on the Board of Directors of several private  investment firms and
acts as an independent arbitrator for the National Futures Association.

Patrick J. Holmes, Executive Vice President,  Chief Financial Officer, Corporate
Secretary  and  Treasurer  Mr.  Holmes joined the Company in August 1993 and was
named  Executive Vice  President in November  1996.  From 1989 until joining the
Company, Mr. Holmes was a Division Controller for Textron,  Inc. From 1985 until
1989, he was Chief Accountant and Financial  Operations Manager for two start-up
companies of Lockheed Corporation in Sunnyvale, CA. Previously,  Mr. Holmes held
senior  financial  posts with General  Dynamics and Datapoint  Corporation.  Mr.
Holmes, who is a Certified Public Accountant, received his degree in accounting,
magna cum laude,  from the  University  of Missouri  in St.  Louis and is a past
recipient of the Missouri Society of CPAs Silver Medal.

Directors serve annual terms until the next annual meeting of  stockholders  and
until their successors are elected and qualified. Officers serve at the pleasure
of the Board of Directors.

Meetings and Committees of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors held four meetings during the fiscal year ended March 29,
1998 and acted by unanimous consent on one occasion.  The Board of Directors has
the following standing committees: Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.

The Audit Committee reviews the accounting principles, the controls and scope of
the audit practices of the 
                                       5
<PAGE>

Company,  and makes  reports and  recommendations  to the Board of  Directors on
those matters and with respect to the independent  auditor.  It met two times in
fiscal 1998. The members of the Audit Committee are Mr. Allison,  Chairman,  Mr.
Leason and Mr. Victor.

The  Compensation  Committee  was  established  to evaluate  both  Directors and
management  compensation  plans  as  well  as the  Company's  stock  option  and
incentive  plans. It met one time in fiscal 1998 and acted by unanimous  written
consent on two  occasions.  The members of the  Compensation  Committee  are Mr.
Allison, Chairman, Mr. Leason and Mr. Victor.

Compensation of Directors
Prior to October 1995, each director who is not an employee of the Company or an
affiliate  received an annual fee of $10,000,  payable in quarterly  increments,
and a fee of $1,000 for each meeting attended.  Each of the directors who is not
an employee of the Company is eligible  for grants of stock  options  upon their
appointment  to the Board of Directors  under the 1991 Special  Directors  Stock
Option  Plan  and on an  annual  basis  so  long as they  remain  on the  Board.
Directors who are also officers of the Company or its  affiliates do not receive
cash  compensation  in  consideration  for  their  services  as  directors.  All
directors,  however, including employee directors, are reimbursed for reasonable
travel  expenses  incurred in connection  with their  attending  meetings of the
Board of  Directors  and  committees.  In October  1995,  the Board of Directors
eliminated the accrual or payment of all fees including all annual fees, meeting
fees and any payment for services as the Chairman or Member of any  Committee of
the Board of  Directors  except for  reasonable  travel  expenses.  In addition,
participation  in the 1991  Special  Directors  Stock  Option  Plan,  other than
initial  grants for new  directors,  was  suspended.  In January 1998, the Board
reinstated  participation  in the 1991 Special  Directors  Stock Option Plan and
approved an annual stock option grant in lieu of an annual cash fee.  This grant
would  be  the   approximate   equivalent  of  $10,000   calculated   using  the
Black-Scholes option pricing model. In that regard, each director was granted an
option to purchase  10,000 shares of the  Company's  Class A Common Stock at the
closing price on January 21, 1998.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth  compensation  paid or accrued by the Company for
services  rendered to the Company's Chief  Executive  Officer and to each of the
other  executive  officers  of the  Company  whose  cash  compensation  exceeded
$100,000 for services rendered during the last three fiscal years.
<TABLE>

                           SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
<CAPTION>

                                                                                    Long Term Compensation
                                                                            ----------------------------------------
                                      Annual Compensation                            Awards                Payouts
                             --------------------------------------         ---------------------------   ----------
                                                       Other Annual        Restricted    Securities          LTIP       All Other
                             Fiscal    Salary   Bonus  Compensation       Stock Awards Underlying Options   Payouts    Compensation
Name and Principal Position   Year      ($)      ($)       ($)                ($)            (#)              ($)          ($)(1)
- ---------------------------  ------- -------- -------- -------------    --------------  -----------        ---------   -------------
<S>                           <C>    <C>       <C>          <C>                <C>         <C>                 <C>        <C>  
Harry Melkonian,              1998   150,000   40,000       -                  -              -                           4,700
Chairman of the Board,        1997   135,000     -          -                  -           140,000             -          3,900
President and Chief           1996   110,000   15,000       -                  -              -                -          3,300
Executive Officer(2)
- ---------------------------- ------- -------- -------- -------------    --------------  -----------        ---------   -------------
Hayden Leason                 1998      -        -          -                  -              -                -            -
Chairman of the Board and     1997      -        -          -                  -              -                -            -
Chief Executive Officer(3)    1996      -        -          -                  -              -                -            -
- ---------------------------- ------- -------- -------- -------------    --------------  -----------        ---------   -------------
Patrick J. Holmes             1998   125,000   15,000       -                  -              -                -          3,900
Executive Vice President,     1997   125,000     -          -                  -            70,000             -          3,300
CFO, Secretary and            1996   125,000   15,000       -                  -              -                -          3,800
Treasurer
- ---------------------------- ------- -------- -------- -------------    --------------  -----------        ---------   -------------
<FN>

1 Represents amounts paid by the  Company  on behalf  of the  named  person in connection with the Company's 401(k) Retirement Plan.

2 Mr. Melkonian was elected Chief Executive Office in October 1997, and Chairman of the Board in April 1998.

3 Mr. Leason resigned as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in October 1997.  Options granted as part of plans 
  provided to outside directors of the Company have been excluded from the table (10,000 in 1998 and 25,000 in 1996).

                                       6
</FN>
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

Employment Agreements

The Company has employment and termination  agreements  with certain  employees,
including  Messrs.  Melkonian  and Holmes under which the  employees may receive
severance  pay  through  the end of the  term of the  contract  or up to  twelve
months.

Stock Options

Except as described in the Summary  Compensation  Table, no options were granted
to executive officers of the Company during fiscal 1998.

The following  tables set forth  certain  information  concerning  stock options
granted to and exercised by the persons named in the Summary  Compensation Table
during the last fiscal year and  unexercised  stock options held by such persons
at the end of such fiscal year. No options were exercised during the last fiscal
year.

      
<TABLE>

                         Aggregated Option Exercises in Last Fiscal Year and FY-End Option Values
<CAPTION>

                                                                                                           Value of Unexercised
                                                                  Number of Securities Underlying        In-the-Money Options at
                           Shares Acquired                   Unexercised Options at Fiscal Year End (#)     (Fiscal Year End ($)
Name(1)                     on Exercise (#)  Value Realized          Exercisable/Unexercisable           Exercisable/Unexercisable
- ----                       ----------------- --------------          -------------------------           -------------------------
<S>                                <C>            <C>                      <C>                                   <C>      
Harry Melkonian                    -              -                        88,000/112,000                        -/-
Hayden Leason                      -              -                        25,000/10,000                         -/-
Patrick J. Holmes                  -              -                        74,000/76,000                         -/-
- ---------------------      ----------------- --------------- --------------------------------------- ------------------------
<FN>

1    See "Summary Compensation Table" and "Election of Directors" for principal position.
</FN>
</TABLE>

On January  18,  1995 the Board of  Directors  canceled  outstanding  options to
purchase an aggregate of 365,000  shares of the  Company's  Class A Common Stock
and granted to the holders of such options new options to purchase an equivalent
number of shares.  These options were the only options of the Company which have
been issued coincident with the cancellation of outstanding options or otherwise
repriced  since the Company's  inception  through  March 29, 1998.  The Board of
Directors  concluded  that the  subsequent  decrease in the market price for the
Company's Class A Common Stock below the exercise price for the canceled options
was  due to  factors  which  were  principally  not  all  within  the  realm  of
responsibility of the option holders and that the options no longer provided the
incentive  to such  option  holders to  perform on behalf of the  Company in the
manner  contemplated  by the Board  when the  canceled  options  were  initially
granted.  On the date of the issuance of the new options and the cancellation of
the outstanding options, the closing sale price for the Company's Class A Common
Stock as reported on the American Stock Exchange was $1.56.  The following table
sets forth certain  information  regarding the  aforementioned  canceled and new
options:

<TABLE>

                                               Ten-Year Option Repricings
                                               --------------------------
<CAPTION>

                                 Number of Securities   Market Price of   Exercise Price at               Length of Original
                                  Underlying Options   Stock at Time of       Time of         New      Option Term Remaining at
                                     Repriced or         Repricing or       Repricing or    Exercise            Date of
Name(1)                Date            Amended (#)         Amendment ($)     Amendment ($)    Price ($)   Repricing or Amendment
- ----                 ----            -----------         -------------     -------------    ---------   ----------------------
<S>                  <C>               <C>                  <C>               <C>             <C>             <C>

Harry Melkonian      1/18/95           60,000               1.56              3.62            1.56            7 years

Patrick J. Holmes    1/18/95           30,000               1.56              4.87            1.56            9 years
                                       30,000               1.56              4.50            1.56            9 years
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<FN>

1    See "Summary Compensation Table" and "Election of Directors" for principal position.
</FN>
</TABLE>
                                       7

<PAGE>


RELATIONSHIP WITH INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

Arthur  Andersen,   independent   auditors,   audited  the  Company's  financial
statements  for  fiscal  years  1996-1998  and has been  selected  to audit  the
Company's financial  statements for fiscal year 1999.  Representatives of Arthur
Andersen  are  expected  to be  present  at the  Annual  Meeting  to  respond to
appropriate  questions from  stockholders and to make a statement if they desire
to do so.

EXPENSES

The  entire  cost of  preparing,  assembling,  printing  and  mailing  the Proxy
Statement,  the enclosed Proxy, Annual Report and other materials,  and the cost
of soliciting  Proxies with respect to the Annual Meeting,  will be borne by the
Company.  The Company will request banks and brokers to solicit their  customers
who  beneficially  own shares  listed of record in names of  nominees,  and will
reimburse those banks and brokers for the reasonable  out-of-pocket  expenses of
such  solicitations.  The solicitation of Proxies by mail may be supplemented by
telephone and telegram by officers and other  regular  employees of the Company,
but no additional compensation will be paid to such individuals.

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

Proposals of  stockholders  intended to be  presented  at the Annual  Meeting of
Stockholders in 1999 must be received at its principal executive office no later
than April 24, 1999.

                                             By Order of the Board of Directors

                                             /s/ P. J. Holmes

Camarillo, California                        Patrick J. Holmes
July 24, 1998                                Secretary



THE COMPANY WILL PROVIDE  WITHOUT CHARGE TO EACH PERSON  SOLICITED BY THIS PROXY
STATEMENT,  ON THE WRITTEN  REQUEST OF ANY SUCH PERSON,  A COPY OF THE COMPANY'S
ANNUAL  REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR ENDED  MARCH 29, 1998 AS FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION  (INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL  STATEMENTS AND THE
SCHEDULES THERETO, BUT EXCLUDING EXHIBITS).  SUCH REQUESTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO
CORPORATE SECRETARY, 1240 AVENIDA ACASO, CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA 93012.

                                       8

<PAGE>

          THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
                            ADVANCED PHOTONIX, INC.
                    PROXY FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
                                AUGUST 19, 1998

The undersigned  hereby constitutes and appoints Hayden Leason and Jon B. Victor
or any one of them,  as proxies,  with full power of  substitution,  to vote all
share of stock of Advanced Photonix,  Inc. (the "Company") which the undersigned
would be  entitled  to vote if  personally  present  at the  Annual  Meeting  of
Stockholders of the Company to be held at the Westlake Village Inn, 31943 Agoura
Road,  Westlake  Village,  California,  at 10:00 o'clock A.M.,  Pacific Time, on
August 19, 1998, or at any adjournments or postponements thereof:

(1) Election of Directors

FOR all nominees listed below (except as marked to the contrary below) / /

WITHHOLD AUTHORITY to vote for all nominees listed below / /

Harry Melkonian, Robert G. Allison, Hayden Leason, Jon B. Victor

(Instructions:  To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, strike
a line through the nominee's name in the above list.)

(2) To transact  such other  business as may properly come before the meeting or
any adjournment or postponements thereof.

                         (PLEASE SIGN ON REVERSE SIDE)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS  PROXY  WHEN  PROPERLY  EXECUTED  WILL  BE  VOTED  AS  SPECIFIED,  OR IF NO
SPECIFICATIONS  ARE MADE,  WILL BE VOTED BY THE PROXIES FOR THE  ELECTION OF THE
ABOVE NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR,  FOR PROPOSAL NO. 2 AND TO USE THEIR  DISCRETION TO
VOTE ON ANY OTHER MATTER AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING.

THE UNDERSIGNED HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGES  RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE OF MEETING AND ANNUAL
REPORT FURNISHED HEREWITH.

Dated:___________________,1998

_________________________
Signature of Stockholder


_________________________
Signature of Stockholder

NOTE:  When signing as  attorney-in-fact,  executor,  administrator,  trustee or
guardian, please add your title as such, and if signer is a corporation,  please
sign with full corporate name by duly  authorized  officer or officers and affix
the corporate  seal.  Where stock is issued in the name of two or more prersons,
all such  persons  should  sign.  Please  date,  sign and return in the enclosed
envelope promptly.



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