ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) announced today personnel
changes at its corporate headquarters.
Steve Yenser has been promoted to executive vice president. In this
role, Yenser will lead Cousins' leasing and asset management functions,
as well as the Company's third-party services business. Yenser succeeds
Joel Murphy, whose retirement was announced by the Company on November
10, 2008. Yenser joined Cousins in 2002 and most recently has served as
Senior Vice President in the Leasing and Asset Management group.
Bruce Smith, long-time president of the Company's Land Division and
current Senior Vice President in its Development Group, is retiring from
the Company effective December 31, 2008. Smith, who joined Cousins in
1993, will continue to provide consulting to the Company on its
residential and land development projects.
Succeeding Smith is Dan Fields, a 19-year veteran of homebuilder John
Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, who joins the Company as Senior Vice
President in the Development Group. Fields worked extensively in land
acquisition, management, brokerage and strategic planning at John
Wieland and will be responsible for all of Cousins' residential projects.
"While we will miss Joel and Bruce, each of whom have made significant
contributions to the Company, we are fortunate to have either attracted
or grown other top talent to help the Company thrive in the months and
years ahead," said Tom Bell, chairman and CEO of Cousins. "Steve and Dan
both bring experience and passion to their respective positions and I
look forward to their individual and collective impact on the Company's
future success."
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008, Cousins Properties
Incorporated is a leading diversified real estate company with extensive
experience in development, acquisition, financing, management and
leasing. Based in Atlanta, the Company actively invests in office,
multi-family, retail, industrial and land development projects. Since
its founding, Cousins has developed 20 million square feet of office
space, 20 million square feet of retail space, more than 4,000
multi-family units and more than 60 single-family neighborhoods. The
Company is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust (REIT)
and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CUZ. For
more, please visit www.cousinsproperties.com.
Certain matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and are
subject to uncertainties and risk. These include, but are not
limited to, general and local economic conditions (including the current
general recession and state of the credit markets), local real estate
conditions (including the overall condition of the residential markets),
the activity of others developing competitive projects, the risks
associated with development projects (such as delay, cost overruns and
leasing/sales risk of new properties), the cyclical nature of the real
estate industry, the financial condition of existing tenants, interest
rates, the Company's ability to obtain favorable financing or zoning,
environmental matters, the effects of terrorism, the ability of the
Company to close properties under contract and other risks detailed from
time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including those described in Part I, Item 1A of the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2007. The words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and
similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions and
expectations reflected in any forward-looking statement are reasonable,
the Company can give no assurance that these plans, intentions or
expectations will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are based
on current expectations and speak as of the date of such statements. The
Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of future events, new
information or otherwise.
Source: Cousins Properties Incorporated
Contact: Cousins Properties Incorporated
Elli Kaplan, 404-407-1972
Senior Vice President
ellikaplan@cousinsproperties.com
or
Matt Gove, 404-407-1490
Senior Vice President
mattgove@cousinsproperties.com