Officers

Joseph D. Russell, Jr.
President
Chief Executive Officer

Joseph D. Russell, Jr. was named Chief Executive Officer and a director of PS Business Parks in 2003; he had served as the company’s President since 2002.

Prior to joining PS Business Parks, Mr. Russell was with Spieker Partners. He became an officer of the company when it went public as a REIT in 1993. Prior to its merger with Equity Office Properties, Mr. Russell was President of Spieker Properties’ Silicon Valley Region.

Joseph Russell worked in marketing for IBM for approximately six years before his involvement in real estate properties.Mr. Russell earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School. He is a member and past President of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks, Silicon Valley Chapter.

John Petersen
Executive Vice President
Chief Operating Officer

John Petersen joined PS Business Parks in 2004, bringing a breadth of industry knowledge and experience to the company. Before joining PS Business Parks, John served as a Senior Vice President for Equity Office Properties in Silicon Valley where he was responsible for 11.3 million square feet of multi-tenant office, industrial, research and development space.

Prior to this tenure, he was a Senior Vice President with Spieker Properties, overseeing the growth of that company’s San Jose portfolio, through acquisition and development of nearly three million square feet.

Mr. Petersen served as President of National Association of Industrial and Office Parks, Silicon Valley Chapter; he was President of San Jose Silicon Valley Leadership Council. John is a graduate of The Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Edward A. Stokx
Chief Financial Officer

Edward Stokx, has served as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary for PS Business Parks since 2003; he is responsible for executing the company’s financial initiatives. Prior to joining the PS Business Parks, Mr. Stokx was Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Center Trust, a developer, owner, and operator of retail shopping centers.

A certified public accountant, Mr. Stokx was with Deloitte and Touche where he maintained a focus on the real estate sector. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola Marymount University.

Maria R. Hawthorne
Executive Vice President
East Coast Region

Since 2004, Maria Hawthorne has been responsible for PS Business Park property operations in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Florida; she has been with the company for almost twenty years.

Prior to her tenure with PS Business Parks, Ms. Hawthorne served as director of leasing and property manager for American Office Park Properties. Ms. Hawthorne earned a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College.

Trenton Groves
Vice President
Corporate Controller

Trenton Groves has served as corporate controller for PS Business Parks since 2004. Mr. Groves is responsible for the Company’s accounting records and financial reporting. Prior to joining PS Business Parks, Mr. Groves was with Ernst & Young LLP.

A certified public accountant, Mr. Groves was in public accounting for over 6 years and has worked in accounting and finance since 1993. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from California State University, Northridge.

Coby Holley
Vice President
Pacific Northwest Division

Since joining PS Business Parks in 2003, Coby Holley has been responsible for property operations in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Holley was First Vice President at CB Richard Ellis and managing director for the Portland office of Insignia/ESG. Mr. Holley is licensed real estate broker in Oregon and Washington and a BOMA certified Real Property Administrator. He served on the board of directors for the Commercial Association of Realtors and National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. Mr. Holley earned his degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

Robin E. Mather
Vice President
Property Operations
Southern California/Arizona

Robin Mather has been responsible for PS Business Park’s property operations in Los Angeles and Orange County since 2001. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Mather was a project director for Spieker Properties, responsible for leasing and property management of mid and high-rise office buildings in Orange County.

Ms. Mather studied at McGill University and Champlain College in Canada. She is a licensed California real estate agent and active in a number of real estate industry associations.

William A. McFaul
Vice President
Washington Metro Division

William McFaul manages over 5.5 million square feet of office/flex space in suburban Virginia and Maryland, the area that comprises PS Business Park’s Washington Metro Division.

McFaul joined the company in 1999. Prior to joining PS Business Parks, he spent ten years in leasing and operations at the Rouse Company, a national real estate development firm. Mr. McFaul holds a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola College in Maryland.

Eddie F. Ruiz
Vice President
Director of Facilities

Eddie Ruiz has assisted the regional operating groups of PS Business Parks with all facilities-related projects and issues since 2002. Capital and expense budgets, due diligence for acquisitions, and oversight of construction projects fall under Mr. Ruiz’ jurisdiction.

Prior to joining the company, Mr. Ruiz was senior project manager for Toyota Motor Sales USA, where he was responsible for over $125 million in facilities construction. Mr. Ruiz is a member of International Facility Managers Association (IFMA).

Viola I. Sanchez
Vice President
Property Operations
Southeast Division

Viola Sanchez joined PS Business Parks in 2001 as the Southwest Regional Manager and in 2004 relocated to the Miami market. Currently, she is responsible for property operations in the Southeast division consisting of over 3.5 million square feet of office, flex and industrial product. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Sanchez managed and leased commercial real estate portfolios for the Lamar Companies, John Burnham Real Estate and the Koll companies.

Ms. Sanchez is a licensed real estate broker in the States of Florida, California, and Arizona. She received her Certified Property Manager’s designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management and Real Property Administrator’s designation from the Building Owners and Managers Association. She currently serves as a Board of Director for the Commercial Industrial Association of South Florida (CIASF) and is Chapter President for her local Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) organization. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of San Diego.

David A. Vicars
Vice President
Midwest Division

David Vicars is responsible for the property operations of more than 3.2 million square feet of office, flex, industrial and retail space in Dallas, Austin and Houston markets. Prior to joining PS Business Parks, Mr. Vicars was with the Horne Company and the Houston office for COMPASS Management and Leasing.

A licensed Texas real estate broker, Mr. Vicars is actively engaged in the community. He served on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Building Owner and Manager’s Association (BOMA), is involved with the North Texas Commercial Real Estate (NTCAR) organization, the Dallas and Austin Real Estate Councils, and the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). He received his degree in finance from the University of Houston.

Mike Van Etten
Vice President
Construction

Mr. Van Etten is responsible for all construction activities throughout the portfolio. Additionally he is responsible for the oversight of the company’s capital budgets related to tenant improvements, property repositioning and new construction projects while providing guidance on the acquisition of new projects.

Prior to joining the company, Mr. Van Etten was Vice President of design and Construction for Forest City Enterprises where he directed the design and construction of over 2,500 multifamily units throughout the western United States. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting.