Management Team

John Petersen

Interim President and Chief Executive Officer and 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.

Maria Hawthorne

President and Chief Executive Officer (on a medical leave of absence effective April 20, 2020)

Maria R. Hawthorne was named CEO and elected to the Board of Directors on July 1, 2016. She has been President of PS Business Parks since August 2015. She has been with PS Business Parks and its predecessors for over three decades, having served numerous managerial roles in her tenure with the Company. In 2013 she was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer and from 2004 - 2013, Maria was responsible for PS Business Parks property operations in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Florida. She holds a BA from Pomona College in International Relations.

Jeff Hedges

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

Jeff joined PS Business Parks in 2018 as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining PS Business Parks, Jeff was a Senior Vice President at Invitation Homes (formerly Starwood Waypoint Homes and prior to that Colony Starwood Homes), a publicly traded REIT that owns and operates single-family rental homes in several markets throughout the United States. Previously, Jeff served was a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young, LLP. Jeff is a certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science from the W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Trenton Groves

Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer

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, Real Estate

Coby Holley joined PS Business Parks in 2003. From 2003 to 2014, Mr. Holley was responsible for property operations in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Northern California. Since 2014, Mr. Holley has been responsible for real estate investments including acquisitions, dispositions and development. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Holley was First Vice President at CB Richard Ellis and Managing Director at 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.

Christopher Auth

Divisional Vice President, Northern Virginia & Maryland

Christopher Auth joined PS Business Parks in 2006 as a Senior Leasing Director in charge of leasing for the Maryland Region portfolio. He was promoted to Portfolio Manager, Maryland Region in 2010 where he helped oversee all leasing and property management operations. In 2013, his role expanded as he assumed the Regional Manager, Leasing role for the entire 6.5M square foot Washington Metro Division. In 2014, Mr. Auth was appointed to his current role as Vice President - Washington Metro Division where he oversees all leasing, management and strategic decisions for the Washington Metro portfolio. A Washington DC native, Mr. Auth earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA where he studied Economics and was a four year member of the Division I-AA football team. After college, he worked for six years in the financial services industry, including John Hancock Financial Services. Mr. Auth spent eight years with a regional real estate owner/developer, Cummings Properties in Woburn, MA as a property manager and leasing director.

Stuart Hutchison

Divisional Vice President, Southern California & Pacific Northwest

Stuart has been with the Company for 18 years and has served as Vice President, Southern California since December 2016, and prior to that was Regional Manager of Operations. Before joining PSB, Stuart was with Transwestern and Fujita USA.

Dick Scott

Divisional Vice President, Northern California

Dick Scott, a veteran real estate professional with over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate in the Bay Area, joined PS Business Parks in 2012 and is responsible for all property operations in Northern California. Prior to joining PS Business Parks, Mr. Scott was Managing Director of the Grubb & Ellis Silicon Valley office. Prior to that, Mr. Scott partnered with a private local developer, and also served as Vice President of Leasing at Equity Office Properties where he worked with Mr. John Petersen. Dick started his commercial career in brokerage with CPS based in San Jose, California. Mr. Scott is a graduate of the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY, a U.S. Army Ranger School Graduate and he earned his Juris Doctorate from Monterey College of Law in Monterey, California. Mr. Scott has been on the Board of the Association of Silicon Valley Brokers and he currently serves on the Board of the West Point Society of Silicon Valley, and the Silicon Valley chapter of NAIOP.

Eugene Uhlman

Vice President, Construction Management

Gene Uhlman joined PS Business Parks in 2002. He was responsible for operations and leasing in the Maryland Region until 2013 when he was promoted to Vice President, Construction Management. He is responsible for all building capital, repositioning and tenant improvement activities within PS Business Parks. Prior to joining the company, he was a Senior Manager for Murdock Management in Baltimore, MD, for 13 years where he was responsible for leasing and operations of Murdock Development’s portfolio in Baltimore and other locations on the east coast. Gene earned a BA in Criminal Justice and a minor in Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

David Vicars

Divisional Vice President, Texas & Florida

David Vicars is responsible for the property operations of more than 3.2 million square feet of office, flex, industrial and retail space in the Dallas and Austin 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.

Eddie 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).

Dan Ashworth

Vice President, Property Operations Controller

Ronald L. Havner, Jr.

Chairman

Ronald L. Havner, Jr. has been Chairman of the Board of PS Business Parks since March 1998 and has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Public Storage, PS Business Parks’ largest shareholder, since August 2011 and November 2002, respectively. Mr. Havner also serves as a director of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. and California Resources Corp. Mr. Havner was the 2014 Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc..

Maria Hawthorne

Director

Maria Hawthorne was elected to the Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2016, when she also assumed the position of CEO. Ms. Hawthorne has been with PS Business Parks for over 30 years. In her tenure, Ms. Hawthorne served in numerous operational and executive roles, including Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative officer from July 2013 until August 2015, when she was promoted to President. She is a member of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc..

James H. Kropp

Director

James H. Kropp is Chairman of the Compensation Committee, a member of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and has been a director of PS Business Parks since March 1998. Mr. Kropp has served as the Chief Investment Officer at SLKW Investments LLC since 2009 and as Chief Financial Officer of Microproperties LLC, an owner and asset manager of net leased restaurant properties, since August 2012. Mr. Kropp served as interim Chief Financial Officer of TaxEase LLC from 2009 to February 2013. Mr. Kropp is also a director of Corporate Capital Trust, Inc., a registered investment company, and American Homes 4 Rent LLC, a leader in the home rental market.

Jennifer Holden Dunbar

Director

Jennifer Holden Dunbar is a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees and has been a director of PS Business Parks since February 2009. Ms. Dunbar has served as Co-Founder and Managing Director of Dunbar Partners, LLC, an investment and advisory services firm, since March 2005. Ms. Dunbar is also a director of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation. Ms. Dunbar was recently nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees of PIMCO Funds and two related PIMCO trusts commencing April 2015.

Kristy M. Pipes

Director

Kristy M. Pipes, retired, was Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Deloitte Consulting, a management consultancy firm, where she managed the finance function, with operations in the United States, India, Germany, and Mexico. Ms. Pipes held various leadership positions, including serving on the firm’s Management Committee and Consulting Operations Committee. Prior to joining Deloitte in 1999, Ms. Pipes was Vice President and Manager, Finance Division, at Transamerica Life Companies and Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff for the President and Chief Executive Officer (among other senior management positions) at First Interstate Bank of California.

Ms. Pipes received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Gary Pruitt

Director

Gary Pruitt is a member of the Compensation Committee and has served as a director of PS Business Parks since February 2012. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Univar N.V. (Univar) from 2002 until his retirement as Chief Executive Officer in 2010 and as Chairman in 2011. Univar is a chemical distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, with distribution centers in the United States, Canada and Europe. Mr. Pruitt is also a trustee of Public Storage and a director of Itron, Inc. and Esterline Technologies Corp.

Robert Rollo

Director

Robert Rollo is a member of the Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees and has served as a director of PS Business Parks since October 2013. He most recently served as a Senior Partner at Heidrick and Struggles (Heidrick) in Los Angeles from 2006 until his retirement in 2012. Heidrick is a leading international leadership advisory and executive search firm. Mr. Rollo is a past trustee of the University of Southern California and is Chairman Emeritus of the Southern California Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Joseph D. Russell, Jr.

Director

Joseph D. Russell, Jr. is President of Public Storage and has served as a director of PS Business Parks since August 2003. Mr. Russell served as President and Chief Executive Officer of PS Business Parks from August 2003 to June 2016. Before joining PS Business Parks, Mr. Russell had been employed by Spieker Partners, an owner and operator of office and industrial properties in northern California, and its predecessor for more than ten years, becoming an officer of Spieker when it became a publicly held REIT in 1993.

Peter Schultz

Director

Peter Schultz is a member of the Audit Committee and has served as a director of PS Business Parks since February 2012. He served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of The Beacon Group, Inc. (Beacon) and its affiliates for more than 25 years until his retirement in 2010. Beacon, based in Southern California, and its affiliates, is engaged in the development and management of more than three million square feet of retail, industrial, hospitality and residential projects.

Stephen W. Wilson

Director

Stephen W. Wilson, retired, was Executive Vice President—Development of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB), a real estate investment trust that develops, redevelops, acquires, and manages multifamily communities in the United
States. Mr. Wilson held various senior leadership positions and was responsible for development activities on the West Coast and Mid-Atlantic at AvalonBay. Prior to joining AvalonBay in 1988, Mr. Wilson was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SU Development, Inc. and Senior Vice President of Continental Pacific, Inc., with responsibilities in development, debt and equity financing, property management, and institutional sales.

Mr. Wilson received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (Accounting) from Washington State University.

He is a member of ULI, former chair of the ULI Transit Oriented Development Council, a member of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is on the Board of Directors of the Housing Industry Foundation, and sits on the U.C. Berkeley Fisher Center Policy Advisory Board.

Mark Antrobius

Regional Vice President, Southern California

Tom Driscoll

Regional Vice President, Northern Virginia & Maryland

Rich Guertin

Senior Regional Vice President, Florida

Rich has been with PSB for 8 years and was recently promoted to Senior Regional Vice President. Rich has 30+ years of experience and prior to joining PSB, he worked for Paragon, Inc. and Oakwood Corporate Housing.

Amy Heritage

Regional Vice President, Austin

Craig Morrow

Regional Vice President, Southern California

Jeff Paschal

Regional Vice President, Texas

Ngoc Vu Rossi

Regional Vice President, Northern California

Ed Zaptin

Regional Vice President, Northern Virginia & Maryland

Ed Zaptin has been active in the commercial real estate industry within the Washington D.C. Metro area for more than 17 years, and joined PS Business Parks in October, 2017, as Regional Vice President of the DC Metro region. Prior to that, Mr. Zaptin finished a twelve-year tenure with First Potomac as vice president of their Northern Virginia office. He began his career five years earlier at CBRE and then Grubb & Ellis. Mr. Zaptin attended the College of William and Mary where he lettered in football and was named captain. Mr. Zaptin currently serves on the Executive Board of NAIOP Northern Virginia and also serves on the board of Food for Others, a non-for-profit organization.