Environmental, Social and Governance Steering Committee

John Petersen (Chair)

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.

Maria Hawthorne

President and Chief Executive Officer

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.

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).

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.

Nathan Vitan

Assistant General Counsel

Nathan Vitan is Vice President & Chief Counsel—Litigation & Operations for Public Storage. Prior to joining Public Storage in June 2016, Mr. Vitan was Assistant General Counsel at Altria Client Services in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for products liability, regulatory, and other high-profile and high-stakes litigation matters for Philip Morris USA Inc. and other Altria Group Inc. companies. Prior to joining Altria, Mr. Vitan was a Trial Practice & Appellate Litigation Attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP.

Mr. Vitan received Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Virginia. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. After law school, he clerked for the Honorable T.S. Ellis III in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.