Duke Realty Corporation (NYSE: DRE), the largest domestic only, pure-play logistics property REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) in the country, announced today that Chris M. Burns has been promoted to Executive Vice President of its West and Central regions.

“Chris Burns has been a leading producer and manager at Duke Realty for 16 years, continually assuming additional responsibilities and advancing in our organization,” said Steve Schnur, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Duke Realty. “He has been instrumental in establishing our presence in the Western United States, providing creative answers to complex deals and fostering a culture that promotes hard work, team collaboration and enthusiasm.”

In his new role, Chris will oversee real estate operations in the company’s Central and West Regions, including operating budgets and capital spending. In addition, Chris will be responsible for the leasing and management of the two regions’ existing 101 million-square-foot portfolio and for identifying and pursuing new development opportunities.

Mr. Burns joined Duke Realty in 2004, working in the company’s Financial Analysis department before transferring to positions in leasing and capital transactions. Chris relocated to Southern California in 2014 and has led the company’s activities in the market, helping grow its portfolio to more than 12 million square feet of logistics space. Most recently he served as Senior Regional Vice President over the West Region which includes Northern California, Seattle, Dallas, Houston and St. Louis as well as Southern California. Mr. Burns is a member of the company’s Executive, Investment, Operating and Overhead Committees.

Mr. Burns received his bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Louisville and earned his MBA with Finance and Real Estate concentrations from the University of Cincinnati. He is a member of Orange County BOMA, SoCal SIOR, the SoCal NAIOP Chapter and the Inland Empire NAIOP Chapter.

About Duke Realty

Duke Realty owns, maintains an interest in or has under development approximately 155 million rentable square feet of industrial assets in 20 major U.S. logistics markets. Duke Realty Corporation is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol DRE and is listed on the S&P 500. The company maintains a Baa1 rating from Moody’s Investor Service and a BBB+ rating from Standard & Poor’s Financial Services. More information about Duke Realty is available at www.dukerealty.com. Duke Realty also can be followed on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.