Corporate Office Properties Trust Appoints U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Elizabeth Hight to Board of Trustees

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COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) (NYSE: OFC) announced today that its Board of Trustees elected U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Elizabeth (Betsy) Hight to serve on the Company's Board of Trustees.

RADM Hight is the Vice President of the Hewlett-Packard (HP) Enterprise Services U.S. Public Sector Cybersecurity Practice which delivers strategic, end-to-end cybersecurity solutions enabling HP clients to anticipate, overcome and reduce security threats and vulnerabilities while achieving their mission or business outcomes.

From July to December 2008 and prior to joining HP, RADM Hight served as acting Director of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and Commander of the Joint Task Force - Global Network Operations (JTF GNO). From April 2007 until her retirement, she served as Vice Director of DISA, and from 2005 to 2007, she served as DISA's Principal Director for Operations and Deputy Commander, JTF GNO. In her DISA role, she was responsible for providing global command, control, communications and computer support to the nation's warfighters and in her JTF GNO role, she was responsible to U.S. Strategic Command for directing the operation and defense of the Global Information Grid.

RADM Hight joined the Navy in March 1977. Her first duty station was Naval Communications Area Master Station Western Pacific, Guam, where she was the High-Frequency Receiver Site Division Officer. Throughout her career in the Navy, she served in numerous roles including program sponsor for the UHF Satellite Communications Program on the CNO staff, Assistant Program Manager for the UHF Follow-on communications satellite program, Commanding Officer, Fleet Surveillance Support Command and Commanding Officer, Navy Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic. RADM Hight has a master's degree in telecommunications systems from the Naval Postgraduate School and a master's degree in information systems from The George Washington University.

"We are delighted to welcome such an experienced and highly regarded professional to COPT's Board of Trustees," stated Jay H. Shidler, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Corporate Office Properties Trust. "RADM Hight will be a valuable addition to COPT's Board. We believe her extensive knowledge in her respective fields will facilitate the future growth of the Company," he stated.

Company Information

Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) (NYSE: OFC) is a specialty office real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses primarily on strategic customer relationships and specialized tenant requirements in the U.S. Government and Defense Information Technology sectors and data centers serving such sectors. The Company acquires, develops, manages and leases office and data center properties that are typically concentrated in large office parks primarily located adjacent to government demand drivers and/or in strong markets that we believe possess growth opportunities. As of December 31, 2010, the Company owned 272 office properties totaling 21.1 million rentable square feet, which includes 20 properties totaling 1.1 million square feet held through joint ventures. The Company's portfolio primarily consists of technically sophisticated buildings in visually appealing settings that are environmentally sensitive, sustainable and meet unique customer requirements. COPT is an S&P MidCap 400 company and more information can be found at www.copt.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements, as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the Company. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "plan" or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate. Accordingly, the Company can give no assurance that these expectations, estimates and projections will be achieved. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that may affect these expectations, estimates, and projections include, but are not limited to: 

    --  general economic and business conditions, which will, among other
        things, affect office property demand and rents, tenant
        creditworthiness, interest rates and financing availability;
    --  adverse changes in the real estate markets including, among other
        things, increased competition with other companies;
    --  the Company's ability to borrow on favorable terms;
    --  risk of real estate acquisition and development, including, among other
        things, risks that development projects may not be completed on
        schedule, that tenants may not take occupancy or pay rent or that
        development or operating costs may be greater than anticipated;
    --  risks of investing through joint venture structures, including risks
        that the Company's joint venture partners may not fulfill their
        financial obligations as investors or may take actions that are
        inconsistent with the Company's objectives;
    --  changes in our plans or views of market economic conditions or failure
        to obtain development rights, either of which, could result in
        recognition of impairment losses;
    --  our ability to satisfy and operate effectively under federal income tax
        rules relating to real estate investment trusts and partnerships;
    --  governmental actions and initiatives; and
    --  environmental requirements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements. For further information, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009. 


    Source: Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT)

Released February 15, 2011