Presidio of San Francisco (April 11, 2005) -- The Presidio Trust has hired Jeffrey Deis as its first chief operating officer, it was announced today.

Mr. Deis has more than 20 years experience in business, real estate and environmental land use planning, and has worked on large master planned developments in Denver and Orange County, CA.

A graduate of Cornell University, Mr. Deis received his Master’s Degree in Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to earn a Master of Business Administration at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. His major was finance with a concentration in real estate.

“The Presidio is a spectacular natural and historic resource,” he said. “I am thrilled to be joining the Trust.” He added, “I have explored the Presidio’s trails and beaches often when visiting San Francisco over the years.”

Mr. Deis, who started his career as an environmental land planner in Philadelphia, reports directly to Craig Middleton, the executive director. He heads real estate and construction, as well as operations, maintenance, and environmental cleanup efforts here.

In addition to a background in business and management, Mr. Deis has also taught courses in commercial real estate management and operations at the University of California, Irvine Extension.

Most recently Mr. Deis worked on the redevelopment of the 4,500-acre former Stapleton Airport in Denver.

Previously he was the president of the Colorado & Santa Fe Real Estate Company in Denver which had a 5 million square foot portfolio consisting of office, industrial, retail and residential properties. Concurrently he was president of a facility services company, FacilityLogic.

He was vice-president of Operations at the Irvine Company, a master planning developer in Orange County, CA, where he oversaw the growth of a 6 million square foot mixed-use portfolio.

Created by Congress in 1996, the Presidio Trust is charged with preserving the Presidio’s natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources while achieving financially self-sufficiency by 2013. Six presidential appointees and the Secretary of the Interior, or her designee, sit on the board of directors and oversee the management of 80 percent of the Presidio lands.