"John Sullivan's vast knowledge of the Atlanta market and proven track record as a leader of the region and the DeKalb and Fulton Community Improvement Districts gives him the ideal background for this position," Huffner says in a prepared statement.

Sullivan oversees the leasing, property and construction management, engineering, administration and financial performance of the Atlanta region. The company has 120 employees in the region. Prior to joining Equity, Sullivan was vice president of property management at Beacon Properties Corp., a Boston-based REIT.

At the same time, the company has announced the hiring of Dena Rodrigues from Washington, DC-based CarrAmerica Realty Corp. and Robert Claxton from CRT Properties of Boca Raton, FL.

Rodrigues will be Equity's general manager at Prominence I in Buckhead and Prominence II in Midtown. She previously was vice president and director of operations at CarrAmerica where she oversaw 3.7 million sf in the company's Atlanta portfolio. Prior to CarrAmerica, Rodrigues managed One Atlantic Center for Dallas-based Prentiss Properties.

Claxton, a new leasing representative at Equity, was leasing agent for CRT's properties in the Central Perimeter and Northeast submarkets. At Equity, he will be responsible for the marketing and leasing of 200 Galleria and Paces West in northwest Atlanta. Prior to CRT, Claxton spent five years with Atlanta-based Colliers Cauble & Co. where he represented tenant clients.