Kelly, who has 25 years of financial experience, comes to Duke from Lehman Brothers, where she started in 2007 as senior vice president of global real estate. She has also held positions at GE including roles in domestic and global leadership roles for GE Real Estate, GE Capital, GE Corporate Audit and GE Medical Systems.

"We are pleased to welcome Christie to our team," says Duke CEO Dennis Oklak. "She is a proven financial executive and leader. Her experience with capital markets and real estate finance will be especially valuable in the current economic climate. I look forward to working with Christie and the rest of our strong management team as we build on our solid foundation and continue to execute our business strategy."

Nearly a year ago, Matthew Cohoat stepped down from his position as CFO, but agreed to remain with the firm as senior vice president of finance until his successor was found and trained. Cohoat joined Duke in 1990 and was named CFO in 2004.

At the time, Oklak said in a press release, "Matt has been a tremendous contributor to our Company and shareholders for more than 18 years. We respect Matt's desire to reduce his travel schedule and spend more time with his family, and we sincerely thank him for his lengthy and valued service. We also appreciate Matt's willingness to assist us during the transition period, as we work towards identifying and retaining a qualified successor."