Cousins' New VP Leads Push for Third-Party Accounts

IRVING, TX-A 15-year professional has been promoted to vice president of business development and leasing, a newly created position to lead an initiative to secure more third-party contracts for Cousins Properties Inc.

Cynthia Cowen, marking her eighth year with Cousins, was vice president of marketing and research. With the promotion, she will be overseeing all marketing, advertising, public relations, special events and research for Cousins Property Services LP, a Texas-based division for the Atlanta-headquartered parent.

Cowen tells GlobeSt.com that the team hopes to add five million sf of office space in three years to the 11.3-million-sf client services’ portfolio. “It’s a team approach,” she stresses, “not one person is going to grow the business.” The existing portfolio, representing 10 accounts, includes properties in Charlotte, Birmingham, AL, Washington, DC, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta. Charles Cotton, Cousins’ senior vice president, heads up the 100-member property services team.

For Cowen, promotion also means she will be getting involved in the firm’s leasing activities–a first for her career. “Cynthia has always been something of a secret weapon for Cousins,” Mark Dickenson, Cousins’ senior vice president of leasing, says in the official announcement. “With her background in marketing, her knowledge of the Dallas market, and her extensive network of industry relationships, she’s a triple threat. We expect to see significant growth in our third-party business under her leadership.”