Dionne Nelson
About Dionne Nelson
Independent director at Cousins Properties (NYSE: CUZ) since 2021 and currently age 53. Nelson is President & CEO of Laurel Street Residential (since 2011), with prior roles as SVP at Crosland (2007–2011), Investment Manager at NewSchools Venture Fund and EARNEST Partners, and consultant at McKinsey & Company. She is designated an Audit Committee Financial Expert and serves on the Audit and Sustainability Committees; the Board deems her independent under NYSE standards.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Street Residential | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2011–present | Mixed-income development leadership; deep real estate operating expertise |
| Crosland | Senior Vice President | 2007–2011 | Regional real estate development/operations leadership |
| NewSchools Venture Fund | Investment Manager | Not disclosed | Investment/portfolio experience |
| EARNEST Partners | Investment Manager | Not disclosed | Institutional investing background |
| McKinsey & Company | Consultant | Not disclosed | Strategy and operations advisory experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond — Charlotte Branch | Director | Not disclosed | Regional economic and financial oversight engagement |
| Urban Land Institute (ULI) | Trustee | Not disclosed | Industry thought leadership |
| ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing | National Advisory Board Member | Not disclosed | Housing policy and development expertise |
| Low Income Investment Fund | Board Member | Not disclosed | Community development finance |
| Charlotte Executive Leadership Council | Member | Not disclosed | Business leadership forum |
| Real Estate Executive Council (REEC) | Member | Not disclosed | Real estate executive network |
| Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) | Member | Not disclosed | Industry network |
| UNC Charlotte Childress Klein Center for Real Estate | Advisory Board Member | Not disclosed | Academic-industry linkage |
| Renaissance West Community Initiative | Advisory Board Member | Not disclosed | Community development |
Board Governance
- Independence and roles: Independent director; Audit Committee (Financial Expert) and Sustainability Committee member. No committee chair roles.
- Board/committee cadence: Board met 6 times in 2024; Audit met 4 times; Sustainability met 3 times.
- Attendance: Each director nominated for re‑election attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; directors also attended the prior annual meeting.
- Leadership/structure: Independent, non‑executive Chair; independent directors hold executive sessions at least four times per year. Majority voting standard for director elections.
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Retainer | $80,000 | Standard non‑employee director cash retainer |
| Chair/Committee Retainers | $0 | No chair roles for Nelson in 2024 |
| Equity Retainer (stock grant) | $134,987 | 5,836 shares granted 5/31/2024; immediately vested |
| Total 2024 Director Compensation | $214,987 | Sum of cash and equity for Nelson |
Notes: 2024 board program set at $80,000 cash retainer and $135,000 equity retainer for each director; additional chair retainers apply only to chairs. Directors may elect to take cash retainers in stock at a 5% discount; no such election is shown for Nelson in 2024.
Performance Compensation (Director)
- No performance‑conditioned elements for directors; equity grants vest immediately and are not tied to TSR/FFO metrics (those apply to executives, not directors).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Nelson in CUZ proxy biography (last five years) |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | Company discloses no interlocks requiring disclosure for its Compensation Committee (Nelson is not a member) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Real estate operator/investor with deep Sun Belt/Carolinas market knowledge; strong capital and development experience.
- Audit Committee Financial Expert designation; enhances financial reporting and risk oversight capability.
- Networked across ULI, LIIF, REEC, CREW, and regional civic/academic bodies—useful for market intelligence and stakeholder engagement.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (as of Feb 27, 2025) | 18,460 shares of CUZ common stock (<1% of class) |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | Directors must hold stock equal to 5x annual cash retainer; as of July 1, 2024, each director (including Nelson) met guidelines; average actual multiple for directors was ~17x (methodology as disclosed) |
| Hedging / Pledging | Company prohibits hedging and purchasing on margin; none of the directors hold CUZ stock subject to pledge |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independence affirmed; Audit financial expert; consistent committee service.
- Attendance threshold met; active committees in 2024 (Audit: 4; Sustainability: 3).
- Strong ownership alignment—directors in compliance with robust 5x retainer stock ownership guidelines; anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policy in place.
- Conflicts/related‑party exposure:
- Company reports no related‑party transactions requiring disclosure since Jan 1, 2024; independence determinations consider all relationships.
- Shareholder sentiment context:
- Say‑on‑pay support at the 2024 annual meeting was 90.83%, a positive signal for overall governance/compensation credibility (context for board oversight).
RED FLAGS: None disclosed—no related‑party transactions, no pledging/hedging, independence affirmed, and attendance threshold met. Continued monitoring warranted given external executive role (Laurel Street), but CUZ discloses no transactions and Audit Committee oversees related‑party review.