CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. announced today the election of industry veteran Paul S. Fisher, a former President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Properties Trust, to the company's Board of Directors.

CenterPoint is the nation's preeminent developer, investor and manager of supply chain industrial assets and related transportation infrastructure. Fisher co-founded the company in 1993 and served as General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer before heading the firm. CenterPoint was a publicly-traded REIT from 1993 until 2006 when it was privatized by a joint venture of the California Employees Retirement System and LaSalle Investment Management, Inc.

CatchMark's Chairman of the Board, Willis J. Potts, Jr., said: "CatchMark will benefit from Paul Fisher's varied experience and skill sets—leading a major public REIT, working with the nation's largest pension funds, and being named one of "America's Top CFOs" by Institutional Investor magazine."  

Jerry Barag, President and CEO of CatchMark, said: "Paul Fisher should provide us excellent counsel as we look to further growth, ensuring durable earnings from timberland acquisitions and sustainable operating practices, while expanding our reach in the capital markets."

Fisher serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Supply and Value Chain Center of Loyola University. Mr. Fisher graduated from The University of Notre Dame, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1977 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  Fisher received his Doctor of Law degree from The University of Chicago School of Law in 1980.