hiw-20201112

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 12, 2020

HIGHWOODS PROPERTIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Maryland

001-13100

56-1871668

(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization)

(Commission
File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

HIGHWOODS REALTY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

North Carolina

000-21731

56-1869557

(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization)

(Commission
File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

3100 Smoketree Court, Suite 600

Raleigh, NC 27604

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

919-872-4924

(Registrants’ telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrants under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:


Title of Each Class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $.01 par value, of Highwoods Properties, Inc.	HIW	New York Stock Exchange

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

David L. Gadis, 58, has been elected to join the Company’s Board of Directors effective January 1, 2021. Mr. Gadis, who will serve on the Company’s audit committee, qualifies as an independent director under the standards of the New York Stock Exchange.

Mr. Gadis has served as chief executive officer and general manager of DC Water, one of the largest water utilities in the U.S., since May 2018, where he oversees a $1 billion annual budget and leads a workforce of approximately 1,100 employees. Mr. Gadis is board chair of Blue Drop, DC Water’s nonprofit sales and marketing affiliate. Prior to joining DC Water, Mr. Gadis served as chief executive officer and president of Veolia Water Indianapolis, a subsidiary of Veolia Group, the global leader in optimized resource management (listed on Paris Euronext:VIE), from December 1998 until January 2017.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each of the registrants has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


						HIGHWOODS PROPERTIES, INC.
						By:			/s/ Jeffrey D. Miller
									Jeffrey D. Miller
									Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary


						HIGHWOODS REALTY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
						By: Highwoods Properties, Inc., its general partner
						By:			/s/ Jeffrey D. Miller
									Jeffrey D. Miller
									Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Dated: November 16, 2020