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Kelly Saito, chief operating officer , has been promoted to president of the Portland-based development firm that emphasizes sustainable building.

CEO Mark Edlen announced today he will hand his responsibilities as president over to Saito. The move is effective immediately and sets off a chain reaction of promotions within the company’s executive division.

According to Ann Hudner, a spokeswoman for Gerding Edlen, the move will allow Edlen to focus more on the broader, philosophical aspects of the company while Saito takes over the day-to-day operations. Saito has been with the company for the entire 15 years it has been in business and has been responsible for the company’s delivery of more than 13 million square feet of commercial space with a value of more than $5 billion.

Other promotions within the company include Brent Gaulke, Jill Sherman and Patrick Wilde moving to vice president of development positions, as well as Damin Tarlow becoming vice president of asset management.