COPT Defense announces death of former CEO Roger Waesche

COPT Defense Properties (NYSE: CDP) announced the death of Roger A. Waesche, Jr., who served as the company's chief executive officer from 2011 to 2016.

Waesche worked at the company for over 30 years in various roles including chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and CEO. He designed the Strategic Reallocation Program in 2011, which shifted the company's investments toward defense and information technology properties while divesting suburban office assets. This strategy helped reduce the company's debt levels and achieve an investment grade credit rating.

"His keen intellect and deeply thoughtful approach to every circumstance contributed not only to the Company's transformation, but the development of a team that he led, which now serves as one of his lasting legacies," said Stephen E. Budorick, COPT Defense's current president and CEO.

Waesche earned accounting and finance degrees from Loyola University and began his career as a certified public accountant at Coopers & Lybrand. He joined the company's predecessor in December 1984 and helped take it public in 1998. He served as CFO from 1999 to 2006 and COO from 2006 to 2011 before becoming CEO.

The Baltimore County native also served on the Maryland Industrial Development Finance Authority and held board positions with the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, the Greater Baltimore Committee, and Loyola University Maryland's business school.

COPT Defense owns and operates properties near U.S. government defense installations. The company's portfolio includes 198 properties totaling 22.6 million square feet as of September 30, 2025, with 97% occupancy.

You May Also Be Interested In

• COPT Defense Properties (CDP) PT Raised to $38 at Truist Securities
• Stoneridge names Vivek Anand as VP of commercial strategy and sales
• Lucid Group names three executives to commercial, finance, marketing roles