Thomas Bell Elected Vice Chairman of U.S. Chamber

WASHINGTON, D.C. -The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's board of directors today elected Atlantan Thomas D. Bell, chairman of the board and CEO of Cousins Properties Incorporated, as its vice chairman. Bell takes on the role held by Robert S. Milligan, CEO and chairman of M.I. Industries, who is the Chamber's new chairman.

"Mr. Bell brings a wealth of experience in corporate management and governance to the Chamber," said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue. "In these challenging times, experienced leadership like Tom's, at the state, local, and national level is vital to help getting the business community and Americans back on their feet."

Prior to joining Cousins in 2001, Bell spent 10 years at Young & Rubicam Inc. (NYSE:YNR), retiring as Chairman and CEO when it merged with WPP Group. Before becoming Chairman of Young & Rubicam Inc., he served as Chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam Advertising and as CEO of Burson-Marsteller andYoung & Rubicam's Diversified Communications Group.

He is a member of the boards of Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, Emory University, Regal Entertainment Group, AGL Resources Inc., and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Bell served as the 2005 Chairman for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and also served as Chairman of Atlanta's Chamber Quality Growth Task Force.

During the Reagan administration, Mr. Bell chaired the Committee on the Next Agenda, which focused on prioritizing issues for President Reagan's second term. He also chaired the Workforce 2000 Advisory Committee for the U.S. Secretary of Labor. Early in his career, Mr. Bell served as Chief of Staff for former Senator William Brock (R-TN).

Mr. Bell has held other senior positions in business and government including vice chairman of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Executive Vice President of Ball Corporation, President and CEO of the Hudson Institute, and Chairman of the Board for the Center for Naval Analysis.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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