8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 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) April 7, 2014

WASHINGTON REAL ESTATE

INVESTMENT TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

MARYLAND	1-6622	53-0261100
(State of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification Number)

6110 EXECUTIVE BOULEVARD, SUITE 800, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20852

(Address of principal executive office) (Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (301) 984-9400

___________________________________________________

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

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

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

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

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

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

On April 7, 2014, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (Washington REIT) announced the appointment of Thomas Q. Bakke as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective on or about April 21, 2014. In this role, Mr. Bakke will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Washington REIT’s real estate operations, including asset management, marketing, leasing, property management and development.

Mr. Bakke (age 59) joins Washington REIT with more than 25 years in the real estate industry. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he served as a Senior Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield where he was the Market Leader for the Northern Virginia office since April 2013. From January 2012 to April 2013, Mr. Bakke was a consultant and operated a non-profit organization. From February 2007 to January 2012, Mr. Bakke held the position of Market Managing Director for Boston at Equity Office Properties (EOP), a national commercial real estate owner and (since 2007) a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. As the market leader he was responsible for all aspects of owning and operating a $4.5 billion, 12 million square foot Class A office building portfolio in Boston with concentrations in the Financial District, Back Bay, Cambridge, Waltham and Burlington. His responsibilities included asset management, marketing, leasing, property management, construction, redevelopment, acquisitions and dispositions. Over his 20 plus years at EOP, Mr. Bakke held a variety of other senior positions with the company and its predecessors including Senior Vice President, National Leasing, responsible for all marketing and leasing of the company’s 150 million square foot national portfolio and Senior Vice President, Field Operations with responsibilities for all leasing and property operations for EOP’s national portfolio prior the company’s public offering in 1997. Prior to joining EOP in 1991, Mr. Bakke held positions with The Staubach Company and Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Services (predecessor of CBRE).

Mr. Bakke is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and has a MBA in Finance, attending MIT’s Sloan School of Management and Golden Gate University. He spent 14 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Mr. Bakke’s annual base salary will be $350,000. Mr. Bakke will participate in Washington REIT’s short-term incentive plan (STIP) and long-term incentive plan (LTIP) at the Executive Vice President level. For a complete description of the STIP and LTIP, please refer to pages 14-30 of Washington REIT’s definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on March 28, 2014. Mr. Bakke will also be awarded $100,000 in restricted share units (RSUs) on his first date of employment. These RSUs will vest in three equal installments over a three-year period while he remains employed, on the first, second and third anniversaries of such date. Mr. Bakke’s remaining employment arrangements are consistent with Washington REIT’s executive compensation program, as described on pages 14-30 of Washington REIT’s definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on March 28, 2014.

The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete employment letter, a copy of which will be filed with the SEC.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)    Exhibits

The following exhibits are furnished with this report on Form 8-K:

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press release issued April 7, 2014 regarding the appointment of Thomas Q. Bakke

SIGNATURES

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

	WASHINGTON REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST
	(Registrant)
	By:	/s/ Laura M. Franklin
		(Signature)
		Laura M. Franklin
		Executive Vice President
		Accounting and Administration
April 7, 2014
(Date)

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press release issued April 7, 2014 regarding the appointment of Thomas Q. Bakke

EX-99.1

WASHINGTON REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST	NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT:	6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 800
William T. Camp	Rockville, Maryland 20852
Executive Vice President and	Tel 301-984-9400
Chief Financial Officer	Fax 301-984-9610
E-Mail: bcamp@writ.com	www.writ.com
	April 7, 2014
WASHINGTON REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF THOMAS Q. BAKKE AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (Washington REIT) (NYSE: WRE), a leading owner of commercial and multifamily properties in the Washington, D.C. area, today announced the appointment of Mr. Thomas Q. Bakke as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective on April 21, 2014. In this role, Mr. Bakke will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Washington REIT’s real estate operations, including asset management, marketing, leasing, property management and development.

“I am extremely pleased to announce Tom as COO of Washington REIT,” said Paul T. McDermott, President and Chief Executive Officer of Washington REIT. “As a distinguished leader in the real estate industry with over 25 years of experience, Tom has a strong and proven track record of developing and growing the value of real estate properties. He has extensive operational experience across our entire asset portfolio, including office, retail and residential properties. Tom will play a pivotal role in driving our strategy forward as we continue to focus on our core business and aggressively pursue strategic opportunities to further strengthen and expand the portfolio. I look forward to working closely with Tom as we elevate Washington REIT to a new level of success that delivers long-term value for our shareholders.”

Prior to joining Washington REIT, Mr. Bakke served as a Senior Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield where he was the Market Leader for the Northern Virginia office. Prior to that, he spent over 20 years serving in various senior positions at Equity Office Properties (EOP), a national commercial real estate owner and subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. At EOP, he played an instrumental role in the growth and development of EOP from a small opportunistic investment company of 5 million square feet to an industry leader of Class A office properties with over 150 million square feet across 35 markets in the United States.

“I am excited to join the Washington REIT team at a time when the industry is beginning to recover from a cyclical low,” said Mr. Bakke. “I believe Washington REIT has the right strategy in place and is well positioned to capitalize on the strength of its three core businesses as market conditions continue to improve over the coming years. I am confident that we will distinguish Washington REIT in the competitive marketplace and restore a path of growth for the company and its investors.”

About Thomas Q. Bakke

Thomas Q. Bakke joins Washington REIT with more than 25 years in the real estate industry. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he served as a Senior Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield where he was the Market Leader for the Northern Virginia office since April 2013. From February 2007 to January 2012, Mr. Bakke held the position of Market Managing Director for Boston at Equity Office Properties (EOP), a national commercial real estate owner and a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. At EOP, he played an instrumental role in the growth and development of EOP from a small opportunistic investment company of 5 million square feet to an industry leader of Class A office properties with over 150 million square feet across 35 markets in the United States prior to sale. As the market leader, he was responsible for all aspects of owning and operating a $4.5 billion, 12 million square foot Class A office building portfolio in Boston with concentrations in the Financial District, Back Bay, Cambridge, Waltham and Burlington. Responsibilities included: asset management, marketing, leasing, property management, construction, redevelopment, acquisitions

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Page 2 of 2

and dispositions. Under his leadership the company completed major redevelopments of four high profile CBD office towers resulting in a portfolio value gain of over $40 million. Over his 20 plus years at EOP, Mr. Bakke held a variety of other senior positions with the company and its predecessors including Senior Vice President, National Leasing, responsible for all marketing and leasing of the company’s 150 million square foot national portfolio and Senior Vice President, Field Operations with responsibilities for all leasing and property operations for EOP’s national portfolio prior the company’s public offering in 1997. Prior to joining EOP in 1991, Mr. Bakke held positions with The Staubach Company and Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Services (predecessor of CBRE).

Mr. Bakke is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and has a MBA in Finance, attending MIT’s Sloan School of Management and Golden Gate University. He spent 14 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was a former F-14 aviator, attaining more than 1000 flight hours on aircraft carriers with direct involvement in such world crisis situations as the Iranian hostage rescue effort and the Iran-Iraq war.

About Washington REIT

Washington REIT is a self-administered, self-managed, equity real estate investment trust investing in income-producing properties in the greater Washington metro region. Washington REIT owns a diversified portfolio of 53 properties totaling approximately 7 million square feet of commercial space and 2,890 residential units, and land held for development. These 53 properties consist of 24 office properties, 16 retail centers and 13 multifamily properties. Washington REIT shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WRE).

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the potential for federal government budget reductions, changes in general and local economic and real estate market conditions, the timing and pricing of lease transactions, the availability and cost of capital, fluctuations in interest rates, tenants' financial conditions, levels of competition, the effect of government regulation, the impact of newly adopted accounting principles, and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, including our 2013 Form 10-K. We assume no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events.