Close up image of a caretaker helping older woman walk

Debra A. Cafaro, chair, president and CEO of Ventas Inc., has been elected chair of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts(NAREIT) for 2009-2010.

NAREIT is the worldwide representative voice for REITsand publicly traded real estate companies with an interest in U.S. real estateand capital markets. NAREIT’s members are REITs and other businesses throughoutthe world that own, operate and finance income-producing real estate, as wellas those firms and individuals who advise, study and service those businesses.

Ventas, a real estate investment trust, is the landlordof Kindred Healthcare Inc., a major nursing home chain. Ventas’s portfolioalso includes seniors housing communities, hospitals, medical office buildingsand other properties.