LAURYN SUSSMAN

Lauryn joined Bradford Allen in 2023 as an associate in the Chicago office. She focuses on all aspects of the leasing process with the goal of finding the ideal office space to fit her client’s specific needs. Lauryn’s main responsibilities include market reconnaissance, business development, tenant outreach, and building and maintaining relationships with clients.

Previously, Lauryn spent two years at Cushman & Wakefield where she performed lease renewals, market analysis, and negotiations. She also specialized ADA requirements and bringing spaces to compliance. Lauryn graduated from University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business, majoring in finance with an emphasis in real estate.

Lauryn enjoys staying active, spending time outdoors, and being with friends and family. She has recently developed a knack for cooking as well. Being from St. Louis, Lauryn is a Cardinals fan and, since the Rams left, a KC Chiefs fan.

 

GEORGE STANTON

George joined Bradford Allen in 2022 as a member of the firm’s suburban brokerage team, focusing on tenant representation in the greater Chicagoland region. His responsibilities include strategic planning and leasing initiatives, representing owners and investors in the acquisition or sale of properties, and negotiating new leases, renewals, and extensions. His background in finance and law, as well as his market knowledge and relationships with owners, allows him to effectively assist his clients to achieve their goals.

George previously worked at Tully & Associates, a boutique real estate and tax litigation law firm.

George grew up in Winnetka, IL and attended Loyola Academy. He graduated with a degree from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. George is a Chicago sports fan and remains an ardent supporter of Illini basketball. He now lives in Old Town and spends his free time watching sports, playing golf, and traveling.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
First Tee – Greater Chicago
Big Shoulders Fund

 

STACY DITKA

Stacy joined Bradford Allen in 2022 as a member of the firm’s suburban brokerage team, concentrating in the North Suburban market. Her focus is on tenant representation and working to bring new tenants to BA’s portfolio through extensive market research, broker and tenant outreach, and assisting with showings and listings. She loves networking and building relationships with colleagues and clients.

A graduate of the University of Southern California with a BA in communications and theatre, she is the owner of her own family business, Ditka Kids, which she started with her father-in-law, Coach Mike Ditka, in 2012. Prior to joining Bradford Allen, she was the membership sales and service manager for the DBR (Deerfield, Bannockburn, Riverwoods) Chamber of Commerce. She has also worked in agency advertising, as well as in ad sales for the Sun Times Media Group.

Stacy grew up in Chicago and currently resides in Lake Forest with her husband, Mark, and sons Mark and Brett. Outside of the office, she enjoys cheering at her sons’ sporting and music events, traveling, and working on various Ditka family projects and charitable endeavors. She is excited to be part of Bradford Allen and all the exciting opportunities that BA offers within the commercial real estate industry.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
DBR Chamber of Commerce
Misericordia Heart of Mercy in Chicago

 

GRACE GARZA

Grace joined Bradford Allen in 2022 as a client services coordinator on the downtown agency leasing team. Her responsibilities include monitoring and updating listings, assisting with onboarding new buildings, and prospecting for tenants. Prior to BA, Grace spent a year as residential leasing agent for a regional property management company.

 

LANIE TROTTER

Lanie Trotter, an Associate at Bradford Allen, brings two years of experience as a retail landlord rep to her new role. She will be working with the downtown landlord rep team to bring new tenants to BA’s portfolio through extensive market research, broker and tenant outreach, and assisting with showings and listings. Lanie loves deal-making and is highly self-motivated. She is also a team player, which is what attracted her to BA.

Prior to joining BA, Lanie worked as a Leasing Representative at DLC Management Corp. where she assisted a Senior Leasing Rep on DLC’s Southeast portfolio and later took over the Chicagoland portfolio, leasing over 1.5M SF of retail space. She graduated from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with a major in Real Estate and a minor in Urban Planning & Community Development. Lanie is a member of ICSC and is active in the Indiana University Real Estate Alumni Network.

In her personal life, Lanie enjoys cooking and challenging herself to cook through every cookbook she owns cover to cover. She also loves reading and is constantly listening to podcasts. Her mission is to explore Chicago neighborhood by neighborhood on foot (now that it’s warm out!). Lanie is also involved with the Pink Wig Project, which was founded by her mother in 2010. She is excited to join the Bradford Allen team and make a difference in the commercial real estate industry.

 

TONY BUILDER

 

JESSE MIRANDA

Jesse is an integral member of Bradford Allen’s Industrial Services Team. His responsibilities include identifying opportunities in property acquisitions, tenant/landlord representation, and sales. Through a client-based and collaborative approach, Jesse helps clients identify the best course of action depending on their business or investment needs. He specializes in the City of Chicago and the Southwest Suburban Market.

 

BRANDON SMITH

Brandon is a member of the industrial brokerage division, where he primarily focuses on
the north suburban market of the Chicago area. With a robust supply chain and logistics background, he aligns clients’ real estate needs with their supply network needs. Previously, Brandon spent four and a half years at Echo Global Logistics (3PL) as a National Sales Representative and Senior Account Manager.

A graduate of Miami University (Ohio), Brandon received a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain and Operations Management from the Farmer School of Business. Before graduating, he completed an internship with C.H. Robinson (3PL) as a Business Analyst, where he focused on the execution of intermodal rail shipments.

 

KATRINA DOUGHERTY

Katrina’s responsibilities include making listings best-in-class, running broker lunch programs, tracking tenants-in-the-market, Matterport & RealtyAds oversight, broker outreach, broker events, collaboration on promotional materials, assisting with showings, and comprehensive reporting.

Prior to joinging Bradford Allen, Katrina spent four years at Hines as a tenant services coordinator on behalf of Irvine Company at 1 N. Wacker. She helped drive the renewal process by deepening relationships and establishing long term value with tenants.

 

JONATHAN SEELEY

With over 30 years of experience in commercial real estate and related industries, Jonathan focuses on office tenant representation and serves clients in the not-for-profit, financial services, legal, technology, and telecommunications industries. He also has previous experience in office building leasing and investment real estate, representing institutional owners and investors in the acquisition and disposition of investment properties. Jonathan’s extensive and diverse experience allows him to develop strategies and produce results explicitly designed for each client. His clients also appreciate the high level of service and support that often goes beyond just “getting the deal done.”

Prior to joining Bradford Allen, Jonathan was a Vice President of Brokerage at Cushman & Wakefield and DTZ before their merger and a Managing Director at Studley before then. Prior to re-entering the commercial real estate industry, he was a founding member and investor in several technology start-ups, including United Asset Coverage, and a new venture within GE Capital’s Real Estate Services group. Jonathan was also a founding member and investor in Compliance Depot. Compliance Depot and United Asset Coverage were successfully sold to strategic buyers within their respective industries.

Jonathan received his MBA with a concentration in marketing and finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis. He is active in numerous civic activities and organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Chicago, and performs significant pro bono work for one of his largest clients, a Chicago-based social service agency specializing in foster care and adoption.

Jonathan has two great kids, Mia and Ben, and lives in Lakeview where he can hear the cheers from Wrigley if the wind is blowing right.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois

 

RONAN REMANDABAN

Ronan joined Bradford Allen in 2020 and is responsible for building and leading the industrial brokerage division. He also assists in sourcing industrial acquisitions for the firm. Ronan brings over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate to Bradford Allen. Throughout his career, he has advised on over 10 million square feet in deals valued at over $750 million.

Prior to joining Bradford Allen, he was active in the commercial real estate tech industry as an executive at Truss and also as co-founder of Liquideed, an online commercial real estate investment platform. Ronan was previously a commercial real estate broker at Lee & Associates as an industrial investment specialist in the Private Capital Investment Group. He began his career at CBRE specializing in industrial landlord and tenant representation.

Ronan is on the Advisory Board of the Chicago chapter of the Urban Land Institute and is a member of the Technology and Real Estate National Council at ULI. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Kenyon College in Ohio, where he played on the men’s tennis team.

Ronan lives in Deerfield with his wife and two children. He plays paddle tennis in the winter and is a long-time practitioner of Kendo (Japanese fencing).

 

CRAIG NADBORNE

Craig joined Bradford Allen in 2007 as a Senior Managing Director and in 2014 he was elected to the Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. With over 35 successful years in the commercial real estate industry, Craig is a seasoned and highly motivate professional who provides a wealth of knowledge and experience servicing his clients.

In his Tenant Rep capacity, Craig expertly assists his client base with renewals, relocations, expansions, and renegotiations of their office space leases. He specializes in helping the small to mid-size clients who traditionally don’t benefit from the quality service that major corporations receive. Another focus is on not-for-profit clients, including Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, Life Span, Heartland health Organization, Thresholds, and TPAN (Test Positive Aware Network).

Others clients receiving long-term assistance include: MainStreet Advisors, where he has completed five transactions over 15 years, including relocations, expansions, and subleasing of excess space; and Ajinomoto Food Ingredients, who have worked with Craig for over 20 years as they have expanded, contracted, and then doubled in size at their O’Hare location. Overall, he has closed over 1,000 transactions, valued in excess of $350 million, and has represented clients in more than 3,000,000 square feet of leasing and sales transactions.

As a Landlord Rep, most recently, Craig has been instrumental in repositioning and turning around properties such as 212 E. Ohio in Streeterville, 314 W. Institute Place and the Kinzie Design Center in River North, and the introduction of a renovated building, 2201 S. Halsted in Pilsen.

Craig lives in Andersonville with his husband and their 13-year-old Shepard mix. He stays active by working out, weight training, and focusing on living a healthy lifestyle. Craig is an avid traveler, having visited five continents, and a devoted Chicago sports fan (as well as the University of Illinois, from which he graduated).

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Managing Broker in the State of Illinois
President, Chicago Business Network (CBN)
Chicago Office Leasing Brokers Association (COLBA)
Chicago Networking Group (CNG)
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Member, Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame (2014)
Legal Council for Health Justice (Board of Ambassadors)
Former board member, Chicago House

 

NORM MURDOCH

Norm joined Bradford Allen in 2018; he specializes in landlord representation and is based in the firm’s Oak Brook office as part of the Agency Services team. Norm’s primary responsibility is to provide strategic leasing initiatives and solutions for institutional landlords throughout Chicago’s Northwest and East-West submarkets, where he has represented over 2.5 million square feet of office space during his career. Norm has over 17 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry and has developed relationships with both institutional and entrepreneurial clients including Sperry Equity, Sovereign Partners, Barings Advisers, Franklin Street Properties, Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Northwestern Mutual Real Estate Investments, Columbia Property Trust, and KBS Realty.

Prior to joining Bradford Allen, Norm worked with Jones Lang LaSalle as a Senior Vice President and increased their suburban portfolio by 1.3 million square feet of new listings. He also spent three years with Cushman & Wakefield as a Senior Director and was a Vice President at Trammel Crow, where he carried out similar duties.

Norm earned a B.S. in Marketing from Colorado State University, in Pueblo, CO. He lives in Geneva, IL with his wife, Debbie.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
NAIOP, Member Chicago chapter

 

NATHAN J. MEISNER

Nathan joined Bradford Allen in 2019, primarily focusing on helping companies find office space to fit their needs by assisting in all facets of the leasing process. His responsibilities include finding office requirements and negotiating new leases, renewals, and extensions. Nathan also maintains current market knowledge and relationships with owners, which helps him create the best options for his clients.

Prior to Bradford Allen, Nathan began his commercial real estate career with summer internships at Cushman & Wakefield and Zeller Realty Group. A graduate of Ohio University in real estate and financial management, Nathan became an office tenant rep broker at Monarch Realty, before joining Miller Chicago Real Estate.

A Cincinnati native, Nathan is the middle child of six siblings and a longtime fan of all Cincinnati sports – Bengals, Reds, and FC Cincinnati. He now lives in Wicker Park and spends his free time watching or playing sports, fishing, camping, hiking, and finding new spots to dine and drink in the city.

 

JUSTIN KESSLER

Since joining Bradford Allen in November of 2011, Justin has been dedicated to addressing the specific needs of his clients. As a managing director with the firm, he specializes in representing office tenants and helping businesses to realize their qualitative, operational, and financial real estate goals. Justin’s advisory approach ensures his clients are aware of the multitude of opportunities available to them in the downtown Chicago office market.

Justin has represented organizations across various industries, each with a different level of real estate experience. This diversity has enabled him to formulate a well-rounded understanding of Chicago’s dynamic commercial market. A few of his most-successful transactions include: assisting local micro-brewery, Baderbrau, in locating a building for their new brewery and tap room; locating a single-floor office large enough to relocate Walton Isaacson’s growing Chicago office in the vacancy-challenged River North submarket; and subleasing the existing office for the e-Discovery company, Mindcrest, while simultaneously relocating them to a new space triple the size of the previous office.

By applying his diverse domestic and international business experience, Justin is able to help clients quickly identify potential issues and formulate effective strategies. He is committed to developing solutions for complex real estate requirements through his creativity, cost-saving strategic planning, and his ability to anticipate a client’s operational needs.

Hailing from just outside St. Louis, Justin is an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan (and doesn’t hold it against his wife that she roots for the Cubs). Justin loves traveling, exploring new cities, and staying active with CrossFit, soccer, and biking.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
Small Business Advisory Council
Member Engagement Committee, Union League Club of Chicago

 

JIM HIGDON

Jim joined Bradford Allen as a managing director in 2017 and is a member of our suburban office group. He focuses on tenant representation in the greater Chicagoland real estate market. Jim’s experience and expertise allow him to effectively establish real estate strategies that help achieve each of his client’s financial goals.

Jim is also a part of the Bradford Allen Medical specialty group. He brings experience through representation work of healthcare groups such as RUSH University Medical Center, Presence Behavioral Health, Phonak, LabCorp, VNA Health and other healthcare related organizations.

Before Bradford Allen, Jim has serviced privately held as well as Fortune 500 companies while under the Transwestern, Grub & Ellis and Insignia ESG real estate platforms. By employing his strong financial background, market knowledge, and proven lease negotiation skills, Jim has successfully assisted clients with cutting costs, increasing flexibility, and reducing risk—ultimately helping to strengthen their businesses. He has represented clients such as Fidelity Investments, Ingersoll-Rand, Liberty Mutual, Protective Life Insurance, Trane, HNI companies and JM Smuckers.

Before joining the commercial real estate industry, he was a controller for a packaging company as well as an auditor for a suburban accounting firm that handled audits and tax strategies for various manufacturing, financial, and non-profit entities. Jim graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in accounting and finance. Jim successfully passed the CPA exam in May of 1990.

Jim lives in Naperville and enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. He is also an avid golfer, fisherman, and ice hockey player.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
West Central Association
Midwest Service Consortium
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will County
Loaves and Fishes

 

ALEX GORDON

Alex is a landlord representative, specializing in prospecting for tenants through direct canvassing, broker outreach, and aggressive pursuit of tenants-in-the-market. His market knowledge, tenacity, and deal acumen have proven invaluable to his clients. Prior to joining Bradford Allen, Alex spent four years as a leasing agent at Golub & Company where he worked on 300 S. Wacker, 444 N. Michigan, 111 W. Washington, 625 N. Michigan and 680 N. Lakeshore. He also spent three years as an assistant property manager at Tishman Speyer where he worked on 525 W. Monroe and 190 S. LaSalle.

A graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Alex currently resides in Lakeview and enjoys volunteering at a local homeless shelter.

 

STEVE FITZGERALD

Since joining Bradford Allen in 2007, Steve has successfully grown his business to include significant landlord and tenant representation engagements. With over twenty-five years of experience working in sales, finance, and real estate, Steve has focused his efforts to working directly with entrepreneurial business owners—effectuating cost savings through in-the-trenches market and financial analysis, creative leasing efforts, and tenacious negotiation.

Steve is proud to represent prominent local and national tenants in the creative, financial, and business service industries. His roster of landlord representation clients include: The Kinzie Design Center, 230 East Ohio, 67 East Madison, One East Erie, and 367 West Erie.

Steve is an active parishioner of Old St. Pat’s and is proud to support The Francis Xavier Warde School and St. Ignatius College Prep. In his spare time, Steve enjoys running, golfing, and listening to live music.

 

JOEL BERGER

Joel joined Bradford Allen in 2004 and was promoted to senior managing director in 2012. He represents both office tenants and office landlords, and oversees the firm’s healthcare practice, Bradford Allen Medical.

Throughout his tenure, Joel has completed over 2,000,000 square feet of transactions for his clients. Most recently, Joel completed significant lease transactions with University of Chicago Medicine (23,000 RSF), Bel Fuse (22,000 RSF), Adventist Health Partners (23,000 RSF), and Surgical Care Affiliates (10,000 RSF). Other significant past assignments include the completion of a 52,000-square-foot lease renewal for Lexis Nexis; a lease expansion and renewal of 21,000 square feet for Automated Engineering (AMEC), and a 15,000-square-foot lease for Illinois Center for Broadcasting.

Prior to joining Bradford Allen, Joel was the manager of business development at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and was responsible for the promotion of the Chamber’s services and the recruitment of new members. Outside of the office, Joel has been a passionate and active board member for Make a Wish Illinois since 2011 and a wish-granting volunteer since 2005.

Joel currently resides in Downers Grove with his wife, Elizabeth; son, Max; and his daughters, Alice and Hazel. He attended the University of Wisconsin where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and was a two-time NCAA national champion on the Men’s Crew Team.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
Chicago Office Leasing Brokers Association
National W Club
Oak Brook Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater O’Hare Association

 

ANDY DEMOSS

Andy joined Bradford Allen in 2005, focusing on landlord representation. He currently leads the firm’s downtown agency group with the primary goals of growing the practice and continuing quality service to existing clients.

During his tenure, Andy has completed over 500 deals and leased over 30 properties of various size and asset class across all major CBD submarkets. Current assignments include the architectural masterpieces of The Rookery, 104 South Michigan and 1 North LaSalle, among others. His efforts have led to the successful lease-up and sale of numerous properties. Andy has also led multiple building renovation programs of varying scope.

Andy resides in Lincoln Park with his wife and twins. A graduate of the University of Michigan (go Blue!), he enjoys playing tennis and exploring the city with his family.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
Active Member of TCN Worldwide

 

DAN FERNITZ

Dan joined Bradford Allen in 2017 and is the firm’s Suburban Market Leader. He is responsible for leading the leasing efforts for the firm’s office property portfolio of approximately 2.5 million square feet. Dan has over 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry and is experienced in marketing, leasing, and project management in both the office and retail sectors. Dan’s notable clients include Fulcrum Asset Advisors, TA Associates Realty, RREEF, GLL, Alliance Commercial Partners, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation, Millbrook Real Estate Company, Northwestern Mutual Real Estate, and AEW Capital Management.

Prior to joining Bradford Allen, Dan worked at Jones Lang LaSalle where he managed the suburban Chicago leasing team for the last 13 years and was directly responsible for growing their office leasing portfolio from 1.5 million to 10 million square feet. Dan was a previously a Principal with 1st United Realty, Director of Leasing at Klaff Realty, L.P., and held a senior management role at The Ross Group/Ross Berger in Chicago.

Dan earned a B.S. in business administration with a concentration in real estate from the University of Arizona. He lives in Northbrook and enjoys golfing and fishing in his spare time. He also supports all of the Chicago sports teams, and plays drums in a band.

Professional Affiliations
Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois
Member of NAIOP
Charter member of the Northbrook Jaycees
Former member of the North Suburban YMCA Board of Directors

 

BEN AZULAY

Since joining Bradford Allen as an associate in 2004, Ben has made significant contributions to the firm. In 2015, Ben became a Principal due to his hard work, dedication, and vested interest in the direction of the company. While he specializes in representing office tenants in Chicagoland and nationwide, Ben has also had great success representing landlords in a variety of real estate transactions. His expertise in assisting commercial office clients with operational, qualitative, and financial structuring allows Ben to easily identify problem areas and craft smart, client-specific real estate solutions.

Ben handles various projects across the real estate spectrum, enabling him to cultivate a multi-faceted knowledge of the industry. A few of his successful transactions include assisting GrubHub in completing a substantial expansion, in which they nearly doubled the size of their office space; securing over forty office spaces across the country for MedSpeed; and representing Foley and Mansfield, a national law firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while he assisted in the expansion and renewal of their existing office space in Chicago. Ben works with clients across industries including, but not limited to, marketing and advertising, law, healthcare, and technology.

As a member of the leadership team, Ben also plays an integral role in the strategic direction of Bradford Allen. He is a regular contributor to the firm’s research and recruiting efforts, and he assumes an influential role in mentoring new brokers along with overseeing his own team.

Ben lives in Lincoln Park with his wife and four children where he enjoys staying active by biking and running. He’s an active supporter of Ramah Wisconsin and American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU) and is an avid fan of the Chicago Bears.