Chicago/Midwest People & Company News, week of January 2, 2026

Newmark has hired Dan Baker as a Managing Director within its multifamily debt and structured finance business. Based in St. Louis, Baker brings more than 15 years of experience in commercial real estate finance. Baker will work closely with Newmark’s recently expanded Central U.S. Multifamily Investment Sales group, including Senior Managing Directors Tom Maloney, Dan Wiele and Hank Hicks, as well as Vice Chairmen Tim McKay, Justin Wilson and Brandon Lamb and Managing Directors Ted Prince and Ben McKay.

Draper and Kramer, Incorporated, announced Tim Kramer, vice president and director of operations, management services, was elected president of the Apartment Building Owners and Managers Association (ABOMA) during the Chicago-area nonprofit’s annual meeting. Kramer was a long-standing member of ABOMA’s board prior to his appointment as president and previously served as the organization’s vice president.

Best Companies Group has named Byline Bank one of America’s Best Workplaces and Best Remote and Hybrid Workplaces in America for 2026. Headquartered in Chicago, Byline Bank, a subsidiary of Byline Bancorp, Inc., is a full-service commercial bank serving small- and medium-sized businesses, financial sponsors and consumers. Byline Bank has approximately $9.8 billion in assets and operates 45 branch locations throughout the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. 

Essex Realty Group announced the promotion of Matt Feo to Partner. Feo joined Essex in 2017 as an intern and has steadily advanced within the organization, most recently serving as Managing Director. During his tenure, he has become a key contributor to the firm’s multifamily investment sales platform, advising owners and investors across Chicago’s North Side on portfolio strategy, valuations, acquisitions, dispositions, and 1031 exchanges. He joins the Essex Realty Group partnership alongside Brian Kochendorfer, Doug Imber, Jim Darrow, Steve Livaditis, Jordan Gottlieb, Kate Varde, and Brian Karmowski.

Lee & Associates negotiated a 1,762-square-foot retail lease at Evergreen Drive Plaza, 279 Evergreen Drive, Vernon Hills, Illinois. The center’s landlord, Mass Vernon Hills, LLC, was represented by Carole Caveney, Senior Vice President, and Michael Petrik, Senior Associate, at Lee & Associates of Illinois. The tenant, SK Tasty Tales, LLC, a local Indian restaurant, was started by a husband and wife.

Olshan Properties announced that outdoor lifestyle retailer, L.L.Bean, is coming to Greene Town Center in Dayton, Ohio, in the Fall of 2026. The deal will bring the Freeport, Maine-based brand to Dayton-area shoppers for the first time. L.L.Bean’s 10,659-square-foot retail location will join The Greene’s retail roster. Also joining The Greene in 2026 is Scramblers, the popular breakfast franchise in a 3,871-square-foot space with a patio.

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