Heidi Lawton

President 2009
Lawton Realty Group

Heidi Lawton is the managing broker and principal of Lawton Realty Group, Inc., a full-service commercial real estate brokerage, development and management firm, which she founded in 1989. She also heads up her own investment company (Lawton Investments, Inc.) and management company (LRG Management, LLC). Ms. Lawton's focus today is in investment, development and adding value to commercial and large multi-family complexes. Her expertise is in creative and innovative acquisitions and developments to maximize the financial opportunities for her clients. Ms. Lawton has been licensed as a real estate professional since 1982 and currently serves as President of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS^® (NICAR). Ms. Lawton is also an Independent Director of Inland Real Estate Corporation (IRC), a publicly traded shopping center REIT and has served on the board since 1994.

Rose Gillece

President Elect 2009
Network Commercial Real Estate LLC

Rose Gillece is a senior leasing associate in the retail division of Network Real Estate Group LLC and has been with the company for nine years. In addition to her leasing specialty, she has years of sales and management experience, and was named the Retail Broker of the Year in 2003 by the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS^® (NICAR).

Ms. Gillece is an active member of NICAR, currently serving as President Elect. Ms. Gillece was named a director of NICAR in 2005 and has since served as secretary in 2007 and treasurer in 2008. She also served on the NICAR Events Committee, Conference Committee and Membership Committee, of which she chaired in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In addition to NICAR, Ms. Gillece is a member of several area chambers of commerce.

Linda L. Hamer

Treasurer 2009
Hamer Realty & Associates, Inc.

Linda L. Hamer, GRI, is the owner of Hamer Realty &Associates, Inc., in Peru, Ill. Ms. Hamer has been licensed since 1997 and has held a broker's license since 1998. She served as the secretary for The Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS^® in 2008 and is a member of the Education and Membership Committees. Ms. Hamer also served on the Pro Standards, Contract, and MLS Committees of the Illini Valley Association of REALTORS^®. She is a member of the Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.

Dan Wagner

Secretary 2009
The Inland Real Estate Group, Inc.

Dan Wagner is vice president of Government Relations for The Inland Real Estate Group, Inc. Mr. Wagner holds a real estate brokers license, Series 7 and 63 securities license, and property casualty insurance license. Prior to joining Inland, Mr. Wagner received an undergraduate and graduate degree in political science from Illinois State University. He served as legislative coordinator to Speaker of the House Lee Daniels and most recently as chief deputy to DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom.

Mr. Wagner has served two terms on the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS^® board of directors. He has been the government affairs chairman for two years and most recently the golf committee chairman and event co-chairman. In addition, Mr. Wagner is a member of the Commercial and Industrial Committee and the Government Affairs Committee of the Illinois Association of REALTORS^®. He is the vice chairman of the Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce.

Dave McGowan

Past President
Inland Real Estate School, Inc

Dave McGowan is director of education for Inland Real Estate School, Inc., part of Inland Real Estate Brokerage, Inc. Mr. McGowan was managing broker of Inland Real Estate Brokerage's Oak Brook office for six years and was named director in 2007. As director of education, Mr. McGowan expanded the curriculum and increased the school's offerings, enrollment and locations. With over 30 years of experience as a real estate practitioner and 25 years as a real estate educator, Mr. McGowan has taught over 15,000 students. Under his leadership, Inland Real Estate School's average pass rate for Illinois real estate exams is higher than the state average.

Mr. McGowan is past president of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS^®, and former regional director of the Real Estate Education Association. He is a member and former director of the Association of Illinois Real Estate Educators.

John Burns

New Board Member
John Burns Consulting Co.

John Burns, RPA, is a real estate consultant and founder of John Burns Consulting Company, a commercial real estate advisory firm whose clients have included the National Association of REALTORS^® National Center for Real Estate Research. Prior to establishing his consultancy, Mr. Burns was executive vice president of the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA), and before that he served as senior vice president/portfolio manager with Frain Camins & Swartchild.

A University of Illinois at Chicago graduate, he currently serves as an advisory board member of UIC's Center for Urban Real Estate program and as guest instructor for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's School of Architecture. A resident of LaGrange, Ill., Mr. Burns served for several years as chairman of its Economic Development Commission. He is a member of Lambda Alpha International, the Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings and the City Club of Chicago. He earned the RPA (Real Property Administrator) designation through the Building Owners and Managers Institute.

Kris Keller, CCIM

New Board Member
National Realty Network

Kris Keller, CCIM, is founder and principal of National Realty Network, a commercial brokerage company. Mr. Keller has a well-rounded background in appraisal, leasing, brokerage and property analysis. Before he opened his own firm, Mr. Keller was assistant vice president for a large real estate syndication company with nearly $6 billion of properties in a diversified national portfolio.

Mr. Keller is a 2009 board member of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS^®, the Illinois Chapter of CCIM and the North Shore - Barrington Association of REALTORS®. He is immediate past chairman of the board of NSBAR, and also chairs its Commercial Committee and serves on the Finance and Political Affairs Committees. He is a member of the National Association of REALTORS^®, Main Street Association of REALTORS^® and the REALTOR^® Association of Northwest Chicagoland. Mr. Keller also serves as a board member and vice president of the Center for Enriched Living, which helps the developmentally disabled.

Art Sheridan

New Board Member
Arthur Sheridan & Associates, Ltd.

Arthur Sheridan, founder and president of Arthur Sheridan & Associates, Ltd., has been engaged in the profession of real estate appraisal, brokerage, development, and consulting since 1947, and has been a licensed real estate broker since 1953. He has developed, managed, appraised and consulted on an extensive range of common and unusual property types. His clients include developers, builders, major corporations, state and local governmental agencies, private individuals, estates, investors and law firms. He is currently consulting for the City of Plano, Ill. and titled director of development.

He is a member and past officer and director of many professional organizations including the National Association of REALTORS^®, Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS^®, International Right of Way Association, International Association of Assessing Officers, and REALTORS^® Land Institute. He holds the professional appraisal designation of IFAS as a senior member in the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers.

Jantzen Brice

Returning Board Member
Network Commercial Real Estate

Jantzen Brice joined Network Real Estate Group, Ltd. in 2001. Mr. Brice's areas of expertise include acquisition and disposition of real estate investments, land development and parcel assemblage. Mr. Brice is an active member of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS® (NICAR). He is a returning member of the NICAR board, and is the youngest member ever appointed to director.

Peter Cotsirilos, CCIM

Returning Board Member
National Realty Network

Peter Cotsirilos, CCIM and a vice president at National Realty Network, has more than 25 years of expertise owning and managing retail properties in the Chicago area. He has vast experience as both a tenant and landlord, and has expertise in representing buyers and sellers in investment transactions.

Mr. Cotsirilos began his real estate career by managing a 25,000 square-foot supermarket, and eventually became an investor. He enjoyed the real estate aspects of the job so much he began leasing and managing more retail centers, and eventually transitioned into a career at Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate, where he was named top producer.

Mr. Cotsirilos holds an Illinois real estate broker's license and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the National Association of REALTORS® and is a board member of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS® and the Illinois chapter of CCIM. Peter also sits on the board of Alternative Behavioral Treatment Centers, a not-for-profit organization helping abused and underprivileged children.

Tom Conrardy, CCIM, CPM

Returning Board Member
Prudential Realty Co., Inc.

Thomas P. Conrardy, CCIM, CPM, SRS, has been a REALTOR® for 52 years. Mr. Conrardy is executive vice president of Prudential Realty Company, Inc. in Lincolnwood, Ill. and president of Real Estate Finders. He currently oversees all aspects of the development of small strip centers, office and industrial buildings around the Chicago area. He is also active in the syndication/joint venturing of vacant land and investment properties nationwide. Mr. Conrardy has brokered transactions for several major Chicagoland corporations and has expertise in property management and lease negotiation.

Mr. Conrardy is a director of Winfield Community Bank, and has been involved in the banking industry since 1974. He is past treasurer and director of North Side Real Estate Board, past president of the Salesmen's Club of the Chicago Real Estate Board and the Illinois Chapter of CCIM. He is an active member and past officer of the Rogers Park and Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and is currently a board member of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS®.

Yvonne Jones, CPM, CCIM

Returning Board Member
Zifkin Realty Management, LLC

Yvonne A. Jones, CPM, CCIM, is executive vice president and principal of Zifkin Realty Management (ZRM) and was responsible for launching the company in 2005. ZRM serves clients seeking third-party asset and property management for their commercial real estate investment holdings.

Before starting ZRM, Ms. Jones was a vice president of Zifkin Realty & Development, LLC and the senior asset manager of Eiko International Inc., a Swiss company with commercial real estate assets throughout the United States. During her 19-year career, Ms. Jones has specialized in representing foreign and domestic owners in management, finance, leasing, acquisition and disposition of commercial properties nationwide, with an emphasis on the retail and office sectors.

Ms. Jones holds a real estate license in Illinois and Indiana, and is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Institute of Real Estate Management, the CCIM Institute, Chicago Real Estate Executive Women, Turnaround Management Association, the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®.

Karen Kramford

Returning Board Member
Re/Max Great American

Karen Kramford is a sales associate with Re/Max Great American in North Aurora, Ill. and an active member of the REALTOR® community participating on numerous boards and committees.

She is a returning board member for the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS® and an active member of the Aurora Tri-County Association of REALTORS® (ATCAR). Ms. Kramford is also a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and the Illinois Association of REALTORS®, where she serves on the Commercial/Industrial/Investment Committee.

Ms. Kramford is chair of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce (NACC) Political Action Committee and is a member of the NACC Legislative Committee, as well as a member of the Cultural Creatives in Aurora, Ill. Ms. Kramford is currently working on her CCIM designation.

George Zoellick

Returning Board Member
Re/Max South Suburban

George C. Zoellick, GRI, is a real estate broker with Re/Max South Suburban. Mr. Zoellick has over 37 years of experience, specializing in churches, schools and commercial property. Mr. Zoellick is a member of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS® and is a returning member of its board of directors.