Our Team

Paul Zeller is Chairman and Founder of Zeller, and affiliates Zeller Realty Corporation, Zeller Management Corporation, Zeller Development Corporation and Zeller Investment Corporation. He combines an extensive background in commercial real estate development, finance, asset management and operations management, with substantial experience as an owner/investor/operator of commercial income property.  Paul is active in all aspects of Zeller’s business, and leads a strong group of experienced professionals committed to his philosophy regarding investment, management and operations. The firm now owns and operates 10.2mm square feet of office property, value at $2.9B, a portfolio disbursed over nine states, including Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin.

Prior to founding Zeller, Paul was a General Partner/Stockholder in The John Buck Company, and was involved in development of over four million sf of high-rise office property, and as a Founding Stockholder of Buck Investment Company, a hotel portfolio of over 1,200 rooms. Prior to that Paul was a Vice President of The First National Bank of Chicago.

Paul is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a BBA in Finance and a MS in Real Estate Development and Urban Land Economics under Professor James A. Graaskamp. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of Chicago Booth and Northwestern University Schools of Business. Paul is a licensed real estate managing broker in Illinois and Indiana, a full member of The Urban Land Institute, The Land Economics Society Lambda Alpha International, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, past Chairman of the Board of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, past Board member of the Chicago International Film Festival, a Cornerstone Member of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association and past Chairman of the Chicago Chapter of the National Eagle Scout Association.

Chris Baker joined Zeller in 2013 and serves as President of Zeller Realty Corporation/Director of Asset Management, engaging in all aspects of the investment continuum from financing, equity sourcing and transaction structuring of acquisitions; through oversight of asset management and execution of the business plan; to disposition.  He is also responsible for the strategic direction and management oversight of the overall Zeller portfolio and assists in the reporting process for both debt and equity relationships.

Prior to joining Zeller, Chris worked for Ares Management as a Senior Associate in their Senior Debt Originations Group and was also an Associate Director in the Credit & Underwriting Group at Wrightwood Capital LLC.  Chris also served four years in the United States Air Force’s Space Program as a mission manager for the launch of military and NASA satellites.

Chris earned his MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business and BA from the University of Iowa.  He is an active member of Chicago Real Estate Private Equity (CREPE) and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers (NAREIM).  Chris is also the co-founder of the University of Iowa Real Estate Alumni Network and volunteers with Ignite, a nonprofit organization that supports youth who are experiencing homelessness in the Chicagoland area.

Bethany Bonner joined Zeller in 2014 as Principal, General Counsel and CAO.  Bethany is actively involved in the firm’s acquisitions and investments, and manages the legal aspects of the firm’s debt and equity financings, joint and private ventures, and asset management.   In addition, Bethany is the key legal risk management officer and is engaged in strategic counseling, policy creation, and contract negotiation.

Prior to joining Zeller, Bethany was a Senior Attorney in the Real Estate practice group of Dykema Gossett PLLC, where she counseled clients on a wide array of complex real estate matters, including construction and permanent financing of commercial and mixed-use properties, loan workouts and restructuring, commercial acquisitions and dispositions, commercial leasing on behalf of landlords and tenants, and affordable housing transactions.  Previously, she was a Real Estate Associate at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, where she represented real estate investment and development companies in residential and commercial construction and development projects, and represented mortgage and mezzanine lenders and borrowers in a variety of sophisticated finance transactions.

Bethany earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, and is a member of the Illinois Bar.  She is a summa cum laude graduate of the Honors College at Michigan State University, where she earned her BA in Political Science.  Bethany is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, and the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.

Janice Goldsmith is responsible for managing development, redevelopment, and construction for the entire Zeller portfolio of office buildings, retail facilities, and a variety of other product types, nationally. Recent experience includes the comprehensive redevelopment of The Wrigley Building; transforming obsolete office space to Class A market standards and tripling valuable Michigan Avenue retail space. Janice has managed multiple governmental agreements including City of Chicago Landmark Designation, Class L Property Tax Incentives, Federal Historic Tax Credits, and reconstruction of the City-owned Wrigley Plaza. She oversaw the redevelopment of 401 North Michigan Avenue’s plaza, Riverwalk, and lower levels, while integrating the state-of-the-art Apple Global Flagship Store into the building.  Prior to Zeller, Janice managed construction on 900 North Michigan Avenue, a 2.7mm square foot development in Chicago, and an array of other office buildings across the country.

Janice is an honors graduate from the University of Illinois and has completed advanced studies at the University of Chicago MBA program.  She is Chair of the Codes Committee for the Chicago Building and Owners Association, an active member of CREW, and has participated in many City of Chicago initiatives to develop and implement updated building codes an d streamline permitting and other City processes.

Steve Herron joined Zeller in 1996. As Principal, he oversees the property management of all Zeller properties, directing the property managers to ensure both consistency and unique tenant experiences at each building. He also works closely with Zeller’s financial teams overseeing operating budgets and support schedules for all properties.

Before his move to Principal, Steve was a Senior Property Manager at Zeller, handling physical operation and financial performance for properties in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to joining Zeller, Steve was a Property Manager with Heitman Properties, Ltd. managing a variety of properties in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market.

Steve is a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he earned a BS in Business Administration. Steve is a past president of BOMA Greater Minneapolis and a member of IREM, NAIOP, the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Skyway Advisory Board.

Derrick Johnson joined Zeller in 2001 and was promoted in 2014 to oversee the management of Zeller’s Chicago and Indiana properties.  Derrick provides supervision and direction to assist the Property Managers in making decisions at the various properties to ensure consistency of services and reporting throughout the region, which includes both owned properties and third party management assignments.  His responsibilities include directing, reviewing, writing and submission of business plans, operating budgets and support schedules for all properties and coordinating and directing all contractual management relationships with Zeller-affiliated owner/clients.

Derrick is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and is a designated Real Property Administrator (RPA). He has been a member of the BOMA/Chicago Board of Directors since 2013 and currently serves as the President of BOMA/Chicago Board of Directors.

Robert Lee joined Zeller in 1993. As Senior Vice President and Controller, he oversees the accounting cycle of the company. During his tenure, Robert performed the audit and accounting for all Zeller assets, established third party accounting relationships (including ING, INVESCO, Carval, Westminster Funds and American Express); and managed accounting and payroll at all properties.

Prior to joining Zeller, Robert was the Controller with TB & Z Realty and Management Corporation and its subsidiaries. During his five years with that company, he was responsible for the monthly and year-end accounting and financial reporting for various partnerships, including office, retail, and industrial properties.

Robert is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, where he earned a BS in both Accounting and Finance. He is a licensed CPA in Illinois and a member of the Illinois CPA Society.

Howard Meyer joined Zeller in 2012. As Executive Vice President, he oversees the marketing and leasing of the firm’s 4.3 million-square-foot Chicago portfolio. Howard leads the firm’s brokerage teams and is responsible for recruiting, development and success of the Chicago-area landlord leasing professionals. Since joining Zeller, Howard and his team have negotiated over 575 leases totaling 3.7 million square feet with a value of $1.0 billion.

Prior to joining Zeller, Howard was Senior Vice President of The John Buck Company. He also held the position of Senior Vice President & Director of Property Leasing for U.S. Equities Realty, Vice President at Grubb & Ellis Company and an Associate at Dean Topping and Company.

Howard is a 6-time finalist for the GCFD Commercial Real Estate Awards’ Property Representative of the Year and in 2017, he was recognized by GCFD receiving Special Achievement of the Year – Apple Flagship Store / Pioneer Court. He is a current member of the Chicago Office Leasing Brokers Association (COLBA) and a past member of the Advisory Board and a past Board President. He is also a Board President for Tutoring Chicago. Howard is a graduate of the College of Wooster with a BS in Business Economics.

Krista Owens joined Zeller in 2002. As Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Zeller, Krista directs all aspects of human resources including employee relations, recruiting, compensation and benefits programs, performance management, learning and development and human resource systems.  She supports over 200 employees for the Company’s national portfolio.  Krista is a performance-driven Human Resources leader leveraging a wealth of experience successfully developing and delivering HR solutions. She has proven effectiveness in building HR departments from the ground up by developing and executing on an HR strategy aligned with organizational business objectives.

Krista is a graduate of DePaul University, where she earned a BA in Human Resources and is also a Certified Birkman Consultant.

Bob Six joined Zeller in 2001. As Principal and Chief Executive Officer, he oversees management and administration for all Zeller entities and properties. Over the past 19 years, Bob has helped spearhead acquisitions, dispositions and redevelopments at Zeller that have stimulated rapid expansion of the firm’s platform in various geographical markets such as Atlanta, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Portland, Denver and Milwaukee. Bob provides leadership to the firm’s asset management, leasing and marketing executives, and is fully engaged with the development and property management groups, to enhance the value and tenant experience at every Zeller property. He has championed efforts that have led to advancements in innovation, sustainability and technology throughout the Zeller platform.

Prior to joining Zeller, Bob was Senior Vice President at JLL in the leasing and management group. He also oversaw the Midwest portfolio of COMPASS Management and Leasing (later acquired by JLL) and managed the downtown leasing portfolio for U.S. Equities Realty, LLC.

For over a decade, Bob chaired the Education Committee for the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (“BOMA/Chicago”) and most recently was the Chairman of its Information Committee. Bob was elected to BOMA International’s Executive Committee and was also named a 2021 BOMA Fellow.  Bob is the first BOMA Fellow from BOMA/Chicago.  He is a past President of BOMA/Chicago and sits on the organization’s Board of Directors. Bob also serves on the Finance Committee and IDF Committee of BOMA International.

Santiago Vazquez joined Zeller in 2010. He serves as a Principal of Zeller Realty Corporation, engaging in all aspects of equity sourcing and investment management. During his tenure with Zeller, Santiago has been engaged in sourcing, analyzing, and underwriting potential acquisition opportunities. Santiago is the market leader for Zeller’s Texas market.

In addition to his market leader responsibilities, Santiago heads Lares Capital. Established in 2012 by Zeller, Lares is a real estate development and investment platform focused on delivering quality residential solutions to the underserved Mexican middle-class within a rigorous investment and risk management framework.

Santiago holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mark Vollbrecht joined Zeller in 1996. As Principal, Mark is responsible for the performance of Zeller’s Southeastern market portfolio as well as the company’s engagement and reputation in the local market. He currently serves as the Atlanta Market Leader and is a member of the Investment Committee.

Prior to his current role, Mark was the Market Leader for the Chicago office and was responsible for opening Zeller’s Indianapolis office and the Southeast region office in Atlanta. Before joining Zeller, Mark served as Vice President and top producing broker with Miglin-Beitler and as a Property Manager and Leasing Agent for a multi-property office building portfolio in Chicago’s CBD.

Mark is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana, where he earned a BA in Economics. He is and has been an active member and speaker for industry and community organizations in Atlanta, Indianapolis and Chicago including ULI, BOMA, NAIOP, ICBR, CCIM, BISNOW and the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Sam Zeller joined Zeller in 2013.  He serves as COO of Zeller Development Corporation and oversees the design assessment of all capital improvements and acquisitions, as well as the coordination and selection of construction and design teams.

Sam began his career at Zeller as the Director of Design. During that time, he was responsible for the concourse redevelopment for 401 North Michigan Avenue. Before joining Zeller, Sam practiced with Goettsch Partners and was active on projects from concept through construction with John Ronan Architects.

Sam received a BA in English Literature at the University of Pennsylvania; a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.