JAMES P. GEAREN
Executive Vice President

Jim Gearen heads marketing and leasing for the overall ZRG portfolio and is co-investor with Paul Zeller in the ownership of the company’s properties. He joined Zeller Realty Group® in 1988, engaged in property acquisition, leasing, and project development activities and, in 1992, relocated to Minnesota to direct the firm's activities in the Twin Cities. ZRG projects initiated by Mr. Gearen include: LaSalle Plaza (Minneapolis, MN), Wells Fargo Place (fka Minnesota World Trade Center) (St. Paul, MN), International Centre Complex (Minneapolis, MN), One Financial Plaza (Minneapolis, MN), Wells Fargo Plaza (Bloomington, MN), Franklin Lake Self Park (Chicago, IL), Waters Phase I (Eagan, MN), and Highland Bank West Building (Bloomington, MN).

Since taking over the marketing of the portfolio's Twin Cities properties, Mr. Gearen has closed over 800 leases totaling over 6 million square feet with an aggregate value in excess of half a billion dollars. Since 1997, Mr. Gearen has been ranked as one of the top commercial realtors in Minnesota by Twin Cities Business Journal. In 2000, he completed three of the Twin Cities’ largest tenant representation transactions, including the Wells Fargo Mortgage acquisition of Honeywell Corporation’s headquarters campus (958,000 RSF). In addition, Mr. Gearen closed three of the Twin Cities’ largest landlord representation transactions. As a result, in 2000, Mr. Gearen was named one of Twin Cities Business Journal's "40 under 40."

Prior to joining ZRG, Mr. Gearen was a broker with Scribner & Co. in Chicago. He specialized in Tenant Representation and the leasing and sales of office buildings in downtown Chicago. During his five years at Scribner, Mr. Gearen participated in 1.75 million square feet of transactions valued in excess of $640 million. Prior to joining Scribner, Mr. Gearen worked for the Minneapolis office of CB Richard Ellis. He graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and has done graduate studies in real estate practice.

Mr. Gearen currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the University of St. Thomas and as Chair of the Board’s Physical Facilities Committee. Mr. Gearen is a Director of Aspen Research Corporation. Past board memberships include: Chair of the Board for the Center of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas. Business Volunteers for the Arts (Chicago), Ray-Vogue College of Design (Chicago), House, Nezerka & Froelich, P.A. (Bloomington, MN), The Great American History Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota) and Trinity School at River Ridge (Bloomington, MN). Mr. Gearen is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Minnesota and a member of NAIOP and the National Association of Realtors.