Our Team

President

Michael Staenberg

Known for his endless energy and competitive edge, Staenberg pays meticulous attention to every detail on every project, including design, construction, leasing and management. His involvement verges on the extreme, from insisting upon energy-conserving white roofs to choosing planters that are attractive to shoppers. He understands that the simplest decisions – the width of the sidewalks or the trees in the parking lot — can determine whether people enjoy the experience of coming to a shopping center.

Development Director

Sam Adler

As Development Director for The Staenberg Group, Sam is responsible for development related activities across the portfolio including strategic planning, site selection, entitlement, public financing, economic feasibility and project implementation.  Sam also directs portfolio strategy and optimization for the company, managing the property acquisition and disposition efforts.

Sam brings more than a decade of experience in multiple facets of the real estate industry including development, leasing, third party brokerage and investment finance.  Prior to joining The Staenberg Group, he directed all leasing activities for a 6 million square foot portfolio at THF Realty.

A graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Sam double-majored in Finance and Real Estate.  He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, and a licensed Salesperson in the State of Missouri.

Chief Investment Officer

Brad Bishop

Brad brings more than three decades’ experience in the financial services industry – the prior twenty of those years dealing directly with high net worth individuals and their families. Most recently, he was a partner at Matter Family Office where he maintains a consulting relationship and is a member of their investment committee. Prior to 2011 he served as Director of Family Office Investments at the Commerce Trust Company, where he managed in excess of $1.4 billion of client assets. Earlier in his career, he helped establish the Trust Company at TIAA-Cref, managing endowment and planned giving assets and leading the investment division of its Wealth Management segment.

Brad carries his professionalism and leadership through to his community service. He a board member and past Board Chair for the Animal Protective Association of Missouri, is a past Board Chair of the St. Louis Center for Hearing and Speech, and serves on the Investment Committee of Forest Park Forever. Brad is an avid reader and enjoys running and cycling.

General Counsel

Michael Caton

Michael serves as General Counsel and is responsible for all legal aspects of real estate development and operational issues, including acquisition and disposition of real estate, retail and office leasing, architectural and construction contracts and financing.

He began his career in 1982 as an attorney at Lewis & Rice in the commercial litigation, municipal law and estate planning areas.  In 1986, he joined The May Department Stores Company where he negotiated leases with national and regional tenants, became involved in various aspects of shopping center development and was also responsible for handling real estate matters for several of the company’s shopping centers.  Michael joined Hycel Properties, Co., a privately held shopping center developer, in 1992 as General Counsel.  Prior to joining The Staenberg Group, Michael served for 14 years as General Counsel for THF Realty.

A graduate of St. Louis University Law School and a magna cum laude graduate of St. Louis University, Michael is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Illinois, and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.  Outside the office, Michael is a Board Trustee for Stages St. Louis, a nonprofit theater company.

Regional Director

Eddie Cherry

As Senior Leasing Representative at The Staenberg Group, Eddie is responsible for the firm’s Midwest Portfolio which includes assets located in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. He also leads TSG’s Third-Party Brokerage division representing local and national clients.  Eddie brings extensive market knowledge to TSG from cities throughout the Midwest. His industry experience includes leasing, development, third-party brokerage (landlord and tenant representation) and consulting. Prior to joining TSG, Eddie was a Leasing Representative for THF Realty where he managed a portfolio of 16 shopping centers comprising 3.6 million square feet of space concentrated within the heartland region.

Eddie holds degrees in both Finance and Real Estate from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He is a licensed salesperson by the Missouri Real Estate Commission, member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Missouri Chairman for the Next Generation division of ICSC.  Eddie is involved with various activities outside the office including the ICSC Foundation, Pedal The Cause and the Jewish Federation.

Leasing Director

Rick Echelmeyer

Rick joined The Staenberg Group with over 35 years of shopping center management and leasing responsibilities.   He worked for 10 years with CBL in several leasing positions including – Regional Director of Leasing for St. Louis/Dallas as well as Director of Food, Beverage & Entertainment for the Midwest.       

Prior to his career with CBL, Rick worked as VP of leasing for Westfield, based out of St. Louis, MO.

Prior to his career with CBL, Rick worked as VP of leasing for Westfield,  based out of St. Louis, MO.

Rick also had a long management background with the Richard E Jacobs Group in which he spent 16 years managing regional malls and office buildings for the firm. 

Rick is a graduate of Columbia College in Columbia, MO earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business with a major in accounting and a minor in marketing. 

Regional Director

Max Gansline

Max is the Regional Director operating The Staenberg Group’s Denver regional office.  His primary responsibilities include the Leasing and Development of new and existing assets throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

Prior to joining The Staenberg Group in 2013, Max aided in the leasing of various properties for THF Realty. He also brings expertise from previous work with Formations, LLC, a boutique brokerage firm in Boulder, Colorado at which he represented private and institutional clients in the acquisition of office and retail investment properties.

Max is a graduate of The Leeds School of Business at The University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and a licensed Employing Broker in the State of Colorado.

Currently serving as President of Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation, Max is committed to raising money for at-risk and disadvantaged youth in the Denver area.

Associate General Counsel

Scott Heitland

Scott brings to The Staenberg Group 25 years of transactional legal and business expertise in a variety of areas, including commercial real estate, mergers and acquisitions, complex contracts, joint ventures and debt/equity financings.

His career started with 12 years at Lewis Rice, including five as Partner, where he worked on business transactions in a wide variety of industries.  Scott then served as Chief Legal Counsel & Senior Advisor for a family office managing venture capital and private equity investments, while also operating an affiliated boutique law firm specializing in corporate transactions and intellectual property.  Scott’s most recent project prior to landing at TSG was leading the operations of a private consulting firm that designed and assisted in the implementation of specialized strategic initiatives for a variety of public and private companies across the globe.

Scott received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated with High Distinction and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virginia.  He resides in Webster Groves with his wife, Laura, and has two wonderful (and grown-up) kids.

Asset Manager

Nick Javas

As Asset Manager for the Staenberg Group, Nick oversees the Midwest and Eastern US properties in TSG’s portfolio. He is responsible for the day to day operations of each center including, but not limited to: contract negotiations, tenant relations, managing repair projects and capital improvements.

With over 10 years of management and supervisory experience, Nick has worked in various industries including restaurants and drug/alcohol recovery centers across the US, specializing in both facility and personnel management. Overall, Nick understands the need for responsive and proactive management in order for a property to successfully support its tenants, customers, and community. Nick is an ACoM (Accredited Commercial Manager) through the Institute of Real Estate Management, and member of its St. Louis Chapter.

Originally from Los Angeles, Nick relocated to St. Louis with his wife in 2017 and connected with The Staenberg Group shortly afterwards. In his spare time, Nick enjoys writing, hiking, traveling and trying out new restaurants. Nick also spends time volunteering in various degrees to help others who struggle with alcohol or drug addictions. He believes that helping others in business and in the community go hand in hand, quoting Henry Ford: “To do more for the world than the world does for you, that is success.”

Vice-President Leasing & Development

Timothy Lowe

Tim Lowe is the Vice President of Leasing & Development for The Staenberg Group (TSG) and held a similar position at the former THF Realty.  At TSG, Tim has the primary responsibility to lead, direct and oversee all leasing and development activities including third party brokerage services.  Tim has over 35 years of extensive retail experience in the acquisition, development and leasing of regional shopping centers, power centers and other retail venues.

Prior to TSG, Tim spent over 25 years with Westfield (formerly May Centers/Centermark Properties) and CBL & Associates, most recently serving as Executive Vice President-Development responsible for all new development and redevelopment activities in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.  His major accomplishments include the redevelopment of West County Center (Des Peres, MO), Chesterfield Mall (Chesterfield, MO), South County Center (St. Louis, MO), Gateway Mall (Lincoln, NE), Montgomery Mall (Bethesda, MD), Annapolis Mall (Annapolis, MD) and Wheaton Center (Wheaton, MD).

Tim also created and led the Airport Concession Management division at Westfield, which developed, leased and managed retail and food & beverage programs at various major U.S. airport locations.  Tim was also involved in the assessment, valuation, bidding, negotiation and acquisition of the retail space lease at the World Trade Center in New York City.

Tim is a St. Louis native and graduate of the University of Missouri-St.Louis with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting.  Tim is passionate about giving back to the community and advises several nonprofits including the Saint Louis Zoo and STAGES.

Senior Accountant

Sharon Moen

As Senior Accountant, Sharon brings over 20 years of experience to TSG. She is responsible for the day to day accounting for the retail centers and office buildings in addition to the development properties currently under construction.   Prior to joining TSG in 2012, Sharon worked for THF Realty, and worked in the real estate management and banking industries for 15 years.

Sharon is a graduate of the University of Missouri – St. Louis with a Bachelor’s degree in Management & Organizational Behavior and a minor in Accounting. In her spare time Sharon enjoys attending theater productions and traveling.

Vice-President Asset Management

Darren Ridenhour

As Vice-President Asset Management, Darren’s responsibilities include the day-to-day management of TSG’s Management team.  Before joining TSG, Darren worked at THF Realty where he served as a Development Accountant, then promoted to Asset Manager where he managed a portfolio of 3 million square feet, including THF’s flagship property Chesterfield Commons in Chesterfield, MO.   

Darren then transitioned into development as Project Manager overseeing the entitlement, budgeting, contract negotiation and day-to-day management process for developments such as Wentzville Crossroads Marketplace, Grindstone Plaza, Red Oak Plaza and Fairview Marketplace.

He was then promoted to Vice President – Asset Management, where he oversaw THF’s Management team who managed THF’s portfolio of 20 million square feet.  He also managed THF’s Construction Roof Management Services (CRMS) division, which worked closely with the Development, Leasing and Management teams.  He also managed various construction and roofing related activities.

Darren is a graduate of Missouri State University where he earned a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting.  Away from the office, Darren serves on the Board for the Gateway Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Lease Analyst

Lauren Rohrbach

As a Lease Analyst for The Staenberg Group, Lauren is responsible for the day-to-day operations of TSG’s tenant portfolio, which includes reconciling year-end operating expenses, handling collections and receivables, abstracting the lease inventory and managing tenant accounts.

Prior to joining TSG in 2016, Lauren spent 10 years with Regions Bank in St. Louis as a Financial Services Specialist and Branch Service Leader.

Lauren holds Bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Art History from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys her family, reading, and a good round of golf.

Leasing Representative

Julie Schaaf

Julie Schaaf is a Leasing Representative for The Staenberg Group. She is primarily responsible for leasing properties in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. She also contributes to the team’s third-party brokerage work representing a few local clients.

Julie graduated from Saint Louis University with a degree in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Spanish. Her interest in the industry stemmed from her family’s background in residential real estate. Julie is a licensed salesperson by the Missouri Real Estate Commission and a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Julie is involved in a number of different organizations in her community including Habitat for Humanity, Prevent Child Abuse America, Girl Scouts of America and the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

Loan Administrator/Risk Management

Sharon Werner

Sharon has more than 35 years of career experience in loan administration and Letters of Credit. She joined TSG in 2013 and handles all loan and risk management functions for the company. As the Loan Administrator, she works with lenders, legal counsel and the financial analysts for the financing of new and existing projects, as well as the acquisition and sales of all TSG properties.   

For Risk Management, Sharon is responsible for coordinating the appropriate insurance coverage and managing claims for TSG and the associated company properties. In addition, she ensures that all entities remain active with the applicable Secretary of State departments and also manages the administration of lease documents, property tax returns, debt compliance reporting and distribution of financial statements. Sharon assists the Leasing Agents in obtaining the required approvals for new leases, lease amendments and outlot sales.

Prior to joining TSG, she served as Loan Administrator for 8 years with THF Realty, Inc. and also held similar positions, including Letters of Credit, with Bank Midwest and Bank of America.