Washington DC & Mid-Atlantic People & Company News, week of November 6, 2026

St. John Properties, Inc. has promoted Kelly Gallagher to director, lending and Bob George to director, treasury, in the company’s in-house finance department. In her role, Gallagher provides strategic oversight of the company’s loan closing, due diligence, and lender compliance functions for permanent and construction financing. George oversees liquidity management and risk mitigation programs and is involved with capital strategies and maintaining relationships with financial institutions and capital partners.

Ari Azarbarzin has joined JLL as a senior director in its Washington, D.C. office. Azarbarzin will focus on multifamily and build-to-rent investment sales across the Mid-Atlantic region, with an emphasis on transactions in secondary and tertiary markets throughout Virginia and Maryland. Azarbarzin brings more than 10 years of multifamily investment sales expertise to JLL, having executed over 120 multi-housing sales throughout his career. Prior to joining JLL, Azarbarzin held senior roles in multifamily investment sales at Cushman & Wakefield and Northmarq.

Barnes & Thornburg announced that Andrew Almand, Darnell J. Morrow and Jeremy J. Nauman have joined the firm as partners in the real estate finance practice. Almand and Morrow join the Washington, D.C., office. Nauman joins the Minneapolis office. The team joins from Ballard Spahr.

Sands Investment Group (SIG), a full-service commercial real estate advisory firm, today announced the launch of its Mid-Atlantic office located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Old Town Alexandria office gives SIG a stronger foothold in Northern Virginia and the greater Washington-Baltimore corridor while extending the firm’s reach into nearby growth markets. The office launches with three veteran advisors, Gilbert Trout, Brent Collier and Cliff Roberts, whose combined backgrounds span investment sales, leasing, development, ownership and advisory work.

Colliers announced that Joseph Sisson, MAI, has joined as the managing director for the Philadelphia office of Colliers Valuation & Advisory Services. Sisson’s appointment expands Colliers’ valuation leadership in the Northeast and strengthens its ability to serve clients across eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey. In his role, Sisson will help drive the Philadelphia office’s growth, overseeing client relationships and business development, valuation assignments, team recruitment and training, and quality control.

JLL announced appointments of two senior leaders to its Philadelphia team, including Lauren Walker as senior vice president of workplace planning & strategy and Susan Casey Lowry as senior director of operations for the Philadelphia and Heartland Regions. Walker will leverage her expertise in workplace strategy and organizational planning to help clients navigate changing workplace expectations and develop workspace solutions that support both their people and broader business objectives. Lowry will work closely with the firm’s research, marketing, sales enablement, human resources and finance teams to align business priorities, identify growth opportunities and strengthen client service.