C-Level Awards 2026: S.R. Mills, Chief Executive Officer, Bear Real Estate Group

S.R. Mills serves as chief executive officer and principal of Bear Real Estate Group, headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Bear Real Estate Group’s family of companies — Bear Development, Bear Commercial, Bear Property Management, Bear Homes and Construction Management Associates — specializes in the acquisition, development, construction and management of residential, industrial, commercial and master-planned communities. The company’s active projects and real estate holdings span more than 20 states, with offices in Chicago, Jackson, Wyo., and Madison and Kenosha, Wis.

Mills joined Bear Real Estate Group in 2002, bringing prior experience from several technology companies in northern California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance, investment and real estate from St. Cloud State University and a master’s degree in real estate from Roosevelt University. He also holds the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation and serves as an active member of the Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Foundation.

Founded in 1924, Bear Real Estate Group has grown from a boutique brokerage firm into a vertically integrated real estate organization. According to the company, Bear is “committed to creating long-term value for all stakeholders in the communities where we live, work and serve.”