Veteran's Day spotlight: Northmarq’s Chris Compton and Nolan Dunn share their stories of service and leadership

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 10, 2025) — At Northmarq, we recognize the value veterans bring to our teams and our industry. 

Veterans Day is a company holiday, and we want to take this opportunity to honor all who have served and to spotlight two of our own: 

• Chris Compton, associate producer of Debt + Equity based in Houston.
• Nolan Dunn, associate vice president of Investment Sales in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Thank you, Chris and Nolan, for your service — and thank you for all you do for Northmarq, for our clients, and for taking the time to share your experiences and insights with us. 

We sat down with them for a Q&A to learn more about their military service and how it continues to shape their careers in commercial real estate. 

Q: What branch of the military did you serve in, and what were your primary duties?

Chris: I served in the U.S. Navy for roughly nine years (2010-2019) and was a lieutenant for most of it. I was a naval flight officer and, more specifically, an electronic warfare officer in the EA-18G — an aircraft that specializes in electronic attack and suppression of enemy air defenses (for a visual — think of me as Goose from Top Gun). I was responsible for navigation, communication, signal analysis and radar jamming. I later became a tactics instructor, training others in combat employment.

Nolan: I served in the U.S. Army as an active-duty infantry officer from 2011-2016. I led 35 to 45 soldiers in Afghanistan as a platoon leader and later served as a company executive officer, managing logistics and serving as second-in-command. I earned the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) for engaging in ground combat and the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) after passing a rigorous two-week test of 40 tactical and physical tasks. Badge recipients can only fail three of the 40 tasks — when you fail the fourth, you’re disqualified. 

Q: What inspired you to join the military? 

Chris: Ever since I was a little boy, I wanted to fly in a fighter jet. I loved the idea of dogfighting and going faster than a race car. As I got older and saw the videos from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, I was inspired by the impact our jets had on the battlefield. Just like old-school cavalry, we could turn the tide for the soldiers on the ground. 

Nolan: Both of my grandfathers served — one was drafted during World War II and served in the Pacific, and the other volunteered for the Air Force and served in the Korean War. But no one in my family had served since the 1950s, so I felt inspired to change that.

And then 9/11 happened. I was in eighth grade, growing up in Westchester County, New York. Both of my parents worked in Manhattan, so the attacks hit close to home. That moment really shaped me. I felt a call to service. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to help or at least do my part.

Q: What was the most memorable experience from your service? 

Chris: It’s hard to identify the most memorable experience because there are so many: flying over Mount Fuji in Japan, flying in large force exercises over the Alaskan wilderness, landing on aircraft carriers at night, dogfighting F-15’s off the Oregon coast, following refueling tankers across the Pacific Ocean, flying low-level routes through the snowy Cascade Mountain range, and my experiences serving with my buddies in South Korea to name a few.

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Nolan: I had a lot of great memories, but two moments stand out. First, graduating from U.S. Army Ranger School — one of the most challenging leadership schools in the military. My twin brother pinned my Ranger tab on me, and my whole family drove down from New York to be there. 

Second, landing in Afghanistan under night vision in the mountains of Wardak Province. Waking up the next morning and seeing the terrain made it real. I felt grateful to finally put years of training into practice.

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Q: How do the skills you developed in the military and your experiences while enlisted help you in your role at Northmarq? 

Chris: A huge portion of the job was mission planning and debriefing. Flying was comparatively small. Today, I use those problem-solving and prioritization skills to help our clients work through deals. When roadblocks occur, I make sure I have a back-up plan and ultimately reflect and apply those learning points to future deals.   

Nolan: In the Army, I had to be tactically sound and technically proficient — juggling everything from weapons systems to evacuation planning. That balance of deep knowledge and adaptability helps me in investment sales — where you need to know your numbers, understand your market and present with confidence. It’s about being both sharp and client-focused.

Q: Why is Veterans Day important to you, and what would you like people who haven’t served to know regarding the importance of this day to those who have served?

Chris: Beyond the risks military members take with their bodies and lives, they sacrifice time. The needs of the nation control the schedule of training detachments and deployments. They miss many special events and priceless daily moments with loved ones. They also sacrifice time away from higher paying careers or other pursuits. It’s important to thank veterans for their service but then also help them regain their time where possible.

Nolan: It’s a day for reflection — a chance to think about the people I served with, the stories we share and the sacrifices made. I feel proud and grateful for the opportunity to have served, and I use the day to reach out to old friends and fellow veterans. 

Only about 1% of Americans serve in the military, so it’s important to recognize the wide range of backgrounds and motivations that lead people to serve — some feel a call to duty, others are looking for a new path forward.

I’ve stayed connected to the veteran community through groups like Veterans on Wall Street, which supports veterans transitioning into finance and related industries. I also serve on the Junior Veterans Advisory Board for The Headstrong Project, a nonprofit that provides free mental health care to post-9/11 veterans. These organizations are a way for me to give back and help others find purpose after service.

I’d encourage anyone at Northmarq who wants to support veterans to learn more about these groups or simply reach out to a veteran colleague — you never know the impact that connection might have.