POWER OF ATTORNEY - SECTION 16 FILINGS

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints Douglas J. Tucker as the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

       (1) prepare, execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, and
submit to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission  (the
"Commission")  a Form  ID,  including amendments  thereto, and any other
documents necessary or appropriate to obtain codes and  passwords  enabling
the undersigned to make electronic filings with the Commission of reports
required by Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended  (the "Exchange Act"),  or any rule or regulation of the SEC;

       (2) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
undersigned's capacity as a reporting person of Midland States Bancorp,
Inc. (the "Company") pursuant to Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the
rules thereunder, Forms 3, 4 and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
Exchange Act and the rules thereunder;

       (3) do and perform any and  all  acts for and on behalf of the
undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any
such  Form 3, 4 or 5, complete and execute any amendment or amendments
thereto and file such fonn with the Commission and the applicable stock
exchange or similar authority; and

       (4) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with
the foregoing which, in the opinion of any of such attorneys-in-fact, may
be of benefit to, in the  best  interest  of,  or  legally required by, the
undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by any of such
attorneys in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of
Attorney  shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions
as any of such attorneys-in-fact may approve in his or her discretion.

       The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full
power and authority to act separately and to do and perform any and every
act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the
exercise of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all
intents  and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally
present, with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying
and confirming all that any of such attorneys-in-fact, or the substitute or
substitutes of any of such attorneys-in-fact, shall lawfully do or cause to
be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers
herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Exchange
Act.

       This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until
the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect
to the undersigned's holdings  of  and transactions  in securities issued
by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed
writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned  has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as

of this 2nd day of February, 2016

/s/James R. Stewart
Signature


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