Senior Staff
William R. Jester
President, Resource Development, Inc.
William R. Jester is Founder and President of Resource Development, Inc. Mr. Jester has broad experience in the financial development field, including estate planning, real estate investment, and varied business interests. He also served as vice president of Southwest Baptist University from 1971 through 1979.
In 1979, Mr. Jester formed a consulting firm that raised and developed more than $1.5 billion in capital and endowment projects for non-profit organizations, both nationally and internationally.
Mr. Jester's expertise in major project development has built him a solid reputation as a speaker and conductor of development workshops across the country.
In 1989, Mr. Jester expanded Resource Development, Inc. into the real estate market. Through Resource Development, Inc. and its associated company, Jester Capital Management, LLC, Mr. Jester currently has commercial real estate holdings of roughly 500,000 square feet with a market value of approximately $67.1 million. Mr. Jester is also involved in several residential developments in the central United States.
Mr. Jester has an undergraduate degree from Southwest Baptist University and graduate hours from Central Missouri State University and the University of Oklahoma.
Jerald L. Hill, J.D.
Chief Operating Officer, Resource Development, Inc.
Jerald L. Hill is Chief Operating Officer of Resource Development Inc. and all other Jester-related entities. In this position, Mr. Hill assists Mr. Jester with the fiscal, management and operational aspects of all of the various properties and companies. Mr. Hill also is responsible for overseeing all financial, banking and lending relationships and has responsibility for work with government and political leadership on all zoning, regulatory issues and related matters including testimony before governmental bodies.
Mr. Hill brings his years of legal, management, development and strategic planning experience to Resource Development, Inc. In addition to his prior legal experience, Mr. Hill has an undergraduate degree in business administration and extensive corporate management experience. As Chief Executive Officer of a national, non-profit legal foundation, he gained valuable knowledge in strategic planning, budgeting, financial management, personnel management and client-donor relationships. Mr. Hill also served six years as a Special Assistant to United States Senator John C. Danforth (R-MO).
Mr. Hill has been published in numerous national publications and has spoken throughout the nation on various legal and non-profit issues. He is a graduate of William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and the University of Missouri School of Law - Kansas City. Mr. Hill's legal experience included admission and practice before the United States Supreme Court and the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Fifth, Eighth, Ninth and D.C. Circuits, as well as the Missouri Supreme Court.
Tracy J. Lerosen
Controller, Resource Development, Inc.
Tracy J. LeRosen is an accounting professional with twelve years accounting experience and has been an employee of Resource Development, Inc. since 2001. She was previously employed for four years as head of accounts receivable for Barclay Enterprises, owner of Auto Magic Car Wash and Jiffy Lube. Before moving to the Springfield area, Mrs. LeRosen was employed by Matthews Oil Co. in Jonesboro, Arkansas as staff accountant, where she helped assist in the fi nancial management of ten convenience stores.
Mrs. LeRosen is directly responsible for all accounting activity regarding the properties owned and managed by Resource Development. Mrs. LeRosen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Arkansas State University.
Fran E. Babin
Property Manager, Resource Development, Inc. and Great Wall Construction
Fran Babin serves as Commercial Property Manager and Director of Tenant Relations for both commercial office and retail space. She is also a designated broker on all Resource Development properties. She has been with Resource Development, Inc. for 24 years.
Mrs. Babin is in direct contact with tenants during construction of new properties and renovation of existing properties. She facilitates all phases of tenants' occupancy of leased premises. She is involved in lease negotiations with prospective tenants and with renewals of existing leases. It is her responsibility to review the terms of each lease and to ensure compliance. Mrs. Babin implements all property management issues and emergency response actions relating to tenants. She also monitors services provided by vendors and coordinates the maintenance and upkeep of each individual property.
Mrs. Babin works closely with the accounting department with respect to rents, common area maintenance billbacks, additional work orders, approval of payables, and accounts receivable. She also assists the real estate legal department in collections, evictions, and insurance claims.
Mrs. Babin has a degree in business administration from Drury University and has attended the JP Morgan Institute of Real Estate and the Lifetime Learning Institute of Real Estate. She is also a member of the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors.
Brooke N. Bennett
Broker, Resource America, Inc.
Brooke N. Bennett is a Broker with Resource America, Inc., a real estate brokerage firm owned by Resource Development, Inc. Resource America is involved in land acquisition and sales, leasing of commercial space, and property management for Jester properties.
Ms. Bennett has worked for Jester-related entities for the past fi ve years and currently holds her Missouri Real Estate Brokers license. Ms. Bennett also has ten years of experience in the food, beverage and hospitality industry with Harlequin Dining, Applebee's, Interactive Hotel Solutions and Rio Bravo. As a result, she brings particular expertise in meeting the needs of tenants and prospective tenants from the dining, entertainment and hotel sectors.
In addition to her advanced brokerage license, Ms. Bennett holds a B.S. in Administrative Management from Missouri State University.
Chris Hall
Operations Manager, Great Wall Construction
Christopher E. Hall is Operations Manager for Great Wall Construction, a subsidiary of Resource Development, Inc. Mr. Hall has a vast array of experience within the construction industry. His expertise in the field stems from supervising hotel, entertainment, restaurant, retail, educational, religious, and medical construction projects throughout the country, with a total value greater than $400 million in the past 16 years.
Mr. Hall, through his various of projects, has presented to and met with many different government entities, school boards, church building committees, doctor's groups, corporate level executives, and even tribal councils; presenting specific matters of design, schedule, site logistics, phasing, coordination, risk management, and budget. As a member of the government liaison committee in Springfield, Missouri, Mr. Hall has gained first hand knowledge of the issues of city and county governance as it pertains to the construction industry.
Mr. Hall spent ten years in the US Army and US Army Reserve. While in the US Army Reserve, he received a B.A. in business management from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is a veteran of the Gulf War, and he received an honorable discharge as a sergeant in 1996 to pursue other business opportunities away from his Army Reserve attachment.


