tSOUTHFIELD — Plante Moran CRESA has hired Laura Hester as vice president of Consulting for the senior living sector. Hester has 15 years of experience in managing the planning, development and construction of senior living communities throughout the Midwest. At Plante Moran CRESA, she will be working on behalf of clients to identify real estate acquisition and development opportunities, perform financial feasibility analyses and provide program development and project management oversight for the senior living sector, which includes retirement, assisted living and acute care facilities.
tPrior to joining Plante Moran CRESA, Hester was a Principal in Davos Development’s senior living group. At Davos, she was responsible for the planning, development and construction of new independent and assisted living communities. Prior to Davos Development,she was a senior vice president of the Midwest region for Sunrise Development, Inc., a division of Sunrise Senior Living. She has been involved in the planning, approval and delivery of over 2,000 units valued at over $480 million.
t“Laura brings expertise in both capital structure and operational adeptness in the for-profit senior living arena,” said Plante Moran CRESA Partner Tom Chen, PE. “Such planning and business acumen will also help our not-for-profit senior living clients thrive in a segment that is continuously challenged with ‘doing more for less.’”
tHester is a member of the Urban Land Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture, a bachelor’s postgraduate professional degree in architecture, and a master’s degree in architecture with distinction from Lawrence Technological University. She also holds an MBA with a focus in business development and strategy from Ohio State University’s Max M. Fisher College of Business.
