Drury trustee dies

Rick Lester, a longtime member of the Drury University Board of Trustees, died July 20 after suffering a medical crisis while participating in the Courage Classic bicycle tour through Colorado.

Lester, 61, was a 1974 graduate of Drury and had served on its board of trustees since 2001. He was the CEO of Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Target Resource Group, an arts consulting firm he founded in 1995, according to a news release from Drury President David Manuel. A specific cause of death has not been determined, but the Denver Post reported Lester died during the first day of the 157-mile, three-day ride that benefits Children's Hospital Colorado.

While a trustee, Lester led the presidential search committee that ultimately elected to keep interim President Todd Parnell on permanently in 2006.

"(Lester) was an unabashedly vibrant supporter of Drury University and kept student success at the forefront of his efforts," said Manuel, who started as the university's president June 1, in the release.

Lester, who did not serve on the latest presidential search committee, most recently worked on the university's performing arts advisory council as part of the Drury Connect Initiative, a project aiming to connect Drury students with business and community efforts.

"Rick has influenced the industry's ideas about ticket pricing, patron loyalty and metrics for institutional health," his company biography states. "Rick also invests in developing the next generation of arts and culture administrators."

He was a visiting professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and has been a guest lecturer for arts management programs at Yale University, the University of Wisconsin at Madison and at Drury, according to his bio.

According to his company's website, a service for Lester is scheduled July 29 in Colorado Springs.