BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chris Jacobsen

Chairman

Chris Jacobsen is President and CEO of Oak Ridge Natural Resources. He is responsible for business development and oversight of acquisitions, financial reporting, and exploitation and development of producing and undeveloped oil and gas assets. Prior to Oak Ridge Natural Resources, Mr. Jacobsen was President and CEO of Premier Natural Resources and has held other executive management roles at Vintage Petroleum, KCS Energy and Medallion Production in Tulsa for the past 20 years. Before relocating to Tulsa, he was Senior Vice President for 12 years at Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc., a Texas-based oil and gas consulting firm that provides a complete range of professional reservoir engineering, geophysical and geological services to the worldwide petroleum industry.

Mr. Jacobsen began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1977 with Exxon Company USA where he held various reservoir and facilities engineering and supervision positions. Mr. Jacobsen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Rose Human Institute of Technology in 1977 with a minor in economics.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

In addition to his professional career, Chris has served in various capacities in the community including Mayor Pro Tem/City Councilman of Sachse, TX (Dallas County) and Member of the Dallas County Mobility Coalition for Thoroughfare Development in the Dallas Metroplex, as an adult leader and Executive Committee Member for the Tulsa Council of Boy Scouts of America, as Junior Achievement Counselor and the University of Tulsa’s Petroleum Engineering Industry Advisory Board.

Trey Cooper, CFP, AIF

Director & Senior Wealth Advisor with Mariner Wealth Advisors

As a director and senior wealth advisor, Trey focuses on developing solutions for individuals, foundations, and corporate retirement plans.

Prior to Mariner Wealth Advisors, Trey was a senior vice president of Adams Hall Wealth Advisors.  He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, is a Certified Financial Planner professional and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary designee.

Trey has served on the boards of Meals on Wheels of Tulsa, and the Tulsa Air and Space Museum.  He is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa Class 42, the G2 Leadership Institute and was named to Oklahoma Magazine’s list of 40 under 40 in 2015.  He is also a Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified BBQ Judge. 

Trey and his wife, Jamie, have been married 15 years and have two children. 

Ryan Morgan

Ryan has a heart to serve the Lord, and a strong passion for children to have success in learning. For several years he has coached youth soccer, youth basketball and volunteers many hours at his church teaching Kindergarteners. He volunteers during his lunch time tutoring young children in math and helping them learn. Ryan is a mechanical engineer for a company in the Tulsa area. He considers it a privilege to be part of the Building All Children Board.

Janell Carter

Speech Language Pathologist, M.S. CCC-SLP

Janell is a Speech Language Pathologist, carrying her national certification. She earned her degree at the University of Tulsa and upon graduation, immediately began working for Tulsa Public Schools. Janell took time to be a mother to three before returning to work at Therapy Works, a pediatric clinic offering occupation, physical, speech and feeding therapy. She is currently a Speech Language Pathologist at Jenks Public Schools, serving 3 and 4-year old’s. Her passion for helping others, especially those who cannot help themselves, has led her to Building All Children. She is prayerful that the skills, dedication and resources God has equipped her with will be a blessing to ALL children and families using these services. She believes that early intervention is a critical component to assisting children in being successful in the classroom. Janell and her husband, Ryan, have been married for 25 years and have three wonderful children. The Carters are greatly involved at Asbury UMC and are excited for the partnership to come with Building All Children.

Cassie Mock

Partner at 1522 Financial

Cassie Mock grew up on a wheat farm in South Central Kansas. She attended Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in History and a minor in Political Science. Cassie spent a year after graduation working for FHSU Admissions Office recruiting students in Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado. 

Cassie attended The University of Tulsa College of Law where she earned her Juris Doctorate. She started her career in civil litigation where she focused on complex litigation for a large healthcare system. In 2022, Cassie and her husband, Philip, opened 1522 Financial, a wealth management and financial planning firm. Her focus is using her legal background to navigate the numerous regulations that govern registered investment advisors. 

In her spare time, Cassie enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, singing on her church’s worship team, gardening and volunteering at her childrens’ school.

William L. (“Hess”) Hester

Senior Pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa

Originally from Memphis, TN, Hess received his BA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX; M. Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX; and D. Min. from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO.

Hess has served churches in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and is currently the Sr.Pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa where he has served for over 25 years.  His “better half” is Julie, a long-time teacher in the Music Department at Jenks High School, to whom he has been married for over 40 years.  The Hester’s have three married daughters and their greatest joy these days are their four wonderful grandchildren! 

“Transformed lives are the bottom line for me as a pastor and that’s why I am excited and honored to share in the ministry of Building All Children through which the lives of so many children are being transformed daily in Christ!”

Tamara Noel

Owner of Luxe Furniture & Design and Partner with Luxe Real Estate Team with McGraw Realtors
Tamara Noel is owner of Luxe Furniture & Design, a full-service interior design studio and furniture showroom based in Tulsa, and partner with the Luxe Real Estate Team with McGraw Realtors. She holds degrees in Marketing and Human Resources Management from the University of Oklahoma, and previously worked on the trading floor at ONEOK Energy Services before venturing into local business ownership. Tamara was recognized as one of the Business Journal Record’s Under 40 Achievers in 2019 for her business and philanthropic efforts.

Tamara believes strongly in building and giving back to the Tulsa community and has served on board and executive positions with Project Orphans, CampFire USA Green Country Council, and the Gamma Phi Beta Tulsa Alumnae Chapter. She is passionate about children and celebrating each child’s unique development and has been involved with Building All Children in different capacities since 2016, focusing mostly on fundraising.

Tamara and her husband, Chris, are parents to two sweet young boys, Palmer and Pearson. As a family, they enjoy traveling, playing sports, and playing outdoors.

Dr. Don Hamilton

This fall, Dr. Don Hamilton will be volunteering time at Building All Children to provide education, resources and consultation as needed. Dr. Hamilton retired from medical practice in 2021 after providing pediatric care in the Tulsa area for 35 years. The last 15 years were spent in developmental and behavioral pediatrics.

He now lives in Bixby with his wife, Debbie and they have 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren. He enjoys spending more time with family especially his grandchildrens and activities at his church, Asbury.

Over the past 2 years, his dog, Chip has become certified as a therapy dog and they participate in therapy visits on a regular basis. Also, retirement has provided time and opportunities to explore new interests.

Alycia Pennington

Alycia Pennington currently works at Union Public Schools and is the Principal of Rosa Parks Early Childhood Education Center.  She has been in Education for 23 years. She and her wonderful husband, Scott, have been married for 28 years and have 4 children.  She has served in her church in many different capacities, from working in the children’s and youth departments, being on committees and leading Women’s ministry.

McKenzie Bender 

McKenzie, a proud Tulsa native, embodies the spirit of service, commitment, and community. With a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa, she has carved out a successful career as a Reservoir Engineer, contributing her expertise to the energy sector. 

In addition to her professional pursuits, McKenzie is a devoted wife and mother of two children. Their shared interests include spending quality time with family and friends, staying active, and actively participating in church and school activities. As a family unit, the Bender’s are a testament to the values of community, engagement, and a shared commitment to making Tulsa a better place for all families. 

McKenzie’s passion for children’s development extends beyond her own family. She is committed to ensuring every child can be the best version of themselves and educating parents on the resources available to further develop their child’s unique potential. McKenzie believes strongly in giving back to the Tulsa community and has served on the board of the Brain Injury Recovery Foundation. She is looking forward to working alongside BAC to empower the families of Tulsa to improve each child’s development physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.