Our Team

Whitney Greaves, Chief Executive Officer and Owner – Whitney is an owner of the company and is responsible for oversight of property management, asset management and investor relations for the company. Ms. Greaves has been involved in real estate acquisition, financing, and development since 1987.  Prior to joining JTL Investments in May 2012, she was a Managing Director of Paladin Realty Partners, LLC, an institutional real estate fund manager.  During her sixteen-year tenure with Paladin Realty Partners, Ms. Greaves was responsible for originating and managing joint venture investments in multifamily projects and hotels in the United States.  She was also responsible for originating and managing joint venture investments for the development of single family housing in Chile.  Before joining Paladin Realty in 1995, Ms. Greaves was a First Vice President and Portfolio Manager for First Nationwide Bank in San Francisco.  During her seven-year tenure with First Nationwide Bank, her responsibilities included the management and disposition of portfolios of non-performing loans and real estate assets. Ms. Greaves was also responsible for restructuring tax-exempt bond financings and credit enhancement facilities with the Federal Home Loan Bank and Fannie Mae, resolving complex construction and partnership litigation disputes and managing several environmental remediation projects.  Ms. Greaves graduated from the University of Redlands with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science.

John Stephenson, President and Owner – John is an owner of the company and is involved in new business development.  Mr. Stephenson has been actively involved in real estate acquisition, brokerage, and finance since 2003.  Prior to Joining CRES Management in 2006, John worked as a commercial real estate broker specializing in the disposition of multi-family properties.  During his brokerage career, Mr. Stephenson procured the sale of more than 20 assets in the Kansas City market. Since joining CRES in 2006, John has been involved in the acquisition and disposition of multi-family assets in 5 states, totaling over $600 million in volume. Mr. Stephenson graduated from the University of Kansas, where he received a B.S. in Business Administration.

Judy Mitchell, Vice President of Operations – Judy has over 20 years of experience in property management. She joined CRES in 2009 and was promoted to regional supervisor in 2013. In her current role, she is responsible for the management of all the company’s assets, which includes multi-family properties and Home Owners’ Associations. She remains active in trade organizations such as Multi Housing World and National Apartment Association Conferences, as well as the Texas Apartment Association.  Prior to CRES, Ms. Mitchell was a Senior Property Manager for an Austin based property management company.

Aaron Parker, Vice President of Asset Management – Aaron joined the CRES team in 2012 and is responsible for the day-to-day accounting operations for the entire portfolio of properties and also leads the investor reporting  function for the company. In addition to these duties, Mr. Parker also provides detailed financial analysis, fields investor requests, works with external auditors, and assists in the completion of the annual budgeting process. He began his career in public accounting and now has over eleven years of experience in property management accounting. He has a BSB in Accounting from Emporia State University.

Jim Palecek, Chief Financial Officer – Jim oversees the entire accounting and financial reporting function for the company and multiple other real estate investment ventures. Mr. Palecek has over 20 years of real estate accounting experience and has worked in all areas of accounting, including auditing, analysis, and tax preparation.  Mr. Palecek has been an employee of CRES since 2005, serving as the company’s controller before his promotion to CFO in 2012.  Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Illinois-Chicago and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society for top academic performance.

Jeff Miller, Acquisition Analyst – Jeff joined CRES in March of 2017 and is responsible for pursuing acquisition opportunities, financial modeling, negotiating transactions, and various other transactional duties involved within the acquisition and disposition of properties. Jeff graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. in Finance. While at KU, Jeff was involved with Sigma Phi Epsilon, club golf, and was selected among his peers to research and select equity investments for the KU Endowment Student Fund. 

Laura Heard – Senior Property Supervisor - Laura joined CRES in 2012 with 12 years of multi-family experience. She began her career with CRES as a Property Manager, where she was instrumental in managing renovations, stabilizing operations, and hiring and training property teams. Ms. Heard has managed several challenging turnarounds for CRES by coordinating physical improvements and improving property performance and resident satisfaction.  

In 2022, Ms. Heard was promoted to Senior Property Supervisor. She is currently responsible for assisting with the operations in Texas, Tennessee, Kansas, and Iowa. In this role, she is able to utilize her onsite knowledge to help develop our employees, improve operations and identify areas for financial improvement. Laura is also responsible for assisting with financial reporting, budgeting, and long-term capital planning. She has a positive attitude, is an excellent problem solver, and a valued member of the CRES team. 

With over 25 years of experience in the property management industry, Berit has earned a reputation for her expertise in managing multifamily assets, optimizing operations, and developing high-performing teams. She is recognized for her success in overseeing renovations, lease-ups, and stabilizing properties, as well as her proven ability to lead teams toward sustained operational excellence.

Berit began her career as a Leasing Consultant with AvalonBay Communities in the Seattle market, where she quickly advanced to Senior Property Manager. She then transitioned to Goodman Real Estate, further refining her skills as a Senior Property Manager and Portfolio Manager. Throughout her career, Berit has demonstrated an ability to drive property performance, streamline operations, and ensure the long-term success of every asset under her management.

In 2024, after relocating back to the Kansas City area, Berit joined CRES as a Regional Property Manager overseeing the Kansas City Portfolio. In this role, she continues to leverage her extensive experience to enhance portfolio value and lead her teams to new heights of success. Berit holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Portland State University, a background that has significantly contributed to her exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills.

Terri Richey, Director of Marketing and Corporate Trainer – Terri began her property management career in 1989, specializing in leasing and marketing.  She joined CRES in 2000, bringing her extensive advertising and marketing knowledge. She is responsible for all the advertising, marketing materials, and training of onsite personnel. She is also instrumental in the acquisition process and oversees the development of the company’s policies and procedures. Terri has been recognized by local apartment associations numerous times for her work as Director of Marketing.  

Maddie returned to CRES in March 2024, stepping into the role of Assistant Marketing Director. Her duties include dispersing monthly marketing plans and materials, crafting engaging social media content, and conducting training sessions for onsite personnel. As a Kansas native, Maddie brings with her over six years of property management experience in the Kansas City metropolitan area. She has already tackled a few large projects, including launching 'CRES Helping Hands,' an initiative where our employees accrue PTO to complete community service efforts in our communities.

Marsha Jones became a member of the CRES team in 2021, bringing over 35 years of accounting expertise. She oversees the accounting for Manhattan, Kansas, as well as Brownsburg and Westfield, Indiana. Additionally, Marsha manages the setup and administration of utilities for the CRES portfolio. 

Teresa is an owner of the company and is responsible for business development and planning for the company.  She has been instrumental in the completion of over 85 apartment, condominium, office and retail renovations, which has totaled over $108 million and won numerous awards including Project of the Year by Multifamily Executive Magazine and most recently, the coveted Paragon Award from The National Apartment Association (NAA).  Other accomplishments of her success include, but are not limited to, being named “Women Who Mean Business” by the Kansas City Business Journal and “Owner of the Year” over seven (7) times by the Apartment Association of Kansas City.  Teresa attended Northeast Missouri State University and holds real estate licenses in the states of Missouri and Kansas.  She has been in the property management industry since 1979.  Prior to founding CRES she was Senior Vice President and head of property management for a Kansas City based Real Estate Investment Company.  She has received her compliance training and certification for the Section 42 low-income housing tax credit program.  

Jim is an owner of the company and is involved in business development and long range planning.  He has been actively involved in real estate acquisition, management, brokerage, and finance since 1977.  As a principal, he has been involved in the acquisition and management of over 100 multi-family properties. Throughout his career, Jim has been involved in all aspects of commercial real estate including the redevelopment of office buildings and multi-family real estate, a new development of multi-family properties, as well as retail property ownership. Jim is a graduate of Central Missouri State University, where he received a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing.