Chester serves as the Executive Director for Southeast and Deep East Texas, where he works closely with community partners and is the face of the Red Cross in local communities. Previously, he was Executive Director for the Southeast Texas Nonprofit Development Center and Executive Director of the Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission, addressing regional initiatives through collaboration and cooperation with government and private sectors. Chester also served as the Executive Director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and worked for the United States Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia and Fort Worth, Texas. Chester was a member of the U.S. Army serving with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division, respectively. In 2005 he engaged in relief efforts for thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina and helped lead efforts in the Hurricane Rita response that followed a month after. Chester holds a Master of Arts degree in Urban and Regional Affairs from the University of Texas and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Stephen F. Austin State University. Chester resides in Port Neches, Texas and is married with two children and two grandchildren.