Meet Our Team

 Jerry Myers, MBA, CBI

As co-owner and principal broker of the Springfield-Branson office of VR Business Sales, Jerry specializes in the ownership transfer of privately-held business and franchise re-sales, and has facilitated the sale or acquisition of numerous businesses in Missouri. Jerry was awarded the prestigious Certified Business Intermediary designation by the International Business Brokers Association in 2007, and was re-certified in 2010. Held by fewer than 500 individuals worldwide, the CBI designation is granted to IBBA members who have met rigorous requirements in education, industry knowledge and experience, ethical standards, and continuing education.

A Springfield, Missouri native, Jerry graduated from Drury University in that city with a degree in Marketing. He then earned an M.B.A. from Rockhurst University in Kansas City. He began teaching for Rockhurst shortly after his graduation, in the subject areas of Marketing and Production/ Operations Management. He also taught income tax law for H & R Block in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as several graduate courses for Keller Graduate School of Management, including Quality Control and Procurement Management. He has taught advertising, economics, and communications courses at other universities, and currently teaches business courses for Drury University as an adjunct professor.

Jerry brings a wealth of experience to each project from his background in industries as diverse as manufacturing and distribution, food service, automotive, agriculture, retail, franchises, education and publishing. In addition, Jerry has owned a number of businesses over the years, which provides him with a personal understanding of the considerations and concerns of both buyers and sellers.

Jerry is a graduate of the United States Business Brokers Advanced Course in Professional Business Brokerage, and is a licensed real estate broker in Missouri. He is an active member of the International Business Brokers Association, and serves on the Small Business Council of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Jerry was one of the five judges for the prestigious W. Curtis Strube Small Business of the Year Award for 2012, sponsored by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, Jerry is a SCORE volunteer, Business Workshop Coordinator for the local SCORE chapter, and teaches the SCORE workshops How to Increase the Value of Your Business So You Can Leave it in Style, Obtaining Financing for Small Business Acquisitions and Startups, How to Buy a Franchise Without Getting Burned, and Affordable Marketing Ideas for Small Business. His columns on selling businesses have appeared in the Springfield Business Journal.

Michael Jon Becker, LUTCF, CBI

Co-Owner Michael Jon Becker grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. His great grandparents, grandparents, great uncles, mother and father, uncles, brothers, and most of his cousins have been business owners.

Michael started his first successful business while in college, selling books door to door for the famous Southwestern Company in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Wichita State University in 1990 with a B.S.B.A. with an emphasis in marketing. He worked as a credit manager with Norwest Financial Corporation (now Wells Fargo) for two years. In 1992, he started his own captive insurance agency with a Fortune 500 insurance company. He was recognized as the state agent of the year, and won numerous awards and trips while building the agency from scratch to a million dollar premium volume agency.

In 1996, the company acquired Michael's agency and promoted him to the position of district manager over the southwest Missouri area. Under Michael's leadership, the southwest Missouri district increased its annual premium volume by two thirds and profitability by nearly threefold. Michael's district consistently finished in the top 10 in property and casualty sales, life sales, profit growth, premium growth, and policy growth in the company.

Michael successfully handled the acquisition of several retiring agencies and managed the merger of the policies with those of new or existing offices. In 2000 his district won the District of the Year Award for Missouri. During his time as district manager, he obtained and held the Series 6, Series 63, and Series 26 securities licenses. In addition, he earned the Advanced Managers Training Council designation (A.M.T.C.), sponsored by the General Agents and Managers Association (G.A.M.A.). He also earned his Life Underwriter Council Fellowship designation (L.U.T.C.F.) during this time.

In 2001, Michael acquired a large insurance agency in Springfield, Missouri, and another agency in that city in 2003. The Mike Becker Agency, Inc. has continued to perform at the highest levels, winning multiple awards and incentive trips and generating millions of dollars in premium volume. Michael continues to own and operate the Mike Becker Agency, Inc., and is currently working on his C.I.C., C.L.U., and C.H.F.C. designations.

Michael is the proud father of Haley, Jace and Cole Becker. He is very active in his children’s lives as a coach and mentor in their various activities. He is a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church where he co-founded the Vacation Bible School program that has flourished with God's blessing. Michael purchased the VR Business Sales franchise for the Springfield-Branson region in 2009 and put together a very experienced and successful advisory board, with the cumulative business experience of the board members totaling over 110 years. Members of the original founding advisory board were Jerry L. Becker, Judi Samuel, and Larry McBee.