Badi Foster

"In November of 2000, Dr. Badi Foster joined Phelps Stokes as the organization’s fifth president. In his professional, personal and spiritual lives, Dr. Foster embodies the principles and values that guide our work. As an educator and innovator, he has dedicated himself to helping underserved people in Africa and the Americas and has been a pioneer in promoting equality and unity among diverse ethnic and racial groups, while underscoring the importance of education for all men and women.

"Dr. Foster’s dedication to the people and communities of Africa and the Americas stems from his life experiences in both parts of the world. Though born in Chicago, he spent his adolescent years in Africa, attending secondary school in Morocco. After returning to the United States, he earned an undergraduate degree in International Relations with an emphasis on Africa from the University of Denver. As a Fulbright Fellow, his doctoral research focused on the impact of rapid urbanization in Africa.

"Dr. Foster received his Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University and has received many academic honors and appeared in a number of public service roles. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the American Society for Training and Development, a member of the National Commission on Skills of the American Workforce, a member of the U.S. Secretary of Labor's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, and was nominated by our President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the chairman of the board of the National Institute of Literacy. Dr. Foster has also lent his expertise to the Ford Foundation on higher education projects in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Tunisia.

"Prior to becoming President of Phelps Stokes, Dr. Foster held many positions in the education sector. Most recently, he served as the Director of the Lincoln Filene Center for Citizenship and Public Affairs at Tufts University. During his time at Tufts, Dr. Foster taught classes on leadership and public citizenship as the Lincoln Filene Professor for Citizenship and Public Service. His past experience also includes 10 years at Harvard University, where he served as Director of the Field Experience Program at the Graduate School of Education, Chairman of the Hispanic Study Group, Assistant Director of the Kennedy Institute of Politics, Visiting Professor of African-American Studies and Lecturer in Education. Prior to Harvard, Foster held positions at Princeton University, Rutgers and the University of Massachusetts.

"Dr. Foster’s extensive experience also includes time in the for-profit sector, including leadership roles as the President and CEO of Transport America, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for University Hospitals of Cleveland and University Hospitals Health System, Inc. and founder of the Aetna Institute for Corporate Education, which received the national award for best training and development program.

"He currently serves as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Program of African-American Studies at Princeton University, the Advisory Board of the College of Arts & Letters of Notre Dame, the Board of the Institute for Educational Leadership, the Board of the Ernest Morial Center for Asthma and Respiratory Disease at Louisiana State University, the Regional Technology Strategies Inc, the Board of Public Broadcasting Service, and the Board of the National Civic League."

• Director, Institute for Educational Leadership
• Director, TimeBanks USA