2008 Honoree

Lee Foster
Recipient of Hillbarn Theatre's

20th Annual BRAVO! Award

Bio:

Lee Foster had four goals when she assumed the helm as Executive Director of Hillbarn in 2000:  to hire a top notch Artistic Director who would bring the artistic quality to new standards, to replace the roof, to create important and meaningful relationships with individuals and local

communities and to create a sound financial organization that would keep Hillbarn alive for years.  With the help of the Hillbarn Board of Directors, her goals are complete.

She has now departed Hillbarn Theatre as Executive Director to be the Senior Director of Marketing and Development for the Junior Statesmen Foundation, a non-profit high school civics organization.  Foster will remain on the Hillbarn Board of Directors to assist with her last remaining dream for the theatre: the ability to help Hillbarn move to a more central Foster City location—in a new theatre building.

She is no stranger to Hillbarn Theatre.  In addition to being a board Member since 1997, she is the co-founder of Barnraising '98, one of the founders of the children's Conservatory and the impetus behind the successful fundraising and revitalization effort. She also grew up at Hillbarn Theatre watching many, many productions after her father, T. Jack Foster, Jr., gave the land to the theatre in 1968. Lee spent 18 years as an executive in marketing and sales in such notable travel companies as Cunard Lines, Seabourn Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Saga Holidays, Silversea Cruises and, for nine-years, Royal Cruise Line. In addition, she headed up the value-priced tour division (operated by Saga Holidays) for the Smithsonian Institution called Smithsonian Odyssey Tours. Lee's background in marketing and sales of a "service" product--that demands bodies in beds--has great crossover with theatre marketing requiring people in seats.

Lee, a finalist for the 2001 Management Center's Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management, completed her MBA at the University of San Francisco in May 2002, Beta Gamma Sigma.  She completed the Arts Leadership for the Future in 2002 and the Graduate Arts Leadership for the Future in 2005.  She won the Foster City Honors Award in 2003 and the prestigious 2005 Diamond Awards from San Mateo County's partner ArtShare.  Through her years as Executive Director, she and Artistic Director Toni Tomei received many special resolutions from local, state and national political representatives.