County Honors Diamond Dazzlers…Hillbarn’s Executive Director Among Those Honored
(Awards recognize those who perpetuate local arts)
by: Elizabeth Jardina

For Ryan C. Courtin and Brad Friedman, winning two of the eight ArtShare Diamond Awards – the annual awards given to recognize extraordinary achievement and commitment to arts in San Mateo County – isn’t the biggest thing going on this week…
Arts Volunteer – Lee Foster

Although she now pulls a salary as the executive director of Foster City’s Hillbarn Theatre, Lee Foster spent a full three years, from 200-2003, working for free.

While getting her MBA from University of San Francisco, she also ran the theatre, and dedicated her academic study to it too.
“Every class I took, I wrote a paper about Hillbarn,” Foster said. “That way, they would have a breadth of information about finances and marketing and systems.”

She had promised the board that she would stay with the theatre during the course of her studies, but “at the end of two years, I fell in love with this place,” foster said.

She continued to work her 60 to 70 hour work weeks until finally, in summer 2003, she relinquished her volunteer status.

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