The award recognizes outstanding work and contributions made by Federal workers to the citizens of the United States.
Foster was recognized for his community service and self-improvement efforts which have set him apart as a recognized role model within the Service and his community.
Foster served as a volunteer tutor in the Project Spirit program at his church, providing academic assistance to African-American youth in the St. Paul School District. He is an active member of the African American Affairs Council of the Federal Executive Board, and is a program manager for the Services African-American program. Foster worked to improve his technical expertise by engaging in job-related training opportunities on his own time and expense.
Foster is originally from Detroit and currently lives in St. Paul. As a Computer Support Specialist for the Services Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, he offers technological expertise to staff at field offices in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.
The Federal Executive Board of Minnesota is comprised of all Federal agencies located within the state, and is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and economy of Federal agencies outside of Washington, D.C. There are 28 Federal Executive Boards throughout the country coordinating agency cooperation. These boards are committed to five goals: increasing communication between Federal agencies, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of government, facilitating customer service, forming partnerships with community groups, and coordinating emergency preparedness planning.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
