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John E. Foster, a member of the Housing Assistance Council's Board of Directors since 1979, passed away on August 2, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio. HAC joins Mr. Foster's family and friends in mourning his loss.

A registered professional engineer with over 35 years of engineering experience, Mr. Foster retired in 1999 as president of John E. Foster & Associates, Inc., a professional corporation engaged in the practice of engineering, architecture, planning, and surveying. After his retirement he continued to work with minority-owned engineering firms.

Throughout his career, Mr. Foster was a board member and officer of many organizations in addition to the Housing Assistance Council. A few of the organizations he served were the City of Columbus Equal Business Opportunity Advisory Board, the Columbus Neighborhood Partnership, the Ohio Association of Minority Architects and Engineers, and the Children's Hospital Research Foundation. He received numerous awards and honors, including recognition as the City of Columbus Equal Business Opportunity Advocate of the Year in 2002.

Mr. Foster leaves his companion Ethel Baldwin; his sons Michael, an attorney in Oakland, California, Timothy, a real estate developer in Chillicothe, Ohio, and Jeffrey, publisher of The San Jose Business Journal in San Jose, California; and three granddaughters and one grandson.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts be made to the John E. Foster Scholarship Fund, which has been set up to aid minority students pursuing education in the engineering field. The scholarship fund is a 501(c)(3) organization and all contributors will receive tax deduction confirmation letters. Contributions should be sent to:

The John E. Foster Scholarship Fund
c/o Timothy Foster
Chase Bank
833 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43602

The Housing Assistance Council's Board of Directors adopted the following proclamation in honor of Mr. Foster.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE COUNCIL
PROCLAMATION
IN MEMORY OF JOHN E. FOSTER

WHEREAS, John E. Foster was elected to the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) Board of Directors in 1979; and

WHEREAS, John E. Foster continued to serve on the HAC Board of Directors until his untimely demise on August 2, 2007; and

WHEREAS, at the time of his death John E. Foster was serving as a member of HAC’s Finance and Resource Development Committee and as a member of its Executive Committee; and

WHEREAS, throughout his tenure on the Board John E. Foster contributed immeasurably to HAC’s work by his service on numerous Board committees, by his consistent attendance and active participation in Board meetings, by his knowledge of housing, water/wastewater, engineering, and financial matters, by his willingness to stand up for his principles and HAC’s mission, and by his humor and humanity;

WHEREAS, John E. Foster was well known and respected throughout his home state of Ohio and in rural communities around the United States,

WHEREAS, John E. Foster worked tirelessly to assist communities in developing safe, decent housing by developing water and wasterwater systems in rural and small communities around the United States; and

WHEREAS, John E. Foster’s quiet determination to assist communities was translated continutiously to the HAC family through his dedication to support the rural poor and insure that HAC remained financially secure in order to carry out its mission to serve the rural poor and their communities,

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Housing Assistance Council Board of Directors expresses its sincere appreciation and gratitude for John E. Foster’s contributions to the organization and to low-income and minority people throughout the United States.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this fourth day of August 2007 by unanimous vote.

[signed]
Gideon Anders, Chairman
Arturo Lopez, President