As President and CEO of San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA), Rosanne Foust directs conversations important to maintaining a strong local and regional economy, attracting and retaining major employers and good jobs, and creating partnerships between business and government to address the critical issues of affordable housing, mobility improvements and maintaining a good quality of life.
Ms. Foust has built SAMCEDA into an influential and highly regarded inclusive association with membership of Fortune 500 corporations including technology and social media, biotechnology and life sciences, banking and financial services, utilities and energy, construction and developers, as well as healthcare, education and non-profits. Her leadership has facilitated successful advocacy efforts related to major infrastructure projects, including California High Speed Rail, Caltrain Electrification, Transbay Terminal, reform of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the protection of the Hetch-Hetchy reservoir. She led the business community to support transportation and transit initiatives including the Highway 101 Managed Lanes Project and the successful passage of Measure W (2018, a co-chaired campaign) and Measure RR (2020).
With the onset of the pandemic, beginning in March 2020, Ms. Foust creatively pivoted SAMCEDA to be a key partner to the County of San Mateo serving as the business resource liaison for the entire county by assisting and coordinating COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery for the business community.
Previously, Ms. Foust had a twenty-year career with Alsace Development International USA, Inc. in multiple positions including Regional Manager, Director U.S. Operations, Executive Vice President North America & Treasurer of the Corporation. She directed and managed U.S. offices in Boston, Los Angeles and Redwood City and an international office in Sydney, Australia for the economic development authorities of Alsace, France. In her twenty-year tenure, Ms. Foust brought billions of dollars in investments to this region in France.