Dr. Nancy Foster

On June 27, 2000, Dr. Nancy Foster, the former Assistant Administrator for Oceanic Services and Coastal Zone Management at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Director of the National Ocean Service (NOS), died at her home in Baltimore, Maryland, after a year-long battle with cancer. Her early understanding of marine ecosystems and their conservation, and the need to consider the interdependent roles of organisms in marine ecosystems, set her apart as a pioneer and visionary. This perspective laid the foundation for her 23-year tenure with NOAA, and brought a quality and strength to the agency unequaled in its history.

Her Legacy

Former NOAA Administrator D. James Baker presents Presidental Rank Award to Dr. Foster.

Dr. Foster was a marine biologist known for her science-based conservation of coastal aquatic life. Dr. D. James Baker, the former Administrator of NOAA, asked Dr. Foster to be the new head of NOS in 1997. The longest-serving Administrator of NOAA, Dr. Baker recognized NOAA's need to take the lead in addressing coastal issues and Dr. Foster's leadership was part of his vision. During her short stay at NOS, she increased the agency's strength and stature, and positioned NOS to lead the nation in coastal stewardship. The reinvention and invigoration of NOS, completed in 1999, was conceptualized and developed under her guidance. She was instrumental in building numerous pivotal partnerships within NOAA and the marine community, including the congressionally mandated Marine Transportation System Task Force and the NOAA University of New Hampshire Joint Hydrographic Center in 1999. Her work was also recognized internationally, particularly in the arena of marine protected areas, and she was named Marine Vice-chair for the World Commission on Protected Areas in 1998.

Prior to becoming the Assistant Administrator of NOS, Dr. Foster served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from 1993 to 1997, where she led the first reorganization of the agency since 1972, and helped to create a more efficient, responsive, and scientifically rigorous agency. She served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries from January through October 1993.

In 1983, Dr. Foster hosed down the newly recovered anchor from the USS Monitor.

From 1986 through 1993, she was the director of the NMFS Office of Protected Resources. In this position, she received accolades from conservationists for her measures to protect Snake River salmon and winter-run Chinook salmon. She also created the NOAA Habitat Restoration Center, established the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office and charged it with safeguarding the bay, and created the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank, opening new doors to marine science and management. She also was a key player in developing the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Act, which established the Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Dr. Foster began her NOAA career in 1977, first with the Office of Research and Development, followed by nine years as the Deputy Director and then the Director of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program and the National Estuarine Research Reserve Program. Much of the success of the Sanctuary Program, a national treasure to the American people, is attributable to her tenure in its early years, and through her long-term support and advocacy.

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A Passion for Mentoring and Diversity

Dr. Foster was devoted to the mentoring process.

Throughout her career, Dr. Foster was well respected as a personal supporter of mentoring, a champion of diversity, and an advocate of fair and equal treatment of all people in the workplace. She personally touched the lives of hundreds of employees because she understood the strength and vision that could be awakened in others by believing in and recognizing their unique talents and contributions. She regularly reached out to institutions that historically served minority students, making it a personal goal to open doors and create linkages. While at NMFS, she instituted the first NMFS Diversity Council and Charter and the first Pilot Mentoring Program. In an April 2000 letter to Dr. Foster, Vice President Al Gore wrote, "You have pioneered an impressive national strategy for environmental management and served as an outstanding role model for women scientists across America."

Prior to NOAA

Prior to joining NOAA, Dr. Foster worked as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in the 1970s served as assistant professor and chairperson of the biology department at Dunbarton College for Women in Washington, DC. During her doctoral studies, she worked at the Smithsonian Institution, where she studied marine invertebrates.

Her Honors

Dr. Foster received the first NMFS Habitat Conservation Award.

Dr. Foster's professional accomplishments have been recognized through numerous awards, including three Department of Commerce Bronze Medals for the NMFS Restoration Center and her work in salmon conservation. In 1993, she received the Department’s highest award – the Gold Medal – for her leadership in providing stewardship of the nation’s living marine resources. In 1999, she was honored with a Presidential Rank Award for her overall outstanding marine conservation leadership for the nation. In 2000, the Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Center was named in her honor, and within months of her death, the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program was introduced in Congress and signed into law on November 13, 2000. This program, which is a tribute to her life’s work and passion, was introduced by Senator Hollings (D-SC) with co-sponsors Snowe (R-ME), Kerry (D-MA), Stevens (R-AK), Inouye (D-HI), Breaux (D-LA), and Cleland (D-GA). In the House, it was introduced by Representative Saxton (R-NJ-3) with Representative Sam Farr (D-CA-17) as the co-sponsor. The NOAA ship NANCY FOSTER, commissioned on May 10, 2004, is named for Dr. Foster in tribute to her outstanding contributions in advancing NOAA's mission through her excellence leadership.

Personal Background

Born in Electra, Texas, Dr. Foster was a graduate of the Texas Woman’s College. She received her M.S. in Marine Biology from Texas Christian University and her Ph.D. in Marine Biology from George Washington University, where her doctoral research focused on the ecology and systematics of polychaetous annelids.

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