Robert "Bob" Foster

Robert "Bob" Foster (born on January 1, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York is the mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

. He was elected after a runoff election in 2006. Prior to serving as mayor, Foster climbed the ranks of Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity...

, becoming president in 2002. Though not an elected office-holder prior to becoming mayor, Foster was appointed to the California State University

California State University

The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...

 Board of Trustees in 1998 and worked for the California State Senate as a consultant on state energy policy.

Early life

Foster was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended San Jose State University

San José State University

San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...

 for his undergraduate studies, majoring in public administration. During his college years, he operated a carpet-laying business. After graduating, he began working for the California State Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 while he began Ph.D coursework in political science at the University of California, Davis

University of California, Davis

The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...

. Later, Foster worked for the Senate Energy Committee, where he helped develop legislation that created statewide energy efficiency standards. He also taught for one semester as the "Leader-in-Residence" in the Department of Political Science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

 at San Jose State University

San José State University

San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...

.

Election

Noting his experience working in the private and public sectors, Foster campaigned on a platform that called for an end to the city's mounting deficit. He also advocated adding 100 new police officers to the streets of Long Beach and reducing traffic and pollution permeating from the Port of Long Beach. Foster won the June 6, 2006, election with 57.2% of the vote.

Personal life

Foster and his wife, Nancy, are long-time residents of Long Beach. They have two grown sons, and three grandchildren.