Port of Oakland Executive Director plans to retire from the Port in Sep.

Port of Oakland Executive Director Charles W. Foster announced his retirement June 28. Mr. Foster notified the Board of Port Commissioners in a letter dated June 19th of his planned retirement in September 2001. Foster has served as the top executive at the port for six and a half years.

Mr. Foster has decided that this is the right time to retire in order to achieve a smooth change of leadership at the Port. Foster stated that he has accomplished his goals at the Port by completing the executive phase of the Port's expansion program. "We have successfully transitioned from the visionary stage for Port expansion and achieved milestones in obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals to move ahead," stated Charles Foster. "The Port of Oakland is now well grounded for the construction phase that is already underway for a number of expansion projects."

"My retirement is a matter of personal fulfillment. I am looking forward to enjoying more time with my wife of 38 years, going fishing and reducing my handicap on the golf course."

The Port of Oakland Board of Port Commissioners appointed Charles W. Foster to the Executive Director position on February 7, 1995. Foster first joined the Port in 1986 as the Director of Aviation.

Under Chuck Foster's direction, the Port has achieved a number of accomplishments, including the necessary and long sought-after authorizations and approvals for expanding all three of the Port's revenue-generating divisions -- Maritime, Aviation and Commercial Real Estate. This expansion is the largest in the Port's history.

In that letter Foster added, "The Port of Oakland is well positioned strategically and on the threshold of enormous opportunities in all three lines of business. The best is yet to come under its new executive leadership and governance. I strongly recommend that Mr. Tay Yoshitani be appointed my successor."
(Tay Yoshitani is the current Deputy Executive Director of the Port of Oakland)

The Board of Port commissioners will take up the issue of a replacement at its July 10th Board meeting.

"Chuck Foster has been an incredible source of leadership and inspiration to the entire organization," said David Kramer, President of the Board of Port Commissioners. "Chuck has demonstrated his tremendous capacity for moving the Port forward with its expansion goals. He has also touched all of us with his down-to-earth friendly and caring nature. I can't say enough about all the success that the Port has had under Chuck's direction. He has been our guide and our friend through one of the most exciting times in the Port's history"