About Rosanne Foust

  • President  & CEO, San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA).
  • Significantly enhanced membership by bringing onboard Google, Dragonfly Investments, Facebook, Genentech, LinkedIn, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Parsons Brinkerhoff, Carbon 3D, and ProTerra.
  • Grew the Annual Awards of Excellence into its current “Innovators” event highlighting San  Mateo County companies that embody the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Several previous winners have had successful IPO’s in the last five years including Achaeogen, Codexis, GoPro, Marketo, Rocket Fuel, Silver Spring Networks, and Solazyme.
  • Developed coalitions and partnerships with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), Bay Area Council (BAC), Joint Venture Silicon Valley and the Building Industry Association (BIA) for successful advocacy efforts on behalf of the business community relating to major projects in infrastructure, housing and transportation. These projects include:  California High Speed Rail, Caltrain electrification, TransBay Terminal, reform of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and protection of the Hetch-Hetchy reservoir that provides over 90% of the Bay Area’s water supply.
  • City of Redwood City, City Council – Elected 2003, 2007, 2011; Served as Mayor 2007-2009 and Vice Mayor 2005-2007 and 2013-2015.

  • 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. Directed and Managed U.S. offices in Boston, Los Angeles and Redwood City and international office in Sydney, Australia for economic development authorities of Alsace, France.

  • Deputy Chair, Economic Development of the Redwood City-San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce; Past Chair of the Board. Elected to the Board in 2000, Chair in 2003, Deputy Chair 2006-2016.

  • Trustee, Bay Area Council Economic Institute.

  • Past Chair & Current Executive Committee, Peninsula Television (PenTV).

  • Vice Chair and Board Member, Casa de Redwood (affordable senior housing complex).

  • Board Member, First Five Commission San Mateo County
  • Former Board Member and Past Chair, San Mateo County Transportation Authority; Elected by the Council of Mayors in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014.
  • Former Board Member, San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority – Appointed by the Association of Bay Area Governments in 2009 and 2013.

  • Past Member, Redwood City Rotary 2001-2015.

  • Past Chair, Redwood City Planning Commission – Appointed in 2000, Chair in 2002 and 2003 until elected to City Council in November 2003.

  • MA Public Administration; BA International Studies and Economics; Completed Executive Management Programs at Stanford University and UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management.  Member of the inaugural class of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Entrepreneurial Boot Camp for Redwood City.

  • Honored by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the “Most Influential Women in Business in the Bay Area” in 2009, 2010 and a member of the Forever Influential Honor Roll from 2011 until present.

  • Honored as the first Alumna of Distinction, Notre Dame de Namur University – 2013.

  • Honored by the Redwood City San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce in 2009 and 2013 as Person of the Year and in 2002 as Athena Businesswoman of the Year.