Former Long Beach Mayor and Southern California Edison President Robert Foster to speak on March 25
Robert (Bob) Foster, the former mayor of Long Beach, California, and a past president of Southern California Edison, will visit Claremont Graduate University on Wednesday, March 25, to discuss his four decades of leadership in government and public policy.
His talk, titled “When you come to a fork in the road, take it,” will be at noon in Albrecht Auditorium, 925 N. Dartmouth Ave. It is free and open to the public. A buffet lunch will be provided. RSVP is required as seating is limited.
Foster served two terms as mayor of Long Beach, the sixth largest city in California, from July 2006 to July 2014. The Port of Long Beach, governed by the city, is part of the largest port complex in the United States and has successfully completed a massive environmental program to improve air quality through the introduction of clean trucks and controls on ships and cargo handling equipment.
Long Beach also operates its own airport, oil and gas department, and water system. The city is one of the most diverse in the U.S. and is home to an award winning school district. The city’s budget is over $3 billion annually.
Prior to serving as mayor, Foster worked 21 years for Southern California Edison, culminating in four years as president of the utility giant. He is a recognized leader in the energy business, having been at the forefront of major regulatory and public policy issues in California for over three decades.
He led efforts and developed coalitions to build major power plants and transmission lines, establish systems for grid interconnection for renewable power, and initiate advanced metering programs.
His talk is part of the School of Social Science, Policy, and Evaluation’s Maldonado Family Lecture Series, which was established to bring outstanding individuals to CGU to share their expertise as leaders in local and national governance, public policy, national intelligence, criminal justice and enforcement, and industry.