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| Though the name changed since its 1945 beginning from Future Homemakers of America to Family Career and Community Leaders of America in 1999, the core values have stayed the same for this CareerTech student organization.
Foster is the regional director of income development for the American Cancer Society. On Sept. 1, she will become the ACS regional vice president for Oklahoma. Foster’s commitment to the cancer society began in 1996 as a volunteer. She then took the position as income specialist in 1998 and has done everything from supervising events in smaller portions of the state to raising money for programs. She will supervise at the state level in her new position. “I use skills I learned in FHA as state president in my job everyday, just on a larger scale,” Foster said. “What I learned through public speaking, giving presentations, meeting with students and advisers, and motivating FHA members to become involved led me to what I’m doing now. Everything I learned serving as FHA president has come full circle - motivate, organize and supervise.” That is why Foster is a CareerTech Champion, according to Phil Berkenbile, CareerTech state director. “Champions are alumni of the system's high school or adult programs and student organizations who attribute much of their success to their CareerTech experience,” Berkenbile said.
The application process for a state officer has also changed since 1984. Candidates still appear before a panel of judges for an interview portion and two are placed on the ballot for each office. “Then ballots were mailed to each individual chapter and tallied before state convention started,” Foster said. “New officers knew if they received an office before convention and were installed at the end of convention.” Now officers are elected during convention by an electronic vote and are announced during convention’s closing session. Foster’s duties as state president included traveling around the state installing new officers, speaking at chapter meetings, presiding over the 1985 state convention and presenting a workshop at national FHA convention. State officers also promote the state FCCLA project. During Foster’s senior year, the state project focused on missing children due to recent kidnappings of children across the nation. State officers promoted this project by carrying handmade dolls to signify the importance of the missing children issue. Officers also spoke on how to keep children safe from kidnappers. The main skills Foster learned as state president are used every day at ACS. State officers learn public speaking and presentation skills. They also learn how to put together a presentation from start to finish, including handouts and flip charts. Foster also learned the proper way to greet people during a conference for all seven CareerTech student organization state officer teams. “The Technology Student Association adviser taught a workshop that taught all state officers the proper way to shake hands,” Foster said with a laugh. “To this day, I get compliments on my handshake.” Foster has been married for 21 years to Barry, a high school football coach at Rush Springs. As an organizer of Relay for Life, the couple’s busy seasons are opposite of each other. Barry has a full schedule during the fall and Lesa’s busy season is during the spring and summer. Foster’s homemaking skills come in handy during the busy months with three active teenage daughters and a six-year-old son. FCCLA is known for teaching students everyday life skills such as cooking, balancing a checkbook, keeping your house organized and balancing home and work life. “I strongly believe in the life skills I learned in FHA and use them everyday in my home,” Foster said. Related Links |
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| Story: Erin Portman Communications and Marketing posted 8/30/2006 |
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Lesa Foster, Oklahoma’s FHA state president 1984-1985 from Rush Springs, still lives by those values everyday.
As a sophomore, Foster served as Rush Springs chapter secretary and was elected chapter president and district secretary her junior year. She served as state president her senior year in high school.