At the time he was inaugurated 19 years ago, the city was suffering under spiraling pension costs, the air bogged by congestion and traffic from its seaport and straining under a deficit waiting to be compounded by one of the worst recessions in U.S. history.<\/p>\n
Despite Foster\u2019s strong credentials helming one of the nation\u2019s largest utilities, he had never run for elected public office. Yet it turns out Foster was in many ways the right person at the right time.<\/p>\n
Foster held the mayoral office from 2006 to 2014. In that time, he oversaw the cutting of $200 million in expenses and 780 employee positions. In a bid to tamp down the city\u2019s bloated unfunded pension liability, he oversaw tough negotiations with the city\u2019s employee unions, achieving pension reform that saved millions of dollars.<\/p>\n
He argued for financial discipline at the seaport, fought against cost overruns on projects like the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement project, vetoed the Port\u2019s proposed $300 million headquarters (he called it \u201ca Taj Mahal\u201d) and called out inappropriate travel expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the kind of leader who knew it was up to him to make tough decisions,\u201d City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said. \u201cHe had to lead us during the recession, and he did just that.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the time he left office \u2014 handing the seat to then-Councilmember, now Rep. Robert Garcia \u2014 the city reported its lowest violent crime numbers in 41 years and the first city surplus in 14 years.<\/p>\n
He fought for transparency around the city\u2019s larger \u2014 more than $1 million \u2014 real estate buys, including a disclosure of individuals or corporations receiving commissions or fees on transactions in which the city is the buyer.<\/p>\n Other achievements include bolstering the police and fire academies, as well as environmental improvements at the Port of Long Beach.<\/p>\n Foster was born on New Year\u2019s Day in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1947. As a young man, Foster began with a trades background<\/a>, taught by his father to install carpets.<\/p>\n A graduate of San Jos\u00e9 State University in 1969, Bob served as a trustee to the CSU system from 1997 to 2006 and was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Human Letters from his alma mater in 2015.<\/p>\n Before his work at Edison, he was hired by the state Senate in 1971 to work on the Public Utilities, Transit and Energy Committee. He became the committee\u2019s chief of staff a year later.<\/p>\n There, he helped develop legislation that created the first statewide energy efficiency standards, which led to the creation of the California Energy Commission.<\/p>\n The contacts he made in the Legislature eventually led to his work for Southern California Edison, and after working a series of jobs in the company, he became president in 2002.<\/p>\n In 1998, under the leadership of then-Gov. Pete Wilson, he was appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. He also taught for one semester as the \u201cLeader-in-Residence\u201d in the Department of Political Science at San Jose State University.<\/p>\n Foster was known for his no-nonsense, direct style of dealing with people. He never tried to sugarcoat a problem and held to a financial discipline that placed him at odds with poor management wherever he found it.<\/p>\n But in his later years, he focused increasingly on philanthropy. He helped open the ACE Academy at Jordan High School, a four-year program teaching architecture, construction and engineering skills. Ahead of the Long Beach State Dirtbags\u2019 2025 season, Foster and his wife created the James Foster Endowed Scholarship<\/a> in memory of their late son.<\/p>\n Many officials, entertained by his antics and sobered by his warnings, found it difficult to believe<\/p>\n the voice Foster had raised in the legislative halls of Long Beach, on street corners and occasionally on television, had ceased.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Mayor of Long Beach for eight years, Bob transformed the city into an economic powerhouse, led us through the 2008 financial crisis, signed historic agreements to clean our air and water, and made city government more efficient and responsive to residents,\u201d said Rep. Garcia in a statement<\/a> Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cOur city is better because he cared deeply for it, and his impact will be felt for generations. We honor his legacy and wish him peace,\u201d Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement.<\/p>\n In 2019, Foster\u2019s namesake became the title of the city\u2019s new Civic Chambers \u2014 making him the third Long Beach politician to have a downtown building named for them, joining former mayor Beverly O\u2019Neil and former Governor George Deukmejian.<\/p>\n He is remembered as a great friend and mentor, a tough accountant, and a pioneer in energy regulation.<\/p>\n He is survived by his wife, Nancy, two sons and three grandchildren.<\/p>\n \t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0729-cityhall-9-1110x986-138729-7ofvoax5-801503-51NJOkRq-1024x910.jpg\")
<\/a>Mayor Robert Garcia and former mayor Bob Foster during the opening of the new Civic Center on July 29, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/p>\n