Anita Foster

About Anita Foster

Providing leadership in strategic communications and marketing has been the cornerstone of my career, but at its heart, my work is about people—listening to them, understanding their needs and telling their stories in ways that inspire action. With more than 20 years in the nonprofit and education sectors, I’ve been fortunate to learn from incredible thought leaders in crisis communications, marketing, and, most importantly, humanity. Those experiences have shaped not just my skills but my belief in the power of communication to build trust, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful change. At Arlington ISD, I led the team that built the district’s first integrated communications and marketing strategy—bringing together traditional, digital, and social media to ensure that every audience was informed and engaged. Partnering with our Safety team, I helped introduce a district-wide Security Tracker to provide real-time updates on campus emergencies—ensuring families, staff, students and the media had access to clear, timely information when it mattered most. Our team also developed strategic messaging that helped secure voter approval for a $966 million bond and a tax ratification election, investments that will shape the future of education in our community. But beyond the strategies and campaigns, what truly drives me is storytelling. Stories are the heart of marketing—they connect us, move us and remind us why our work matters. Whether I was reporting from the debris at the American Red Cross, sharing the journeys of families at a food bank, or elevating the voices of students and educators, I’ve always believed that a well-told story has the power to inspire change. CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING • Graduating August 2025 as a certified Visionary Crisis Leader from the Crisis Ready Institute • AI Certificate for Communicators and Marketers, Ragan Communications • Crisis Communications Certification, National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) • Building A StoryBrand course issued by StoryBrand • Crisis Ready Institute 10-week course • FEMA Incident Command System 100, 200, 700, 800, ICS300 - Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents

Experience

1. Chief Communications Officer (CCO)

   Arlington Isd

   Jul 2024 — Present · US

   Education is the great equalizer and I\'m blessed to lead a team of ten high-energy, solutions-oriented professionals to carry out all aspects of the marketing and communications program for a large urban school district. Our goal is to use our collaborative team spirit to design and create materials and moments that matter for students, staff, parents and partners. Tough topics we deal with daily include school safety, bullying, social media threats, COVID-19 learning loss, public school perception and more. I have been able to transfer my past skills and knowledge from emergency services to help the district build a robust crisis communications program and develop a unique Security Tracker to keep families, staff, students, news media and the general public informed during lockdowns. I\'ve trained and provided training for four other team members in crisis communications so that we are as prepared as possible for an emergency.

Education

• UT Arlington

  BA in Communications, Radio and Television Production

  1984 — 1989