Rosanne Foust

Rosanne Foust is the visionary leader behind the San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA), driving bold partnerships between business, government, education, labor, and nonprofits to build a strong, inclusive regional economy.

Under her leadership, SAMCEDA has championed game-changing projects like Caltrain Electrification, High Speed Rail, the Highway 101 Managed Lanes, and key funding measures including Measure W and Measure RR. During the pandemic, she transformed SAMCEDA into the County’s business lifeline, delivering over $20 million in relief to more than 1,500 small businesses.

Rosanne’s career spans continents, from attracting billions in investment to Alsace, France, to 12 years on the City Council of Redwood City (including Mayor and Vice Mayor), where she spearheaded downtown revitalization and major infrastructure and environmental projects. In addition, Ms. Foust was appointed in April 2025 to serve on the Board of the Sequoia Healthcare District, representing Zone C.

A trusted regional voice, she serves on numerous boards and committees: including the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, NOVAworks, San Mateo County Event Center, Heritage Bank Stanford/Peninsula Advisory, and Provident Credit Union Supervisory. Foust is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum and holds degrees in Public Administration, International Studies, and Economics, with executive training from Stanford and UCLA.

Her leadership has earned her induction into the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024, Woman of the Year in 2021 by then Assembly Member Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin (currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives) and as one of the Most Influential Women in Business by both the San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal.