Teresa Foster
About Teresa
Get the highlights from past Immigration Consultant to the new Napa Valley Community Consultant & Activist journey.
Community Consultant
It's time for a new chapter as a community consultant!
About Teresa
I'm originally from Mexico City, but for the last three decades I owned and operated an immigration consulting agency here in the Napa Valley. As a consultant, I reached out to hundreds of families needing help with immigrating to this country, a country I have adopted as my own.
Combining the business savvy acquired as an executive bilingual administrative assistant in my homeland with a desire to help others navigate the often-difficult waters of immigration paperwork and bureaucracy, I found to be a natural in this career.
Not only have I been successful in the world of consulting, but I have an innate ability to bring people together from all across the political and demographic spectrum, delegating duties and responsibilities to them for various community projects. I've been a sought-after team member for various boards and committees, as well as radio and television shows, receiving multiple awards and accolades. I'm looking forward to continuing my work in Napa!
- teresa
To make sure the Latino community is represented and well informed I stay in contact with the Police Department, immigration office, law enforcement agencies and meet with them regularly. I keep the Latin community informed with local changes on my TV show, Radio Spot at KVON and other stations. I was a part of Tiempo Latino a Latino publication as well as written various columns for different newspapers in northern California.
More About Teresa Community Consultant
I’m passionate about helping others and have dedicated my life to assisting the Latino community in Napa Valley.
During my time as a Consultant, I was involved in many community activities like the Napa County Hispanic Network, where I served several times as event chair and MC to raise scholarship money for Latino Youth.
I also served on various boards including Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Napa Valley Adult School and Clinic Ole among others
Teresa Foster
Awards & Recognition
KVON Radio Roberto & Bob Rojas Jr. Show
Sept. 14, 1996
Appreciation for five years volunteering informational show for the Spanish speaking community, Hablando de Inmigración y Más 1991 – 1996
Napa County Hispanic Network
Jan. 14, 1997
Award of Gratitude for hard work and dedication to the community
California Council for Adult Education
May 15, 1999
Citation of Merit
Hospice of Napa Valley (now Collabria Care)
2004
With Appreciation for Outstanding Service & Leadership
U.S. Department of Commerce
Sept. 15, 2000
In appreciation for valuable contribution to the 2000 Census
Friends of the Hispanic Network
Nov. 11, 2000
Awarded with high esteem for efforts in the community
AND MANY MORE
Click the link below to see all the recognition give to Teresa.
Immigration
Owner of Agency – Teresa Foster Immigration + Naturalization Consultant 1990 - 2021 | Bond + Registered with the State of California
I worked as an immigration consultant for over 30 years. My main focus was on bringing families together from around the world. While managing my own agency, I was able to help thousands of clients throughout the years to get family visas, permanent residence, and citizenship. All this while dividing my time between my office here in Napa and an outreach program that sent me to several northern California counties to speak and educate at school and churches all over that state.
Articles
Board Member, chair, & more
Napa County Hispanic Network – 1990 to 1997
The NCHN is a Non-Profit organization established in 1984 to raise scholarship money for smart and talented, but economically disadvantaged Latino students to continue their higher education. During this seven-year span, Teresa Foster served as Vice-President, President, and Ambassador, and received a “Lifetime Achievement” as well as “Friend of the Network” award. Her positive, can-do attitude, coupled with her talent for organizing the best teams possible to achieve specific goals, was why she was called back several times to be the Chair for the annual Gala Event.
(Note: The NCHN Board of Directors at that time consisted of Roberto Garcia, Leon Garcia, Carmen Garcia, Olivia Lugo, Cathy Valenzuela, and Jess Romero.)
Ambassador
nchn
Chair of the Gala Committee - 25th Anniversary - 2008
When Teresa was asked to team up with the Gala Committee, she didn’t blink twice. It meant that NCHN, the only “Latino” in town, was 25 years old. She was delighted, and Latina leaders like Alicia Jaramillo and Frances Ortiz Chavez were just a couple of the luminaries she pulled together on her committee. Teresa secured Amelia Ceja as the keynote speaker, to talk about one of the very first wineries to be owned and managed by a Mexican family: “Ceja Vineyards”. The Silverado Country Club was sold out before the event! Still, something was missing. Yes, what or who is the “Napa County Hispanic Network”? So, Teresa made sure a documentary video was made with Founders and past Presidents telling the story everybody should know, then and now! It was shown at the event and sold more copies than we could handle. All for the benefit of the Latino Students.
Gala Committee
nchn
Chair + Co-Chair of the Gala Committee – 2014 to 2019
Again, her enthusiasm and leadership were called upon to perform what Teresa loves most! She forged together a Gala Committee consisting of hard-working team members: Maria L Cisneros, Ricky Hurtado, Edhna Landin, Ana Morales, Christina Rivera, Cathy Gilles, and Catalina Chavez-Tapia, each bringing special skills and focus to the table. Teresa established “Themes” to make it more interesting and give a new facelift to the Gala that was now in its 30’s. So, what more appropriate theme than “The 30’s” and “Masquerade”! Teresa took the Program to the next level with a professional “Designer”, and it worked! As well, she asked her Vineyard owner friends for exciting live auction items that would include “Bazan Dinner under the stars”, “Firemen Chefs cooking at Ceja Vineyards”, “Charreadas”, and even Napa Valley Bottle Rock. To make it more interesting, the Master of Ceremonies needed to be from her team, but Live Auction with Barbara Nemko and Ed Shenk made it funny, and the Silent Auction was conducted by our own “Orale Man”, Artie Reyes. Teresa, Edhna and Ricky announced the Gala for 2019 –walking in with face masks to the music of Phantom of the Opera Masquerade. It was a sold-out event! In her Chair and Co-Chair roles, Teresa brought together a skilled, focused, proactive teams that produced highly Successful Events, raising many thousands of dollars for scholarships for Latino Youth.
Co-Chair
Napa Valley Adult School
advisory committee
Napa Valley Adult School 1992 – 2015 Rhonda Slota - Principal
Teresa was the first Latina Chair of the Advisory Committee, and soon asked for more expanded services for the Latino community, which was growing rapidly, and needed to learn English so they could understand how to get better jobs, among other things. She pushed for more ESL classes, including evenings, and often gave outreach talks to the students, which opened the door for others to come and do the same. Teresa also urged the school to provide GED courses in Spanish on Saturdays, for those who couldn’t make it during the week, and was honored as keynote speaker at a number of graduations, where she addressed not only the students, but parents and family members, from whom she always got a hug or pat on the back for the motivation she generated. For her tireless efforts to expand the reach and better the quality of education offered at the Napa Valley Adult School, Teresa was given the California State “Citation of Merit Award”.
Advisory Committee of COPIA, American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts – 1999-2001
Teresa Foster enjoyed being on a committee where COPIA only existed in Blue Prints, and later in a beautiful building – Teresa, along with the rest of the committee, oversaw all the magic of this monumental project unfold. She welcomed the opportunity to open the door to the Latino Community and students; Teresa was the key element in bringing Cindy’s Magical Pig Film Festival to COPIA, taking charge to gather up rewards and prizes for the student winners, like dinner for two at the Napa Wine Train or lunch at Villa Corona. Teresa was proud to use her organizational skills to help these students from local high schools and the Napa Valley College, as well as their families, to immerse themselves in the local wine, food and arts of the greater community.
Copia
advisory committee
Queen of the Valley Medical Center | 1997- 2003
Teresa was the First Latina on the board of trustees. After observing things for a few months, she discovered the lack of communication with the Latino Community, and made sure all hand-outs, pamphlets and other informational materials were in English and Spanish, and was the force behind the hiring of more bilingual staff, answering the need for more education through the Queen’s sponsorship of her TV Show, "Charlando con…Teresa Foster". When Teresa was on the Subcommittee for Health Care for the Poor, she didn’t hesitate to vote to give grants to agencies in need, such as Hope Day Care Center for children of Latino low income working parents. Teresa was the Founder of Community Outreach Center, along with Connie Battisti, Dana Codron, and Jaime Peñaherrera, as well as Chair of The Latino Advisory Board – creating all bilingual personnel for our Latino community needs in Health Care Information, with in-home visits, for which she received a “Calling to Community” award from the Sisters of St. Joseph.
board of trustees
Queen