Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) is pleased to announce the hiring of Teddy Umstead Foster as its new Vice President of Human Resources. In this role, Umstead Foster serves on the organization’s senior executive team and oversees human resource operations for over 1,000 employees across the state, driving LSSI’s mission to provide compassionate and generative care both to those the organization serves and to the staff delivering these vital services.
Umstead Foster brings more than 25 years of experience in human capital strategy, organizational development, talent management, and a distinguished track record in both non-profit and corporate settings. Most recently, he served as Director of Human Resources with Endeavor Health and Vice President of Global Human Resources at Bank of America. Prior experience includes human resources leadership for BJC HealthCare and the Human Development Corporation in St. Louis, MO.
Previous to those positions, Umstead Foster served as a key leader in the employee life-event service delivery for 10,000+ active employees and retirees at Bank of America. Among his achievements there, he analyzed and proposed operational excellence strategies to enhance service delivery.
A native of St. Louis, Umstead Foster holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Lindenwood University. He is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), has served as Chapter President of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR), and served as a Board Member for Lutheran Family and Children Services of Missouri. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
“Taking exceptional care of people that take exceptional care of others” is my professional motto,” said Umstead Foster. “This aligns well with LSSI’s mission to bring healing, justice, and wholeness to people and communities. I look forward to moving LSSI forward in its goal to provide high-quality services and care to address the ever-changing needs of our clients in communities across Illinois.”
