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	&quot;Leadership should be born out of the&nbsp;understanding&nbsp;of the needs of those who would be affected by it.&quot; - Marian Anderson</p>
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	<img alt="" src="{filedir_5}D Foster(1).JPG" style="width: 200px; height: 228px; float: right;" />It makes sense that to lead well, one must understand well. There are few who can say they know and understand Au Sable as well as Dr. David Foster, Au Sable&#39;s new Chair for the Board of Trustees. Dave&#39;s affiliation with Au Sable began in 1988 when he first came to the Institute as a college student. Through the years he participated in Au Sable&#39;s programs in various roles, from student to Grad Fellow, Environmental Analyst, and Naturalist certificate holder, to faculty member at Michigan, Chesapeake, and Pacific Rim campuses. Chair of the Academic Council, and former Vice-Chair for the Board of Trustees, Dr. Foster now begins his final year on the Board as Chair.</p>
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	Holding a Ph.D. in Botany with a specialization in Forest Ecology from the&nbsp;University of Wisconsin - Madison, Dr. Foster has been teaching at Messiah College since 1997 where he is a professor of Biology and Environmental Science as well as the Chair of the Sustainability Studies Major Committee. David also is a Visiting Scientist with Central Pennsylvania Biofuels Laboratory for Research and Teaching at Penn State Harrisburg, a managing partner and Scientific Director with InTag Aquaponics and serves on the Rider-Musser Development, LLC for a 100 acre mixed commercial-residential development that will generate tax income for the township and scholarship income for Messiah College.</p>
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	<img alt="" src="{filedir_5}DaveFoster1(1).JPG" style="width: 307px; height: 230px; float: left;" /></p>
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	Dr. Foster takes over the role of Chair for the Board of Trustees at Au Sable, following its&nbsp;previous leadership by Ben Lowe. In the year ahead, he looks forward to strengthening the intergenerational bonds of the Au Sable community that support its on-going mission to inspire and educate people to serve, protect, and restore God&#39;s earth.</p>
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	&quot;My Au Sable experiences challenged and greatly increased my view of the world. In particular, my Au Sable experiences have helped me formulate my Christian service around a career in academia and research for how to restore the fruitfulness of native ecosystems as well as meet human needs sustainably. Studying and working with others that serve the Risen Christ through their science and faith has been one of the greatest joys of my professional life,&quot; says Dave.</p>
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	Outside of work, Dave is a true outdoorsman who loves camping, hiking, backpacking and fly fishing as well as traveling with his wife Meg.</p>
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	Recalling one of his favorite memories from his years with Au Sable, Dave shares this story, &quot;I remember one event in particular. We were sitting on the porch at Maple House during the initial faculty meeting, and fish began jumping all over at the end of Big Twin Lake as the sun set. I asked Calvin DeWitt&nbsp;(Executive Director of the Institute at the time) what he thought they were doing. He said, &#39;Praising the Lord.&#39; I&nbsp;responded with the question,&nbsp;&#39;What if they are maximizing their energy gained per unit time, optimally foraging to produce more fish?&#39; Cal replied, &#39;Indeed, they are praising the Lord,&#39; meaning, behaving as God designed them to.&quot;</p>
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	With a background steeped in experience and interaction with Au Sable and a deep appreciation for God&rsquo;s creation and expertise in the study of it, the Institute is in good hands with Dr. David Foster at the helm for the coming year as Chair of the Board.&nbsp;</p>
