BURBANK, Calif. – Gary Foster has joined The Walt Disney Company Corporate Communications office as vice president, it was announced today by Zenia Mucha, senior vice president, Corporate Communications. Foster, to be based at Disney’s Burbank headquarters, will be responsible for a variety of corporate communications issues and initiatives, including financial reporting, legislative and regulatory issues, branding and executive communications. Foster also will work closely with Disney’s businesses, including its parks and resorts, media networks, consumer products and studio entertainment units on communications issues.
“Gary’s insight into communicating the goals and accomplishments of organizations ranging from state and federal government agencies to national political campaigns to publicly traded companies will serve Disney well,” said Mucha. “His years of experience and knowledge of public and media relations will benefit all of Disney’s key stakeholders and audiences.”
Foster is a media and public relations specialist with more than 18 years of experience in various industries, federal and state government agencies and political campaigns. Most recently, he was retained by Dow Jones to manage media activities for the family of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan. Previously, he held positions with Anitgenics Inc. in New York and Enron in Houston, serving in senior communications positions. While with Enron from 1996 to 2000, Foster served as a spokesman and communications strategist.
Earlier in his career, Foster served in a number of communications positions in President George Bush’s Administration, including special assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary, Director of Public Affairs for the Department of Commerce and Director of Communications for the 1990 Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations. In these positions, Foster worked closely with White House and Cabinet personnel to coordinate messages and promote initiatives and administration goals to the media.
From 1984-89, Foster served as Director of Presidential Press Advance, during which he coordinated press coverage for all domestic presidential events and represented President Reagan on international trips.
Foster began his career as a regional campaign manager in Texas state political races. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1981 from the University of Texas at Austin.