NFIB

Karin Foster was named NFIB/New Mexico in October 2007.

"State directors for NFIB are not jobs we have the luxury of throwing to just anyone," said Daniel Markels, the organization's west region state public policy director. "We are usually out-manned and out-financed by larger entities looking to exert their influence in the halls of power. This is why we place a premium on recruiting proven performers. Whether as a lobbyist or prosecutor, Karin has demonstrated throughout her career a keen ability to make powerful arguments to advance what she is fighting for. NFIB/New Mexico member businesses will be fortunate to have Karin fighting for them in Santa Fe."

After leaving New York in 2003 to join her husband in New Mexico, Foster's talents were immediately seized by U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, who made her the senior staff member in charge of business, health, energy and labor issues. Foster went on to serve as an attorney and analyst for the New Mexico Senate and House of Representatives for two years, before establishing her own advocacy firm, Chatham Partners, Inc. At Chatham, which she will still run, Foster successfully drafted and helped pass legislation into law beneficial to New Mexico's independent petroleum producers. In addition to her expertise on energy issues, Karin (pronounced KA-REEN) Foster is a published author, lecturer, legal adviser, and a settlement facilitator for the New Mexico 13th Judicial District, where she conducts mediations on a pro-bono basis for the state's Office of Public Facilitation. She is also a member of a statewide regulatory reform coalition.

A former semi-professional rugby player, Foster received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from College of the Holy Cross in 1988 and her juris doctor degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 1994. She makes her home in Albuquerque with her husband, David, who is the chief domestic violence prosecutor for Santa Fe County. They have two children.