LeeAnn Bailes Foster
Head Coach! and Chief Energy Officer
LeeAnn Bailes Foster founded Team Foster Strategy LLC in 2017 to provide expert and comprehensive human resources consulting services. Her enthusiasm and passion are exemplified in her titles, and she excels at relationship management, conflict resolution and employee engagement.
She previously served as executive vice president, chief people officer for WS Packaging, Inc., where she led human resources, training and environmental, health and safety (ESH) compliance for the national corporation with 21 locations and more than 2,100 employees.
For 22 years, LeeAnn served as vice president of human resources for Edfinancial Services, overseeing employee benefits, employee relations, payroll, recruitment and retention for the student loan service provider. She grew with the company from startup to a national corporation that employed more than 450 team members.
LeeAnn is a devoted wife and mother and added the role of “Nainie” with the arrival of her first grandson in 2020. She lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband, Brian, and is an active member of Cokesbury United Methodist Church, where she serves as a welcome greeter and with the Stephen Ministry of trained volunteers committed to providing care for people at a difficult point in life.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree, elementary education with concentration in math, University of Tennessee
- Master’s degree, educational leadership, University of Tennessee
Skills
- Certified Genos International Emotional Intelligence Practitioner
- Relationship management
- Conflict resolution
- Employee engagement
Community Involvement & Affiliations
- Class of 2009 Leadership Knoxville graduate
- 2012 appointee by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to State Board of Appeals, the final step in the appeal process for disciplined or terminated state employees; reappointed by Gov. Bill Lee for second six-year term.
- Previous vice chair, Community Health Alliance
- Chair emeritus, HealthCare 21 (HC21)
- Past president, Greater Knoxville Tennis Association (GKTA)
- Stephen Minister and welcome greeter, Cokesbury United Methodist Church
- Rental Advisory Committee, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
The SHRM Recertification Provider Program was established by SHRM to give participating members the opportunity to award PDCs for the HR knowledge and behavioral competency programming they offer to SHRM-certified professionals working to maintain their SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential.
