John Foster for Sheriff

John Foster is a dedicated public servant with more than 35 years of progressive law enforcement experience and an equal number of years as an actively involved community volunteer.

John and his wife Eileen moved their family to Nevada County in 1998, where John started his 17-year tenure as the Chief of Police for the City of Grass Valley.

John and Eileen have raised three remarkable young men: Mitch, age 27, received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Vanguard University of Southern California in May of 2014 and is employed as a Community Service Officer for the Nevada City Police Department; Ryan, age 25, received a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Operations from the United States Naval Academy in May 2016 and is a United States Naval Officer and currently stationed in Sasebo, Japan; and Trent, who is currently majoring in mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona on a Navy ROTC scholarship.

Outside of his professional interests, John is passionate about spending time with his wife and sons and engaging with community members through volunteerism. He also enjoys cooking and, on occasion, a round of golf.

John grew up in Alameda and Oakland, California, with his single mother and two siblings. His early experiences with an unstable home environment, financial struggles and frequent moves taught him about the challenges faced by young people without a strong community and supportive family. John’s childhood experiences resulted in his understanding that effective law enforcement must provide practical help and leadership to a community.

John received his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Sacramento State University, after which he was hired by the Palo Alto Police Department as a patrol officer. Following a series of promotions and earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco, John and Eileen moved to Oregon where John served for four years as a Police Captain for the Corvallis Police Department. In 1998 John returned to California, where he served the citizens of Grass Valley as their Chief of Police for over 17 years.

As Chief, John implemented many innovative projects that improved community relations, which resulted in partnerships with schools, students, citizens and local businesses. John has been celebrated for his successful leadership of the Grass Valley Police Department as a result of setting and coordinating the highest standards of community policing with a focus on youth and citizenship.

John is now eager to take his demonstrated ability to lead by example to the County level and serve you as your next Nevada County Sheriff.