John Foster

About John

John is excited to be the newest member of the Town Council.  John, and his wife Donna, chose Berkeley Heights 23 years ago to raise their family. They have three children—their youngest son is a sophomore at Governor Livingston, and their two daughters graduated from GL and now attend college.

John has been a leader in his professional and personal life.  He was a police officer for 28 years and served as President of the Policeman’s Benevolent Association (PBA) for 6 years while employed, and he enjoys his current position as a paraprofessional at Governor Livingston where he helps children with special needs to flourish. 

Born in Irvington and raised in Union, John comes from a line of public servants, growing up in a family who always gave back to their community.  He continued that same tradition in his own life by serving on the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) at Mary Kay McMillan, Thomas P Hughes, Columbia Middle School, and Governor Livingston High School.  He is currently a member and former President of the GL Band Parent Association. You may also know him as “Coach John” from his years of coaching his two daughters and son on PAL lacrosse, cross country, and soccer.

John’s career as a police officer and paraprofessional has made him an expert in creating positive relationships with colleagues and residents.  He is known for his ability to make people feel comfortable, no matter what the situation.  He has lots of experience in all kinds of difficult situations where he honed that ability when being faced with life and death situations. He prides himself in having a gift of remaining calm in high pressure situations. John is known for his listening skills, and his strong desire to understand an issue and all viewpoints before reacting. 

John is certified as a First Responder in Critical Incident Management, Cyber Crime Investigations and as a Drug Recognition Expert.  He is looking forward to putting those certifications and lengthy experience to use here in Berkeley Heights given new state recreational drug laws and with the ongoing COVID pandemic.

John is excited to serve the residents of Berkeley Heights and will work as the council member on the Historic Preservation Committee, and the Truth, Community Healing & Inclusion Committee.