I’m a Community Builder, Strategic Communicator, & Global Citizen.
🗒️ Summary
I am Foster Hillis, and I use He/Him pronouns. As a strategic communicator with a passion for building communities that create change, I am seeking opportunities to impact policy. Having visited 47 countries and traveled extensively throughout the U.S., I have a whole host of experiences and am adept in intercultural communication.
I graduated with a Bachelors in Elections & Campaign Management, accompanied by a minor in General Business Management at The University of Oklahoma.
[Personality Type: ENTJ-A]
Quickly Download a Resume, here…
👨🏼💼 Work History
Cruise Director’s Staff @ Royal Caribbean International, 🖥️ RoyalCaribbean.com
2023 - Present
As a member of the Cruise Director's Staff onboard the 3rd largest cruise ship, I play a pivotal role in creating memorable and inclusive experiences for guests from diverse backgrounds.
- Plan, organize, and host a variety of inclusive events for up to 7,000 guests weekly, ensuring each event fosters a sense of community and engagement among passengers.
- Actively connect with guests, providing personalized service and creating positive interactions that enhance their cruise experience.
- Serve on the medical care team, offering compassionate assistance to families in need, including crisis management and support during medical emergencies.
- Recently named Royal Caribbean’s Front of House Employee of the Month, within the six-months.
Account Representative, Direct Mail @ MissionWired, 💻 MissionWired.com
2023 - 2024
MissionWired is a fully integrated direct marketing agency servicing progressive non-profits and political organizations. My work has focused on the two of the larges pro-healthcare and one of the largest pro-human rights organizations in the United States.
- Onboard and serviced two new clients while ensuring quality standards of their mailings.
- Create and manage mailings for clients ranging from 800,000 packages to 1,500.
- Specialize in acquisition mailings design and strategy to bring new donors and sustainers to clients.
- Review and provide reporting on statistics to ensure clarity of ROI.
- Project manage about four streams of mailings for each of my three clients.
- Accounts range from a projected $16,000,000 annual income to $8,000,000.
Campaign Manager @ SkyFire Media, LLC, 📍 Oklahoma City, OK
Freelance since 2020
SkyFire Media is a full-service campaign and consulting agency in Oklahoma City. Managed two State Senate re-election campaigns and most recently, a State House election.
- Highly experienced in voter research, constituency outreach, and general campaign management practices and strategy (including optimizing fundraising call time, A/B testing, and ActBlue strategy).
- Sole management of programs like NGP, VAN, ActBlue, and Anedot has allowed me to connect my experience with customer relationship management (CRM) databases and political theories for optimal outcomes for both candidates and constituents.
- Created campaigns with compelling email asks to both donors and constituents.
- Managed $150,000 budgets, fundraising initiatives, and events.
- Most recently, my House Campaign raised $80,000 and had 9,000 canvasing attempts in only five months (due to a special election).
- See additional races below in the "Previous Campaign Experience" section.
Check out other great experiences, here…
🎓 Higher Education
Political Science Student @ The University of Oklahoma, 📍 Norman, OK
Graduate 2023
Graduated with distinction with a Bachelor of Political Science with a concentration in Elections & Campaign Management accompanied by a minor in General Business Management.
- Lead Campus Tour Guide, Member of the Crimson Club (Class 35), past Committee Chairperson and Parliamentarian for the Student Government Association’s Undergraduate Student Congress, and the past Bylaws Chairman for Pi Kappa Alpha (“PIKE”).
Voyager @ Semester at Sea, 🇮🇹 🇬🇷 🇨🇾 🇭🇷 🇲🇹 🇪🇸 🇬🇮 🇵🇹 🇫🇷 🏴 🇩🇰 🇸🇪 🇩🇪
Spring '22 | 129th Voyage
Semester at Sea is a study abroad experience—on a converted cruise ship—that focuses on intercultural relations and impactful in-country experiences.
Onboard, I took classes that helped me develop a global lens to view the world; in each port of the eleven ports, I immersed myself in the local culture and experienced traditions and customs. Living on a ship for four months brought its own unique challenges and lessons, all of which have helped me learn more about myself.
I was also chosen to be the Logistical PrePort Host, where I met with multiple stakeholders to create a meeting for all 521 voyagers before each port with logistical, safety, and COVID-19 information. I helped grow the attendance at the meetings by theming them all and encouraging audience interaction.
We visited Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Malta, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, France, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, & Germany.
🧑🏻💼 Leadership Experience
Youth Trustee @ Semester at Sea, Institute for Shipboard Education, 💻 SemesterAtSea.org
2023 - 2024
The Institute for Shipboard Education is the host organization for Semester at Sea, a study abroad program that takes students to 10+ countries on 3 continents in 100+ days all onboard the MV World Odyssey. Colorado State University is the current academic sponsor.
- I have recently been appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Institute for Shipboard Education where I can utilize my recent sailing experience to improve the onboard experience, financial status, and vision of the institution.
- Member of the Governance & Nominating committee, I help to ensure DEI best practices in both our bylaws and appointments to the board while giving a previous-student experience.
International Trustee @ Key Club International 💻 KeyClub.org
- As a Key Club International Trustee, I supervised three Districts—the Alabama, Nebraska-Iowa, and Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, & El Paso) Districts.
- In doing so, I acted as a liaison, provided support, and served on International Committees on their behalf. I served on the International Committees on Service, Membership Experience, and the Executive Board, and was the Elections Committee Co-Chair.
- I complied numerous Key Club International Bylaws and Board Policy amendments to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion. One included removing religious references from our Key Club International Pledge.
- I was the Key Club International liaison to UNICEF, one of Key Club International’s preferred charities, where I bridged the gap between our two organizations by sending updates & sharing our ideas with UNICEF.
- In fact, that year for UNICEF, we raised $320,618 USD to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus.
🗳️ Previous Campaign Experience
Notable Positions...
→ Regan Raff for State House, Campaign Manager
→ Leader Julia Kirt for State Senate, Campaign Manager
→ Carri Hicks for State Senate, Campaign Manager
→ College Democrats of Oklahoma, Vice President & Chief of Staff
→ Oklahoma Democratic Party, Rules Committee Member
OK State House
Currently Elected
- Rep. Andy Fugate for State House
- Rep. Cyndi Munson for State House
Formerly Elected
- Honorable Kelly Albright for State House
Other
- Greg Clyde for State House
- Jacob Baccus for State House
- Jared Deck for State House
- Kyle Meraz for State House
- Madeline Scott for State House
- Regan Raff for State House
- Susan Porter for State House
- Susan Young for State House
- Tegan Malone for State House
- Wayne Hughes for State House
OK State Senate
Currently Elected
- Senator Carri Hicks for State Senate
- Senator Julia Kirt for State Senate
- Senator Kay Floyd for State Senate
Oklahoma City Metro Area
Oklahoma City, OK
- Councilor JoBeth Harmon for Oklahoma City Council
- Megan Scott for Oklahoma City Council
Oklahoma County
- Cacky Poarch for Oklahoma County Commission
- Commissioner Carrie Blumert for Oklahoma County Commission
- Jay Bridwell for Oklahoma County Commission
- Spencer Hicks for Oklahoma County Commission
- Wayland Cubit for Oklahoma County Sheriff
Oklahoma City Public Schools
- Brett Hayes for OKC Public School Board
- Paula Lewis for OKC Public School Board
Edmond, OK
- Christin Mugg for Edmond City Council
Federal/Other
Presidential
- Amy Klobuchar for America
- Elizabeth Warren for America
- Joe Biden for America: 2020 Victory, Biden Victory Fund, LGBTQ+ for Biden, & League 46
- Pete Buttigieg for America
Other
- College Democrats of America
- Democratic Party of Georgia
- Oklahoma Democratic Party
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund
- Swing Left
- The Democratic National Committee
👋 Thank you for visiting!
Updated: @October 17, 2024