Sheriff Lee Foster, Newberry County, was named Sheriff of the Year at 
the January 17th business meeting of the South Carolina Sheriff's 
Association.  He was nominated by Sheriff A. Lane Cribb of Georgetown County 
and elected by secret ballot.
    In his letter of nomination Sheriff Cribb stated that Sheriff Lee Foster 
is a model for all Sheriffs nationwide.  He demonstrated early in life that 
the only way to succeed is through hard work and dedication. He also stated 
that Our Sheriff of the Year should represent all that our office 
entails.  We are all elected to this honorable position, but leaders are not 
elected, they are born by examples they leave behind.  Lee leads by example 
with his service over self attitude.  
    Sheriff Lee Foster has made many positive contributions to law 
enforcement.  He began his career in law enforcement in 1978 with his service 
as Chief of Police for Little Mountain, SC.  From 1979 to 1984 Foster worked 
through the ranks of the Newberry County Sheriff's Office serving as Crime 
Prevention Officer, Shift Lieutenant, Captain of the Patrol Division and 
Captain of Investigations.  From 1984-1988  he worked as an instructor with 
the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.  During that time he was a 
firearms instructor as well as teaching courses on civil liabilities and the 
use of deadly force.  
    Since 1988, Foster has served as Sheriff of Newberry County.  His record 
of service, especially in the areas of crime prevention and community 
service, has produced statewide and national recognition for himself and the 
Sheriff's Office.  Some of these awards include:
    ¢ Newberry County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
    ¢ Southern Bell Law Enforcement Award for Excellence
    ¢ GTE Crime Prevention Award for Excellence
    ¢ SC Jaycees Outstanding South Carolinian of the Year for
      Community Service
    ¢ Jaycees Outstanding Young Men of America
    ¢ Strom Thurmond Award for Law Enforcement Excellence, 
      1993-94
    ¢ Civitan's Citizen of the Year, 1994
    ¢ Order of the Palmetto by Governor David Beasley
    ¢ South Carolina Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, 2000
    ¢ Alston Wilkes Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, 2000
    ¢ Woodmen of the World Outstanding Citizen of the Year, 
      2000
    ¢ National Humanitarian of the Year, National Center for
      Rural Law Enforcement, 2000-2001
    ¢ Outstanding Citizen of the Year, Veterans of Foreign Wars
    ¢ Mothers Against Drunken Drivers (MADD) Highway 
      Safety Hero.
    Also, Sheriff Foster's membership and participation in numerous civic 
organizations and his community and professional work speaks for itself.  
Some of these organizations include:
    ¢ SC Sheriff's Association, Immediate Past President
    ¢ South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, 
      served as Treasurer 
    ¢ Fraternal Order of Police, served as Treasurer and Guard
    ¢ Served on Board of Directors Sexual Trauma Services
    ¢ Served on Board of Directors Newberry County Hospital 
      Foundation
    ¢ Member and Past President of the Newberry County
       Municipal Association
    ¢ Leukemia Society of South Carolina
    ¢ Past Government and Education Chairman United Way
    ¢ Past Board of Visitors of Piedmont Technical College
    ¢ US Attorney's Law Enforcement Coordinating 
      Committee for South Carolina;  Working Group of the
      Violent Crime Task Force; District of SC Senator Strom
      Thurmond Awards Committee
      and Office of Terrorism Task Force
    ¢ Governor's Homeland Security Council
    ¢ Currently serving on special National Sheriffs 
      Association Committee on the PEGASUS PROJECT,
      an effort to provide for interoperable communications
      on a national level
    During his tenure as Sheriff, Foster has introduced many innovations 
including the Deputy in the Sky program, placing deputies in airplanes 
piloted by volunteer private pilots.  He has introduced many crime prevention 
programs to reduce property crimes including Community Oriented Police 
programs, Crime Watch and daily checks on elderly citizens.  The Sheriff's 
Office has an active bloodhound search and rescue program with highly trained 
volunteer deputies as dog handlers and has recently obtained a boat to patrol 
the three lakes in Newberry County in an effort to reduce property crimes and 
accidents.   Foster also works closely with other law enforcement agencies to 
better utilize tax dollars.  The city of Newberry and the County of Newberry 
jointly share the narcotics unit, a training officer, and the school safety 
officers. 
    Sheriff Foster, a native of Newberry County,  is a graduate of the 
University of South Carolina and the Criminal Justice Academy, receiving the 
J. P. Strom Award for academic excellence.  He also graduated from the 
National Center for Rural Law Enforcement, Executive Management Institute at 
the University of Arkansas.  He is married to Carol Folk of Newberry and they 
have two children, Joseph and Amelia. 
    SCSA congratulates Sheriff Lee Foster on being 2002's Sheriff of the Year.

 

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