Shan Foster (he, him, his)
Shan Foster is the Vice President of External Affairs & AMEND Together at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. AMEND Together is an initiative that engages men and boys to end violence against women and girls. He recruits, educates, and equips men and boys to serve as advocates for violence prevention and cultural change. Described as an enthusiastic leader, gifted public speaker, and skilled facilitator, Foster is committed to elevating the conversation about violence against women, engaging men to be leaders and role models, and educating young men and boys about healthy masculinity and respect. He is a frequent speaker before national and international corporations, regional and national conferences, local and state government entities, and collegiate and national sports programs, including the National Football League and Major League Soccer. Under his leadership, AMEND Together has grown to a nationally recognized program with expansion to Illinois, Virginia, California, Ohio, and New York.
Foster graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor of science in human and organizational development in 2008. During his time at Vanderbilt, Foster was named SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, All-SEC four years in a row, NCAA Division I All-America, and played for the USA Team in the 2007 Pan American games held in Rio De Janairo, Brazil. He was the Lowes Senior CLASS award winner, an award given to the nations senior leader in community, classroom, character, and competition. Foster finished his collegiate basketball career as the all-time leading scorer in school history and was drafted into the NBA by the Dallas Mavericks in 2008. He was inducted to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010, and was honored as an SEC Legend during the 2016 SEC Basketball Tournament.
Prior to his work at YWCA, Shan served as a founding member for the Intrepid College Preparatory Charter School in Nashville where he now is a contributing board member. He is a graduate of the 2018 Leadership Nashville class, where he now serves on the board of trust. Foster also serves on the board for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Nashville Sports Council, and Martha O’Bryan Center’s Explore Community School. Foster is on the advisory committees for Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee, and serves on the Vanderbilt University Athletics Committee. He most recently was selected Nashville’s 2019 40 Under 40 and 2019 Nashville Emerging Leader Award Winner.