Dan Foster

Dan B. Foster, Vice President of Property Management-Atlanta Division, with Vantage Southeast, served as 1988 BOMA Atlanta President.

Dan served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After returning home, he graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in Journalism and Economics. He then spent 10 years in St. Louis, working in real estate before being transferred to Atlanta, where he resided for more than 30 years.

In Atlanta, Dan held positions with Marret Associates and served as President of one of its affiliate companies, Sentinel Properties.

According to the February 1993 BOMA Atlanta Newsletter, in 1975, “Dan opened Tower Place, Buckhead’s first multi-use project … and was Vice President and General Manager of that complex until 1984.”

While at Vantage Southeast, in 1986 Dan had responsibility for the opening and operation of One Atlanta Plaza, a 34-story, 674,000 square feet building at 950 East Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta. According to the November 24, 1988, BOMA Atlanta Newsletter, to celebrate the grand opening of the building, Dan collaborated with Joel Sarrett, who later became President of Sarrett Creative, to raise awareness for the newly renamed Zoo Atlanta with “a drawing of a giant flamingo hanging outside the building. … Rather than host a splashy event with high priced entertainment, it was decided to direct those funds to the Atlanta Zoo and have a zoo awareness party. The huge bird on Dan’s building will long be remembered, and the flamingo plaza, to your left just as you enter the zoo, is identified with the public spiritedness of Vantage. In the zoo gift shop are flamingo post cards, 2 kinds of flamingo mugs, and a striking flamingo poster made under Joel Sarrett’s creative direction.”

One Atlanta Plaza also hosted a fundraising event for the zoo on September 11, 1986, in conjunction with the grand opening of the property. The 6,136 square foot, 220-pound, hand-painted flamingo nylon banner was on display during the event, which took more than 3,000 feet of aircraft cable to hang. The event drew attention to the zoo’s new flamingo habitat that was planned as part of the zoo’s ongoing expansion.

The fundraising event also included buffet food stations featuring foods from various areas around the world where Zoo Atlanta’s animals were from, including the African plains, Okefenokee Swamp, polar regions, and South American jungles. More than 1,000 guests attended the event, which raised more than $100,000 to support Zoo Atlanta.

Dan later served as Director of Property Management for COMPASS Management and Leasing in Atlanta. At COMPASS, he ultimately led the management of more than 50 buildings.

Throughout his career, Dan managed more than 10 million square feet of commercial, industrial, retail, and residential properties.

Dan encouraged BOMA Atlanta to focus on membership growth during his term as President. In 1987, BOMA Atlanta ended the year with 237 members. According to the January 6, 1988, BOMA Atlanta Newsletter, Dan “requested an aggressive membership campaign during 1988” by setting a goal of 275 members. By the end of his term, this goal was surpassed and BOMA Atlanta grew to 278 members – a 17% increase in membership in single year.

Dan also led BOMA Atlanta through its 75th anniversary celebration, a significant milestone for the association. During his term as President, the association received the 1988-1989 Local Association of the Year Award from BOMA International, recognizing BOMA Atlanta for “organizational excellence in association management, professional education, and civic activity on behalf of membership and the office building industry.”

“Dan was a special guy and so instrumental to me in my BOMA career as I followed Dan as president in 1989,” said Dara Nicholson, 1989 BOMA Atlanta President. “He was one of the most professional, well knowledgeable of our industry and always willing to help anyone. Not to mention he was a great resource to my career and rise in BOMA Atlanta. What I remember most was that Dan was a classic gentleman, sharp dresser, great personality, and he had the greatest laugh. Whenever you talked with Dan, he would always have a joke to tell you. Dan was one of a kind and a true legend in the Atlanta commercial real estate market and BOMA.”

In 1988, Dan received BOMA Atlanta’s George F. Richardson Award, and in 1992 he received the William C. Clonts Award. Dan also received Honorary Membership in BOMA Atlanta, a recognition bestowed upon him by the association’s board of directors in recognition of his career and service.

Dan was an active member of Rotary International in both St. Louis and Atlanta. He was also an active member of the American Arbitration Association and served as a member of the Board of Advisors for Dorey’s Office Guide.

After his real estate career, Dan and his wife Debbie retired to a home on the Hiawassee River in the North Carolina mountains. There, according to his family, “Dan had a great love of fishing, especially fly fishing.” His love for fishing was also well known to his BOMA Atlanta family. According to the December 20, 1988, BOMA Atlanta Newsletter, upon conclusion of his term as association President, he was presented with “a rod and reel and a bass hat … for his future bass fishing expeditions.”

Dan was born in Pueblo, Colorado in 1931 and passed away June 13, 2025, in Saint Simons, Georgia. He was married to his wife Debbie Foster for more than 40 years.