Mr. Foerster is a former Senior Fellow and instructor in UB’s Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) Program.  He previously served as the Olson Real Estate Faculty Fellow and a full-time member of the real estate faculty in the Baker Program in Real Estate at Cornell University.  At both UB and Cornell, he has taught or co-taught interdisciplinary capstone studios and core courses in the real estate field, advised students and alumni on career planning and job searches, and conducted outreach to the industry.

Mr. Foerster’s previous professional experience includes diverse leadership positions.  He was a commercial real estate attorney in private practice, principally as a partner in Harris Beach, a large Rochester, NY based law firm, where he represented real estate developers and financial institutions.   He was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Wilmorite Properties, Inc., a private REIT that, prior to its acquisition in 2005 by Macerich, a public company traded on the NYSE for $2.3 billion, was the 20th largest owner/developer of regional malls in the U.S.  He was also a member of the board of directors, interim CEO and then President of the Farash Corporation, a large privately-held company owning apartment communities, commercial office buildings, and significant development land holdings in New York State and Florida.  Finally, he was also a principal in Northern Capital Group, a private firm doing real estate investing and consulting.

In service to the community, Mr. Foerster is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of Finger Lakes Community Health, a federally-qualified community health center organization that primarily serves migrant, farmworker, and low-income patients in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and is leading the funding and launch of Yates Thrive, a privately-funded, guaranteed basic income program that serves residents in Yates County, NY.  

Mr. Foerster received an A.B. in History, cum laude, from Davidson College, and a J.D., cum laude, from the Syracuse University College of Law.