Lily and Charles Foster have supported many worthwhile causes in Houston for years, including the Asia Society Texas Center, where Charles has served as Chairman of the Board for almost 25 years and Lily serves on the Advisory Board. In 1996, Charles initiated the goal of building a home for the Asia Society in the Museum District, and with the help of many others the extraordinary $48.5 million Yoshio Taniguchi-designed building was dedicated in 2012.
Charles is Chairman of Foster LLP, one of the largest global immigration law firms and was a senior immigration policy advisor to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and now Jeb Bush. Charles has served as Board and Executive Committee member of the Greater Houston Partnership for many years and currently serves as Chairman of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. He has co-chaired the projects for Houston’s George Bush Presidential Monument, James A. Baker, III Monument and Robert A. Mosbacher, Sr. Memorial Bridge.
Charles received both a BA in government and law degree from the University of Texas. He has received many awards, including the 2000 Distinguished Friend of China Award, the 2007 AJC Institute of Human Relations Award and the HBA Leon Jaworski Award.
Charles has served as the Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Thailand since 1997 and has received several high royal decorations from His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. His role as an immigration lawyer was featured in the 2010 film “Mao’s Last Dancer.”
Lily Chen Foster was the leading actress in 18 major films in the People’s Republic of China before immigrating to the U.S. and receiving her Master’s Degree in Drama from the University of Houston. She serves on the Board of Friends of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Association, the Houston Galveston Institute and the Board of Visitors of the University of Houston. Lily was recently recognized as one of Houston’s 2014 Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine.
Their greatest focus now is on their sons, Zachary, a graduate of Rice University with a Master’s from Georgia Tech, and Anthony, a senior at Rice University and prospective law student.