In the nomination letter, Brian Schmidt at Farmers Alliance Claim Department said that Foster has raised the bar for claim handling by working smart, leveraging resources, including tools, technology, and people, to transform Farmers Alliance's claim department from a paper-based organization to one that is nimble enough to adopt and leverage technology for faster, more efficient, accurate, and customer-centric claim management.

"John is always staying ahead of the curve," Schmidt said. "Adoption of various technologies has created a comprehensive view of all claim information and tasks, so adjusters can now manage their day-to-day action items, perform financials, document activities, and manage contacts and vendors without duplicative entry or accessing a number of confusing and disparate systems. Automated business rules, action items, and notes now do the simple but time-consuming tasks, freeing Adjusters to make the right decision for the customer quickly, accurately, thoughtfully, and fairly. This is but one example of the many ways John uses technology to improve claim handling. His willingness to assume risks, compel others to see a new way of doing things, and do more with less have resulted in significant savings. In some areas, this has meant reducing the amount of time spent on non-value added activities by half."

Schmidt went on to mention that Foster has been instrumental in the creation of a separate subrogation unit, which helped to provide focused attention on subrogation opportunities and resulted in increased recoveries.

"Claims in any company of any size is always looking for ways to improve efficiencies, effectiveness, and accuracy," Schmidt added. "John has made this vision a reality through his exceptional ability to find opportunities, put people first, and create an environment for us all to excel."