Gateway to Opportunity: Panel Discussion

Charles C. Foster is Chairman of Foster LLP in Houston and a nationally recognized leader in immigration law, representing multinational companies and foreign investors. He is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading immigration attorneys, including Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, Who’s Who Legal and Lawdragon.

A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Charles has served as an immigration policy advisor to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and has testified before congressional committees on immigration. He is a past National President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has held numerous leadership positions in civic, international and cultural organizations.

Charles serves as Honorary Consul-General for Thailand and Vice Dean of Houston’s Consular Corps. He is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law and licensed in Texas and New York.

Neil N. Nathan was born on Groundhog’s Day, 1934, to David H. and Tillye Nathan, in Galveston. The son of Ukrainian and Austrian immigrants, he is a graduate of Ball High School, Menlo College (California), the University of Texas at Austin and he earned his MBA from New York University. 

From 1956 to 1958, he served in the US Army 10th Infantry Division based in Schweinfurt, Germany. In 1963, he married Linda Anne Zindler. Together, they have three children, David, Larry and Danny, and seven grandchildren.  From 1958 until the store closed in 1975, Neil worked in the family business, Nathan’s, Ladies Specialty Store, which was located in the Central Plaza. He joined American National Insurance Company  in 1976, becoming manager of the Galveston Agency in 1977.  As a civic leader, he has served as president of Congregation B’Nai Israel, Galveston Rotary Club (2012 Rotarian of the Year).  From 1984 to 1996, he served as a GISD Trustee and became the President of the Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards and the Texas Association of School Boards. Neil has served on the Board of Directors for the Galveston College Foundation, United States National Bank, Frost Bank, Galveston United Way, Galveston Salvation Army, Galveston County Jewish Welfare Association, and the Hebrew Benevolent Society.