Director fits perfectly

After growingup in Fostoria and then moving to Fremont for about 20 years, Linda Fouts-Lopez moved back to her hometown about nine years ago. Linda Lopez-Fouts sits at her desk at the Fostoria Learning Center. She began her duties as workforce development director last month. SCOTT COTTOS/Review Times Being a lifelong learner, one of her first destinations upon her return was the Fostoria Learning Center at 342 Perry St. When she enrolled in a class, it became a harbinger of things to come. Last month, she was hired as the learning center's workforce development director. "I did not think I would be working here at all," said Lopez-Fouts, who was a data analyst and administrator at Whirlpool in Clyde when she moved back to Fostoria. "I'm glad I am. Sarah (Stephens Krupp) and Renee (Smith) and Sherry (Yaple) and Michele (Cochran) are great people to work with." Smith, president of the Fostoria Economic Development Corp. and an administrator of the learning center, saw Lopez-Fouts as a good fit to take on a core position at the center due to her experience from both the past eight years at Whirlpool and the previous 14 years in management at the former Peebles department store in Fremont. "Linda has a unique background with experience in both sales/retail and manufacturing," Smith said. "This blend certainly played a factor in our hiring her for the Fostoria Learning Center workforce development position." In effect, Lopez-Fouts is responsible for bringing in prospects and sending them back out as producers. As she started in her new position, she was delving into the upcoming classes and recruiting enrollees for them while also acquainting herself with those in charge of local businesses, from which a number of learners may come. "In looking at some of the initial goals for Linda and the position, the No. 1 priority is filling the classes," Smith said. "We at the learning center are blessed to work with so many individuals, companies and partner organizations. Linda will be familiarizing herself with all of these things while simultaneously filling our summer classes." Some of this is familiar and some of it is new to Lopez-Fouts. "In my last job, I was a training coordinator, so I would set up classes for a team and an instructor would come in and teach," she said. "It's similar in that respect. But just getting people to come in here to the building to take the classes, I think that would be one of my main focuses here. "The newest thing to me is physically going out into the community and talking to other businesses about the classes that we have. ... I'll meet with people — hopefully top managers and (human resources) representatives — and talk to them about the classes we have to offer and our environment, which is very calm when you walk into the class." Lopez-Fouts has both bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration, but she said she likes to "sharpen the saw" at times and enroll in classes that help her stay on course with developments in leadership or other skills. The desire to learn is something she likes to see and wants to help develop at the learning center. "I would say the impact I want to make is to help develop people who are questioning the path that they've laid out for themselves," she said. "I want them to be able to see all the classes that we have to offer. And, no matter where you are, you can always start here. We have a lot of resources that will help fund the classes if needed. If not, they're relatively inexpensive. "I, for one, would almost take every single class in here. You just never know where these kinds of classes are going to take you or on what avenue you're going to need them."