Mrs Elaine Foster-Allen is a teacher by profession and a Public Service Administrator. She has served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Health, Office of the Prime Minister, and Education. Before serving in the Civil Service, she worked for 10 years as Principal of Shortwood Teachers' College. She was appointed Jamaica’s first Chief Inspector of Education and spearheaded the development of the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) during its embryonic stages.

Mrs. Foster-Allen has in-depth knowledge of education systems both locally and internationally having worked for 17 years in the United Kingdom’s education system at varying levels. She holds a Master of Philosophy in Theology and a Bachelor of Education (2.2) from the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham respectively. Married to Trevor, she has a daughter and a niece who constitute her immediate family.