COC Names New Vice President of Economic & Workforce Development

 Longtime financial analyst and educational administrator Jeffrey Forrest has been named Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development at College of the Canyons. Forrest will begin his new position effective July 25.
Forrest takes over the position vacated by Joe Klocko, former dean of Economic and Workforce Development, who retired earlier this year.
“I hope to provide leadership and support to the business units of the college’s Economic Development Division in its efforts to foster job training, business services, and employment opportunities for students, residents, and Santa Clarita businesses,” said Forrest.
“I’m also looking forward to the opportunity to champion the message of College of the Canyons as an innovative, entrepreneurial college that is committed to the growth and prosperity of the community,” he added.
Included among his many responsibilities, Forest will also be responsible for developing and strengthening partnerships with business leaders and other local economic development organizations across both the state and region.
Forrest earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and an MBA from Lindenwood University.
His career started as a financial analyst for McDonnell Douglas Corporation, which was once the largest aerospace company in the world. He has also experience working in the non-profit and private business sectors.
In 2004, Forrest became an adjunct professor at St. Louis Community College, which ignited his interest in working in higher education.
“After the first semester, I was hooked, not only on teaching, but on the mission of the community college,” said Forrest. “I knew from that moment that I wanted to spend the rest of my professional career serving in some capacity in higher education.”
For the past four years, Forrest has served as Interim Dean of the Business and Human Development Division at St. Louis Community College. In this capacity, he developed relationships with local companies, managed grants, and built advisory committees for the college’s Career Technical Education (CTE) programs.
“The passion I had for workforce development was renewed at St. Louis and I’ve been looking for an opportunity to apply my skill-set in this area of higher education,” said Forrest. “I am thrilled to be a Cougar.” ‘
For more information about the college’s Economic Development Division please visit www.canyonsecondev.org.