JACKSON – The New Jersey PGA and its charitable arm, the New Jersey Golf Foundation – in conjunction with PGA REACH, a charitable foundation of the PGA of America recently named a township Air Force Veteran as a PGA Works Fellow.
Jared Forest served in the U.S. Air Force from 2010 to 2016 as part of the 2021 PGA Works Fellow class. PGA Works was established in 2017 as a grant program facilitating nine-12-month paid positions for recent college graduates.
This program introduces golf to veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. Forest will also provide operations support for NJPGA tournaments and events.
Following his graduation from Jackson Memorial High School, Forest joined the Air Force in 2010 where he was primarily stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in Edwards, California as a member of the 412th Security Forces Squadron.
During his service, Forest graduated from the Community College of the Air Force with an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. He served two deployments and 13 months in deployed locations and received the Air Force Achievement Medal for his action in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
After six years of service, Forest decided in 2016 that it was time to pursue his love for sports and continued his education at Temple University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Recreation Management. His passion for sports led him to serve as a General Analyst in the Temple University Sports Industry Research Center, Player Personnel Manager for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League and the Communications Coordinator for the New York Guardians of the XFL.
He is currently enrolled at the University of Florida as he pursues a Master of Science in Sport Management with a concentration in Athlete Development.
Forest said he was “eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with the New Jersey Section of the PGA and the New Jersey Golf Foundation. It has always been my goal to translate my experiences and background in sports in a way that will help my brothers and sisters in the Veteran sector.”
“I am looking forward to aiding in whatever way I can to continue to expand the mission of the New Jersey Golf Foundation as it positively impacts lives and communities through the game of golf,” Forest added.
New Jersey Golf Foundation Executive Director Chris Hunt said, “as a military Veteran and a passionate sports enthusiast, Forest will be instrumental in leading the continued growth of our successful PGA HOPE program, while supporting core programs and special events for the NJ Section and NJ Golf Foundation.”
The PGA WORKS Fellowship is a nine month to year-long paid position, funded by PGA REACH, which currently hosts Fellows in the following PGA Sections: Carolinas, Connecticut, Gateway, Metropolitan, Michigan, Middle Atlantic, New Jersey, Northern Ohio, Southern Ohio, Western New York and South Florida. Forest is the fourth PGA WORKS Fellow for the New Jersey Section.
For additional information on PGA REACH, visit pgareach.org.
