About | portfolio

A native son of the desert Southwest, Forest was born in Albuquerque, NM and grew up there and in the rural towns of Valencia County. Forest developed an interest in how the built environment takes shape and discovered the Planning field through experience traveling to major cities of the West Coast of America and internationally while serving over eight years as an Electronics Technician in the Coast Guard.

Honorably discharged in 2009, Forest returned home to finish college and completed his BA in Environment Planning & Design with a Minor in Economics from the University of New Mexico in 2013, graduating Magna Cum Laude with distinction in International Studies from the University Honors College. Going on to receive a Master of Science in Planning degree at the University of Arizona in Tucson, his studies focused on ecological land use planning and design. Supplementing this education with technical training in methods of spatial analysis and mapping, he also earned a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems from the college's School of Natural Resources & the Environment.

Forest next went on to specialize in providing analysis and policy recommendations focused on assisting regional municipalities in meeting federal funding requirements to consider impacts of transportation projects to environmental health and justice while serving eight years as a Transportation Planner for the Albuquerque area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Personal statement:

“My interest in Planning developed out of a nature that combines passionate idealism with rational pragmatism.
Seeking an honest occupation which respects other people and the natural world, while at the same time developing an understanding of the powerful influence our built environments have on health, wealth, and quality of life, I reasoned that Planning was a vocation where I could be effective in making a positive difference - a profession where my creative and analytical abilities could be meaningfully engaged in seeking and implementing solutions to the many challenging problems faced by human society.“