Jeffrey Forrest serves as Director of Older Youth Initiatives for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. In this role he oversees the Opportunity Youth and Foster Youth Programs which address the needs of young adults (ages 15-24). In his previous role, Jeffrey served as Vice-President of Economic Development for College of the Canyons, which focuses on aligning Career and Technical Education programs with the needs of industry, while offering job training for minorities, women, Veterans, and dislocated workers. In addition, Jeffrey oversaw a number of business units dedicated to providing companies with training resources for growing their business.
In this role, Jeffrey created partnerships with hundreds of companies, community-based organizations, government entities throughout Southern California to advance the efforts of the community college in providing workforce development solutions that lead to economic growth and prosperity for the region. Jeffrey has testified Capitol Hill on the benefits of apprenticeship to small business. Jeffrey is also is the Chair of Finally Family Homes, a non-profit that works with homeless transition-aged youth in North Los Angeles County
Jeffrey believes that providing access to a quality education and career pathways is critical to creating strong communities and key to the long-term growth of the nation’s economy. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, an MBA from Lindenwood University, and an MDiv from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.