Joe Forest | Geographic In-State Trustee 

Class of 2000, Bachelor of Arts, English

Why I Serve

My father graduated from UW and was the first person in the family to attend college. He taught high school for 35 years and education was a priority at home. It was expected I’d earn a college degree and UW was always my number one choice. As a kid, I rode my bicycle down the Burke-Gilman Trail to Husky Stadium and watched football games through the fence.

As a student, I loved visiting Sylvan Theater, an early site of UW graduation ceremonies. It was overgrown and somewhat of a secret spot that was home to four, giant columns. It’s an interesting time in a young person’s life. You’re learning to navigate the world – both literally on campus and in your own right as an individual.

I took an American poetry class and it helped open the door to literature and my decision to major in English. I’m now a winemaker and no matter what I do in life, my UW degree taught me to think critically, keep an open mind and follow your passion wherever it leads. Part of my vision as a trustee is bridging the gap between UW and other areas, even as close as Eastern Washington. I want to share UW’s overall mission and vision.

Biography

Joe Forest is the owner of Tempus Cellars in Walla Walla, Washington. The small, family-owned business produces 1,500 cases annually and recently expanded by opening a second tasting room in downtown Spokane. His winemaking was inspired and influenced both by his father and fellow UW alumni. Tempus Cellars follows old traditions including extensive barrel-aging to produce premium wines with fruit sourced from the Columbia Valley. Tempus Cellars has earned prestigious recognition from numerous national associations and publications.

He served on the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance’s Board of Directors and chaired the membership committee. He lives in Walla Walla with his wife, also a proud UW graduate, and their two children.