Candidate for
Director; Santa Clara County Open Space Authority; District 5

Richard Forst grew up in and around the SF Bay Area. He graduated from Pleasant Hill High School in 1955. He earned his AA Degree in General Science from Diablo Valley College. He obtained his BA Degree in Business Management from Saint Mary's College in Moraga.

Forst and his wife Patricia moved to San Jose in 1960. They purchased their home in the Cambrian Area in 1963 and have resided there ever since. Patricia, a Registered Nurse, is retired from Blood Collection Services at the American Red Cross. They have 3 Sons. Michael lives with his family in San Jose and is the President and CEO of Forst Dental Laboratory Inc. located in Campbell. Son Richard lives with his family in Sitka, Alaska. Eric lives with his wife, Tracy in Juneau, Alaska. All 3 sons are graduates of Leigh High School. The Forsts are proud of their 4 grandchildren, Zachary, Branden, Christina and Thomas.

Although semi-retired, Forst works 2 days a week at Forst Laboratory as a dental technician/consultant. He has also "retired" from running but still enjoys hiking and walking in the hills around San Jose. Every year he takes an extended backpacking trip or 2 into the high Sierra. He and Patricia also enjoy sailing on San Francisco Bay.

From its formation in 1992, Forst served as a member of the Citizens' Advisory Committee for the SCC Trails Master Plan, which was chaired by then Supervisor Mike Honda. The plan was adopted by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 1994. It is the basis for the trail system in Santa Clara County. Prior to that, Forst was an "At Large" member of the Trails and Pathways Sub-Committee for the Inter-Governmental Council for 3 years until the IGC was disbanded. He is currently the Treasurer of New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association and also Treasurer of South Beach Yacht Club in San Francisco.

Forst has been the Director for District 5 since the formation of the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority in 1994. Over the past 4 years the Authority has preserved over 8,000 acres of land and partnered with other agencies to protect additional thousands of acres for agriculture and habitat preservation. Forst was elected Chair of the Authority in 1998 and 1999. He was instrumental in developing the Five Year Plan adopted by the Authority. Forst has served on many committees during his tenure. He currently serves on the Acquisition Committee and is the Authority's representative to the Silicon Valley Conservation Council and the Land Trust for Santa Clara County.