From The Blog

KICA Welcomes Jody Forrest as Director of Operations

KICA’s new director of Operations, Jody Forrest, joined KICA in early November, taking on the role that he first described as “perfect.” With a career defined by wide-ranging experience, Jody brings a perspective that spans technology, recruiting, accounting, facilities management, and process development across a variety of different organizations; all are crucial keys to effectively managing the association’s maintenance, security, livability and technology operations.

 

BUILDING A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE

He started his career in the United States Navy as an air surveillance radar technician, stationed off the coast of San Diego on the “big rock” that is San Clemente Island. The airfield is used to train pilots to land on aircraft carriers, and it shares a similar kind of remoteness. After leaving the Navy, “I wanted to move away from electronics, and I knew I wanted to move into a field with more direct interaction with people.” He took that leap with the Marine Corps, helping Marines navigate the challenges of re-entering civilian life, like he had just done. His intuitive step turned out to be the right one and it led to positions with increasing oversight of seemingly disparate elements: managing recruiting, a data site, network testing, and eventually the west coast help desk for Electronic Data Systems on a $10 billion government contract; overseeing the accounting team while participating in the development of a new facility in downtown Charleston; overseeing the IT department, facilities management, security, special events, retail and more at Balboa Park in San Diego. By the time Jody got to his most recent position at Sodexo, he was adept at connecting distinct threads into a coherent tapestry. He was also, to put it modestly, “really big on solving problems.”

He was able to put that ability to use in a dual role with Sodexo North America as an Area General Manager and a Regional Facilities Operations Manager. One area in which Sodexo excelled was process. “They had a lot of great systems in place to manage processes. They have insight into what’s happening in a given location from, say, Paris. It’s all very transparent.”

“I felt like I was kind of a missing piece,” at Sodexo and the feeling was mutual. Soon Jody was deploying to other sites around the country and being Sodexo’s representative to new and existing clients. In his final year with the company, he spent 330 days on the road. “I really feel good about being back here permanently now, so I can stop thinking about where I’m going to be next week.”

 

A PHILOSOPHY OF CONSIDERATION

Jody is a certified sustainability facilities professional. The mandate that comes with the certification is to operate facilities sustainably, but he takes it a step further. He considers the triple bottom line in all projects, keeping community, environmental, and financial well-being in mind. “If any one of those goes sideways, you’re not going to be successful.”

“For example, financially if you’re able to meet or beat your IT budget, that’s not a very environmentally friendly thing. But it could be.” He uses an example from his new team, being able to manage your sprinkler system remotely, as an example of how to consider two out of the three guideposts. “If you can accomplish things more efficiently, and save money, you can route some of that savings toward off-setting your environmental impact.”

The third pillar of his philosophy is the community. “If you haven’t consulted with the people you’re serving, then you’ve shot yourself in the foot. I want people to know that I’m considering all of those aspects.”

 

COMING TO KICA AND KIAWAH

When he saw the listing for KICA’s director of Operations role, he thought, “this is exactly what I want.” Jody does his homework so he not only checked KICA’s reviews on Glassdoor, he also watched board and community meetings throughout the years, thoroughly reviewed the financials, and read up on years of island news. With his broad experience, Jody is a perfect fit for a role that oversees the bulk of KICA’s employees and its most diverse departments.

It wasn’t just the role itself. Like many members, he was drawn to the natural beauty of the island. “It’s that fact that so many people here are concerned with keeping it that way. I don’t want to work in a place where they’re going to mow it all down.” He’s inspired by members and their dedication to the natural environment and the many animal inhabitants of the island: sea turtles, red knots, bobcats and more. 

 

RETURNING HOME

Jody is a South Carolina native who grew up in North Augusta. Over his professional career, he’s pivoted back and forth between the Charleston and San Diego areas as his home bases, but he now lives in Mt. Pleasant in a home he fully renovated over the past nine months. He also recently adopted a nearly two-year-old German shepherd rescue named Onyx. Jody is quick with pictures but says, “He’s handsome, but his training still has a ways to go.”

Of course, his preferred ways to spend a day off are outside, playing tennis or pickleball. “One of my favorite places on earth is Shem Creek. When I sit out there at Red’s and watch the sunset, it’s magical.”

 

A FUTURE WITH THE ASSOCIATION

As the association’s director of Operations, Jody now oversees the Security, Land and Lakes Management, Livability, Major Repairs and Replacements, General Maintenance, and Information Technology departments. He’s been with KICA for just three weeks, so he knows there’s still a lot to learn. He’s been meeting with each of his department heads, and getting a feel for how they are currently operating. “It’s a lot to do, but that’s the kind of person I am.”

KICA already has a solid foundation that he can build upon. “We have an incredibly dedicated team of people who can execute KICA’s essential functions; I’m here to focus on the big picture and implement strategies and processes to ensure everything we do is executed efficiently and strategically aligns with our goals. I can pull things together and make sure we’re all on the same page. I’m confident in the support I can provide and am excited to see what progress we can make together.”