Forrest Smith, B.S Broadcasting 1981 and University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Innovation News Center deputy morning news director, has announced that he will retire in August 2020 after 35 years at CJC.

During his tenure, Smith has held various news manager positions at WRUF-AM/FM and WUFT/WJUF-FM and has anchored multiple newscasts, special reports and candidate roundtables. He has also covered multiple hurricane threats to north Florida starting with Hurricane Elena in 1985.

Smith has mentored and trained hundreds of broadcast news students and successfully coached students for the Hearst Journalism Awards and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Regional Mark of Excellence and the Florida Associated Press Broadcast competitions. In the past five years, his students competed in the national championship round of the Hearst awards, resulting in first-place finishes.

Smith received the UF College of Journalism and Communications Staff Service Award in 1999 and the inaugural Legacy Award chosen by the board of the Florida Associated Press Broadcasters (FAPB) in 2017.

Posted: April 15, 2020
Category: Alumni News, College News
Tagged as: Forrest Smith