After 40 years of service to his community and state, Labor and Industrial Relations Commissioner Reid Forrester is returning home to Poplar Bluff. Forrester has the distinction of being commissioned by three Missouri Governors, staying above the fray as the politics of America became more and more divisive.
“Reid has been a valuable member of the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission,” said Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Director Anna Hui. “He held an important position, helping to make weighty decisions on unemployment and workers’ compensation appeals. He was a fair commissioner and an excellent leader as chair of the commission.”
After graduating from Doniphan High School and attending Three Rivers College in the area of business management, Forrester built businesses with stores across the area serving his customers — Videos to Go and Dollar-$-Mart.
Beginning in 1982, Forrester started giving back to his community in earnest.
First serving on TRC’s Occupational Job Placement Advisory Committee and then as a member and two-year chairman of the Poplar Bluff Planning & Zoning Commission and serving two terms on the Poplar Bluff Park Department. Forrester then served six years on the Poplar Bluff City Council and served the community as mayor.
In 2005, Forrester was appointed to the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole by Gov. Matt Blunt, serving the state as a member of a board dedicated to fairness and keeping communities safe. He was an integral part of the Governor’s team, conducting investigations and providing information to the governor on applications for pardons.
In 2014, Forrester began working for Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, rising to the position of Chief of Staff. He helped the lieutenant governor connect with Missourians by developing listening posts for citizens to communicate directly with Kinder. He became an expert at guiding and monitoring legislative activities that could affect the office and the state’s citizens.
In January of 2017, Forrester took on the legislative responsibilities for the Department of Labor, and along with the governor and department leadership, helped to promote economic vitality, safety and fairness for Missouri’s businesses and workers.
Since May 2018, Forrester has served as a commissioner on the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission and most recently appointed by Gov. Mike Parson to serve as chairman.
Forrester stated, “Serving the community and being involved in so many worthwhile projects has been a truly fulfilling journey. As I reflect on the past four decades, I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to make positive changes for my community and state. Susan and I are now excited to start this next chapter of our lives spending time with family and grandkids back home in Poplar Bluff.”