Forrest Pecha MS, LAT, ATC

Past President

Pecha Headshot

Forrest Pecha, MS, LAT, ATC serves as the Director of Clinic and Outreach at Steamboat Orthopedic and Spine Institute in Steamboat Springs, CO. Previously he held the role of Operations and Clinic Manager of Orthopedics at Saltzer Health in Nampa, Idaho Additionally, he was the Program Director for the Athletic Training Residency at both St. Luke's Sports Medicine In Boise ID and at Emory Sports Medicine in Atlanta GA.

Forrest currently serves as a commissioner for The CAATE. He has served the CAATE in many capacities including: the post professional review committee, a site visitor for post-professional residency programs, a member of accreditation conference planning committee, and post-professional education transition team. He served the Board of Certification on the recent athletic training practice analysis, 7th addition, and on both practice analysis for orthopedic specialty certification. Forrest has served the NATA as Liaison to American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), and various NATA committees to include the CIC, CEPAT, and COPA. He has been recognized for his dedication to the athletic training profession as the recipient of the NATA Athletic Training Service Award 2012 and Most Distinguished Athletic Training Award 2018.  

Forrest has been invited to speak nationally and internationally on the clinical roles, improving physician practice efficiencies, and the implementation and utilization of athletic trainers. He has been published multiple times through both peer-reviewed journals and professional articles on the value of athletic trainers.

He was head athletic trainer for the U.S. Men's Alpine Ski Team, participating in the 2002 Olympic winter games, and continues to work as a rotational athletic trainer for U.S. Soccer through the youth and national team programs. Forrest earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, and his master's degree from Illinois State University.