Updated: 10-May-2019

Keith Forrest Post

Executive Director

     On 1 October 2010, Keith Forrest Post took over the management of the St. Marys Submarine Museum.   The Museum’s first Manager, John Raymond Crouse, had suffered a fatal heart attack while attending the 2010 USSVI’s Convention in Cincinnati.   John had been serving as the musuem's manager since before the Museum opened in March of 1996.  Keith had been serving on the Museum’s Board of Directors for 5 years and was already well-known in Camden County and the St. Marys community.  His background as a former submariner, his Navy career achievements and awards, and his extensive involvement in the Southeast Georgia area community, made him a great candidate to manage the direction of the Museum. 

     Keith was born on 22 November 1959 in Bay Shore, New York, located on Long Island, to Oakley James Post and Alice May (Stroup) Post.  At the time, Oakley was serving in the United States Coast Guard.  After moving all over the country from New York to Hawaii and many places in between during his father’s Coast Guard career, Keith attended his final two years of high school and graduated from Farmingdale Senior High School in Farmingdale, New York in 1977.  He attended one year of College in upstate New York before moving to Florida where he worked for Southeast Banking Corporation in New Smyrna Beach prior to his enlistment in the Navy in May of 1981.

     Following Boot Camp graduation in Orlando, Florida in July of 1981, Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut in January of 1982 and Sonar School in San Diego, California in October of 1982, his first submarine assignment was to the Gold Crew of the nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine USS NATHAN HALE (SSBN-623)  homeported  in Charleston, South Carolina.  While on the Nathan Hale, he became qualified in submarines in 1983 and worked as a Sonar Technician from 1982 through 1986 advancing to both second and first class while aboard.  From 1986 to 1988, Petty Officer First Class Post served on the USS CASIMIR PULAKI (SSBN 633) (Blue Crew) homeported in Charleston, but refitting out of King Bay, Georgia.  While on shore duty in Hawaii in 1990, he was sent on temporary duty to the nuclear powered fast attack USS OMAHA (SSN 692) for a 3 month Northern Pacific deployment.  He was promoted to Sonarman Chief in 1995 while serving on the USS NEBRASKA (SSBN 739) (Blue Crew) between 1992 and 1996.  Keith made 16 deployments, including 13 ballistic missile submarine patrols entitling him to wear the SSBN Pin with 2 silver and 3 gold stars.  

     His shore assignments included duties as the Command Career Counselor for Submarine Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the Lead Sonarman at the SP-205 Arduous Sea Duty Detachment Cape Canaveral, Florida, Manager of the SSBN Security Program and Sonar Evaluation Program at SSP, and his final assignment at Strategic Systems Programs Headquarters, Washington, DC, where he was the Force Career Counselor.  He retired from active duty on 30 September 2003 after serving for 22 years.

    His sea and shore assignments earned him many awards to include, a Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (3 Awards), Navy Achievement Medal (5 Awards), the1990 Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor Sailor of the Year, and the 1990 Navy League Honolulu Council Outstanding Military Service Award. 

     Shortly after Keith retired from the Navy in 2003 and while living in St. Marys, he became immersed in the community.  He started out by receiving his Real Estate License in July 2004.  He then served as President of the Camden-Kings Bay Council of the Navy League from June 2007 to June 2010, followed by service as the Georgia Area President of the Navy League for 5 years. In both of those positions he also served as a National Director on the Navy League National Board. He also served as President of the Camden/Charlton County Board of REALTORS in 2008.  He is a member of the Camden County Chamber of Commerce, is the current President-Elect of the St. Marys Kiwanis Club and a member of the First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys.  Of note is that in 2008 as the Navy League Council President, Keith was the Co-Chair for Logistics of the USS GEORGIA (SSGN 729) Return to Service Committee and was selected as the Camden/Charlton County REALTOR of the Year.  In 2009, in recognition of his numerous community service projects he was awarded the Rosie Kelly Community Service Award by the St. Marys Downtown Merchants Association.  Also in 2009, Keith was appointed by Georgia’s  Lt. Governor Casey Cagle to one of 10 Regional Water Councils.  Keith was one of only 5 REALTORS of the 250 members appointed state wide making him one of 25 members who served on the Coastal Region Water Council. These water councils were part of the state-wide three-year effort to develop the State of Georgia’s Comprehensive Water Management Plan.  In June 2010, he was awarded the Navy League Scroll of Honor for his three year service as Council President of the Camden-Kings Bay Council, and in October 2010 at the Navy League National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, he was awarded the Navy Meritorious Public Service Medal by Admiral Gary Roughhead, Chief of Naval Operations, and the Coast Guard Distinguished Pubic Service Medal by RADM William Baumgartner for the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Robert Papp.

     In August of 2009 he and partner Bradley Meyer founded Satilla Computer Solutions serving the information technology needs of the Camden and Glynn County area. In November of 2009, Keith was elected by the citizens of his adopted community and served as City Councilman from January 2010 to December 2013. In January 2011, Keith Post was formally appointed by the Board of Directors as Executive Director of the St. Marys Submarine Museum.  In August 2016, at the USSVI (United States Submarine Veterans Inc.) National Convention in Reno, Nevada, Keith was presented with the Ben Bastura Historical Achievement Award for his tireless efforts at preserving submarine history and artifacts at the Museum and for his hard work theprevious six years at the Annual WWII Submarine Veterans of WWII Memorial week which is held annually in the fall in Kings Bay.