Reed graduated from
James Madison High School in
Vienna, Virginia in 1974, and
James Madison University in 1978. After high school, he initially pursued a career in baseball, having a private workout with the
Texas Rangers in 1974, but opted to go to college instead. He holds two bachelor's degrees, one in Communications from JMU and a combined degree in Meteorology from Penn State, Ball State, Mississippi State, Portland State, Lyndon State and the USDA Graduate School. Reed is considered to be one of the "most sought-after speakers" in Southwest Virginia and an advocate of math and science education. In 2011, Reed earned top-honors in "Easiest to Look at (male)" and "TV Weather Person you Trust" by
The Roanoker magazine. In 1997, Reed was one of 110 weathercasters chosen to attend a seminar on global warming data at The White House with
NOAA scientists, President
Bill Clinton and Vice President
Al Gore. In 1994, Reed was a contestant on the quiz portion of the nationally broadcast
NPR show ''
Whad'Ya Know?'' with host
Michael Feldman Reed is a resident of
Fincastle, Virginia, and is an avid home cook. ==References==