Johnny Lawrence Ford, a native of the state of Alabama, grew up in Tuskegee, attended Washington Public Elementary School and graduated from Tuskegee Institute High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Sociology from Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee and a Master of Public Administration degree from Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1972, he was elected historic Tuskegee’s first African American mayor, serving six consecutive terms, after which he was elected to the State of Alabama House of Representatives. He was elected Mayor again in 2004 and then again in 2012, serving also as Chairman of the Utilities Board of Tuskegee. Mayor Ford is founder of the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors (ACBM), National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM) and the World Conference of Mayors (WCM). He is founding co-chair of the national Policy Alliance (NPA). Mayor Ford has received many awards and honors, including several honorary Doctorate degrees. He has three children; sons, John Ford, Jr. and Christopher and daughter Tiffany. He is married to retired Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge, the Honorable Joyce London Ford.