Winifred Antoinette "Toni" Taylor Ford '63
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of her graduation from Chestnut Hill College, Winifred Antoinette “Toni” Taylor Ford is truly an example of a woman who embraces life at all stages. Her personal and professional prowess has led her to outstanding achievements in fields of science, technology, government, and the arts and humanities. Described by her colleagues as “dedicated, multifaceted, and talented” and as a leader who is “a competent, bold visionary,” Toni Ford has distinguished herself in a unique and most ubiquitous fashion.
Being the first in her family to pursue education beyond the eighth grade, Ms. Ford came to Chestnut Hill most unsure of her future path. She eventually chose biology as a major and her first professional career upon graduation was as an Oceanographer. From there, her professional career blossomed into one of the most diverse and distinguished alumnae careers the College has known.
Ms. Ford began a career in government (1971 – 84) that included three Senate confirmations. In 1971, Ms. Ford was appointed by President Nixon to the President’s Commission on White House Fellows for a one-year term. Ms. Ford was the first married woman and first African-American woman selected as a White House Fellow. In 1981, she was nominated by President Ronald Reagan and later confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Administrator of the Agency for International Development Near East Bureau with a budget responsibility for more than $2.5 billion. In this capacity she managed the multi-year development of large-scale projects throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. She became the highest-ranking African-American woman in the Reagan Administration’s diplomatic corps. She was appointed a Fellow at the Harvard University Institute of Politics and was also appointed a National Science Foundation Fellow at Stanford University with a focus in Oceanography.
In 1998, Ms. Ford served as CEO of TelSpanServices Inc., an information management services company based in Maryland. TelSpanServices products address the emerging and rapidly growing Intelligent Transportation Systems market segment encompassing all forms of communication and automation related to mass transit. Prior to establishing TelSpanServices, Ford founded TELSPAN International Inc., where for more than a decade she served as president and CEO of this multimedia communications company.
NASA granted Ms. Ford a patent license to commercialize large, flat-panel displays and the company she founded to undertake this work, Projected Reality Corporation. From 1998 thru 2004, Ms. Ford served as president of Projected Reality Corporation, a technology firm that develops evolutionary technology to provide a gateway for value-added applications in the entertainment, advertising and distance-learning industries. The most exciting effort was the research and development work on thin, flat-panel display technology. PCR’s affiliation with NASA aided in building what will be the next generation of TV, computer and video monitors. As an entrepreneur, Ms. Ford's firm had primary responsibility for the development of cold cathode display technology and the development of a patented non-glare product. The energy, enthusiasm, and influence of Toni Ford are by no means diminished by retirement! Since 2006, she has devoted herself to the Double Nickels Theatre Company, a reminiscence theatre led by seniors, of which she is Founder and President. Double Nickels encourages seniors to stay actively involved with their communities, young people, and people of differing cultures. Through the medium of Reminiscence Theatre, Ms. Ford encourages seniors to celebrate their legacy by highlighting and sharing their lives through theatrical performances, original music, publication of reminiscences, and artistic renderings. Lionell Thomas, executive d of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, says that the theatre “allows the seniors to feel valued while others acquire knowledge they may never have had an opportunity to garner, had it not been for them being brought together through Toni’s organization.”
In addition to her involvement with the Double Nickels Theatre Company, she is an avid tennis player who was a member of the D.C. Senior Olympics tennis team. She takes cello lessons, volunteers at the Town Hall Education Arts and Recreation Campus (THEARC) in Washington, D.C., and served as a member of the board of directors of the D.C. Public Library Foundation. She also heads a newly established e-books publishing enterprise, Double Dutch Digital Publishing.
Most recently, Ms. Ford was awarded an honorary degree from Chestnut Hill College at commencement exercises in May. She was celebrated as one of the Top 100 Minority Business Executives in a six-state region of the United States. The States of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Washington, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania along with Southwest Airways, State Farm Insurance Company and a host of other sponsors granted this honor. Ms. Ford has published several scientific articles in the field of Oceanography. In July 2012, she published “Bye Willie,” a true story of children growing up near the railroad tracks in North Philadelphia in 1934.
Ms. Ford also holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, an M.S. from American University, was a Fellow at the Harvard University Institute of Politics, and a National Science Foundation Fellow in Oceanography at Stanford University.
Education, fortitude, enthusiasm, and a sense of humor - all these qualities speak to the person who is Toni Taylor Ford. These are the ingredients for a lifetime of successes both professional and personal, and it is in these personal encounters where Toni’s light shines. Her endeavors are so fruitful because of her deep personal regard for the community-at-large. Dr. Velma J. Deleveaux observes that Toni “has consistently been a catalyst for change and an inspiration to others….she has left an impression on all of us, challenging us to be more and to do more.” Further, WUSA Vice President Dr. JC Hayward says, “…it is important to understand that Toni does everything with a sense of humor.…I paraphrase her when I say, whenever you meet someone who can make you laugh out loud, hold them forever in your life. They are precious. Toni makes me laugh out loud. But I also know she will get things done.” It is obvious that generations of colleagues have learned from her and come to know, respect, and love her.
Perhaps the best and final insight into the heart Toni Ford’s success lies in her own reflection on her life at the College, “My time at Chestnut Hill College is what helped create these experiences, opportunities, and successes. The College is a large part of the foundation for these achievements. What is not noted, but perhaps even more important, is that Chestnut Hill College forms the foundation for my developing the ability and spiritual strength to accept the occasional setbacks and walk into the winds sometimes that pushed back against my progress to maturity….learning all the way. My life has taken many paths, some planned, some not. But the yarn knitting this journey together is colored with experimentation, exploration, enthusiasm, creativity, no fear, and thinking. And every one of these descriptors was first tested in the halls of Chestnut Hill College.” Toni says, “Every day I do something I cannot do. This is how I learn to do it.” Thank you, Toni, for your inspiring example to us. We are honored to learn from you.
Toni resides in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband, Melvin Wendell Ford.
