LORNA PHILLIPS FORDE montgomery county council district 2

Lorna Phillips Forde is a small business owner and  35-year resident of Germantown, MD. She grew up in Hampton, VA as one of 5 children. The proud daughter of a Public Schools teacher and a Korean War Army Veteran, Phillips Forde inherited the advocacy gene from her mother. She watched her mother teach school year round and on weekends (Public, Sunday & Summer school), lead Girl Scout troops in order to give children the best opportunities to excel and faithfully served her local board of elections.       

With public service in her blood, Phillips-Forde never shied away from the tradition set by her parents. After earning a degree in Business Administration from Virginia State University and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh, she began her career in contract management and financial planning; later obtaining certificates in contract management and contract law from Florida Institute of Technology and Harvard University, respectively. Building on her success at companies such as IBM, Phillips Forde launched a travel agency whose mission is to arrange transformative trips around the world designed to inspire faith and service. Nearly 30 years later, including a tremendous pandemic hit, Aria Travel Service continues to serve satisfied clients.       

In her personal life, Phillips Forde advocates from a position of experience to seek progress and find solutions to some of the most devastating pain points across the Montgomery County community. As a survivor of gun violence, Phillips Forde is both a champion for victims and a fierce advocate for sensible gun legislation. Her advocacy earned her the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction. Phillips Forde understands the public safety and security concerns in our neighborhoods where violent crimes are on the increase and the prevalence of Ghost Guns is alarming.  She is also committed to confronting violence against women. In 2012 Phillips Forde was appointed to the Montgomery County Commission for Women, served as chair, and two years later was selected by The Governor to the state’s Commission for Women. Phillips-Forde would later help to pass a law defending victims of sexual assault, and she remains a stalwart for women and girls across the state.       

Continuing her commitment to the community, Philips Forde has worked as an election chief judge, spearheaded voter registration drives, fought successfully for paid sick leave and advocated directly to end the sale of flavored tobacco products deceptively designed to entice teenagers. As a Manna Food Center Board Member, she joined fellow members in Annapolis and advocated for desperate relief for hard working Americans during the pandemic by securing extended SNAP benefits.       

As a small business owner, Lorna Phillips Forde is committed to ensuring that there is an infrastructure in place that fosters innovation, creativity and opportunities for all. Phillips-Forde’s goal is to bring all of her lived, community and professional experience and enthusiasm to the table to work toward pursuing legislation, policy, funding services (including non-profit) and programs that are environmentally friendly, fair, equitable, and accessible for all residents.      

Phillips Forde, the proud mother of twin daughters - products of Montgomery County public schools where she also taught as a substitute - is a deeply rooted community servant and Germantown small business owner whose local and global perspective allow her to understand the needs of diverse populations and people of all walks of life.