Wayne Ford

Iowa State Representative Wayne Ford’s rise from Washington, D.C.’s inner city to the Iowa Capitol is truly an urban dream. Although he was a success on the football field in high school, he also earned the title “Most Likely Not to Succeed” due to his involvement in various juvenile crimes. Upon graduation he nevertheless received a football scholarship at Rochester Junior College in Minnesota. It’s a move he credits with saving his life. He continued his education and football career at Drake University, where he graduated with a BA in Education. Ford was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996 and has since become the state's longest-serving black legislator. As a result of his inspiring life story, he was profiled in Dan Rather’s 2001 book, The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation. Ford chaired the Insurance Committee of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators in 2006 and has been First Vice-Chair of the NBCSL's Business, Finance, and Insurance Committee since 2007.