Jessica Ford Honored by the YWCA for Leadership in Government
By Asia Nail
The Truth Reporter
Some people are born into a legacy. Others build one. Jessica Ford is doing both, quietly, steadily and with the kind of leadership that feels less like a spotlight and more like a lighthouse.
The YWCA of Northwest Ohio has named Ford its 2026 Milestones Government Honoree, a recognition that celebrates women whose work changes communities.
For Ford, the honor still feels a little surreal.
“I still can’t believe it,” she says with a soft laugh. “When you look at the women who have been recognized over the years, it’s the highest honor for women in our community. To stand alongside them, it’s really special.”
Ford currently serves as Lucas County Administrator, overseeing the day-to-day operations of county government and guiding more than 700 employees. It’s a job filled with big decisions and long days, but for her, the work is deeply personal.
Public service, she explains, isn’t just a career choice. It’s the air she grew up breathing.
A Childhood Rooted in Service
Her father, Jack Ford, made history as Toledo’s first African American mayor, serving from 2002 to 2006. Before that, he spent years in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he eventually rose to become minority leader. Her mother, Claudia Ford, also devoted her life to public service, building a long career before eventually retiring from the county prosecutor’s office.
Jessica remembers watching both of them serve the community every single day.
“I grew up alongside my dad when he was campaigning and holding office,” she recalls. “My mom was also a public servant. Helping people was just part of our lives. If someone needed something, we listened. We tried to help.”
For Ford, it felt normal.
Helping someone at the grocery store. Listening when a neighbor had a problem. Talking with strangers who needed a little guidance.
“It was just how we lived,” she says. “Honestly, I don’t really know anything else.”
But following in the footsteps of a historic mayor can be complicated. Legacies have weight. Sometimes they feel like carrying a family heirloom, something beautiful and meaningful, but delicate, too. Something you want to honor…and protect.
Ford has learned how to carry it while still building something of her own.
“There’s a strong tradition of service from both my parents,” she says thoughtfully. “But I’m at a point now where I’m making my own mark.”
Turning Vision into Action
And that mark is already visible across Lucas County.
Under her leadership, three major public service agencies—Job and Family Services, Child Support Enforcement, and OhioMeansJobs—were brought together into a single Shared Services Building in West Toledo. The change makes it easier for residents to access services in one place instead of traveling across the county.
Ford smiles when she talks about projects like that.
Sometimes the work begins quietly in a conference room. A problem is discussed. Solutions are sketched out. Meetings happen. Months turn into years.
Then one day, something real appears.
“I remember when we were first talking about these ideas,” she says. “And then years later you’re standing there looking at a building that’s helping thousands of people. That is incredibly rewarding.”
Another project she helped lead is the new Lucas County Canine Care & Control facility, a modern shelter designed to improve conditions for animals, staff, and visitors.
It even opened under budget, a rare achievement in public construction.
The Hard Decisions Behind the Work
But Jessica is quick to point out that government leadership is not always glamorous.
“People don’t see the behind-the-scenes challenges,” she says.
Many of those challenges include making difficult choices. Choices that affect families, children and entire neighborhoods.
“You’re dealing with emotional topics,” she explains. “Children’s services. Public assistance. Real people’s lives.”
Balancing logic and compassion becomes a daily practice.
Ford carries a conversation with longtime county leader Tina Skeldon Wozniak, who once told her she had a gift for making difficult decisions.
“You have to take the emotion out and be pragmatic,” Ford says. “But at the same time, you can’t forget the human side. Finding a balance between the two aspects is important.”
Leadership, she believes, is never a solo act.
“No one can do this work alone,” she says. “You need people around you that you trust. People you can call and ask, ‘Am I overthinking this?’”
Rising Through the Ranks
That sense of teamwork has helped carry her from one role to the next.
Jessica began her county career as an executive assistant. From there she became a project manager, then senior project manager, and later deputy county administrator.
Step by step.
Promotion by promotion.
Until finally she reached the role she holds today.
Looking back, she credits her family with keeping her motivated.
“My family kept me going,” she emphasizes. “And I could see there was a real need for talented people in government.”
Leading for the Next Generation
But more than anything, she says, her motivation now comes from watching the next generation grow.
Ford is the mother of two daughters, one nearly grown, the other still full of childhood curiosity.
Her youngest recently asked a question that made Jessica smile.
“She said, ‘Mom, tell me what you do,’” Ford recalls. “And when I tried to explain it she said, ‘So you’re pretty important?’”
Jessica laughs remembering the moment.
“I told her, yes, but it’s a team effort. Everyone’s role matters.”
Still, she knows her mother’s example carries weight.
“These jobs are often dominated by men,” Ford admits. “So it’s important for young girls to see that women can lead too.”
Her daughters, she hopes, will grow up believing that leadership belongs to them just as much as anyone else.
“Women can be tough,” she adds. “We can make important decisions. We can be involved in critical work.”
The message is simple but powerful.
Women belong in rooms where decisions are made.
Women belong at the head of the table.
Women belong in government.
Ford especially hopes young girls of color take that message to heart.
Honoring the Work, Continuing the Journey
“Get engaged,” she advises. “Ask questions. Connect with leaders.”
For Ford, leadership isn’t about the spotlight, it’s about creating space for others to shine. Representation may not always be visible, but that doesn’t mean the opportunities aren’t there. “Sometimes you just have to keep pushing forward,” she shares.
As the YWCA Milestones celebration approaches, Ford admits she feels a little nervous about the attention.
She can’t help but smile as she explains why. “I’m a lot like my father,” she says. “He didn’t like the limelight, and honestly neither do I. I just like to do the work.”
Even the news of her Milestones award surprised her. When CEO Lisa McDuffie called late one evening, Ford thought there had been a mistake. Instead, she heard the words she never expected: she was the honoree.
“I said, ‘What?’” she recalls. “I couldn’t wrap my head around it, I was the one being honored!”
But the truth is simple.
It is her.
A woman who grew up watching public service. A woman who climbed through government one step at a time. A woman raising daughters who now see leadership through their mother’s example.
The torch passed from one generation to the next, but Jessica Ford isn’t just carrying it. She’s using it to light new paths, open doors, and inspire others to follow.
Lead. Lift. Light the way.
And most of all, she proves that a leader’s light is brightest when it guides the next generation.
Learn more about the YWCA Milestones celebration and this year’s honorees here