Lula M. Ford, was appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) effective January 21, 2003, by Governor Rod Blagojevich. She was reappointed to a second term in January 2008. Ford’s term expires January 2013. She remains the first African-American woman to serve on the ICC in its 95-year history.

A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Ford served as an elementary schoolteacher, administrator and principal in the Chicago Public Schools for nearly 35 years. She received the Principal of Excellence Award and Principal of the Year Award and has won accolades from President Bill Clinton and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley for her excellent job performance and contribution to Chicago’s inner-city schools.

During her tenure at the ICC, she has served as Chair of the ICC’s Gas Policy Committee and in December 2007 was appointed to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee for a term ending September 30, 2010.

She also serves as President of the Organization of PJM States. PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization (RTO) that plays a vital role in the U.S. electric system.

A 1965 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Ford also holds a master’s degree in urban studies from Northeastern (IL) University, and a master’s degree in career education from the University of Illinois.

Commissioner Ford resides in Chicago and has a grown daughter.