Ford was born and raised in rural upstate New York. As a kid he enjoyed fishing and hunting with his father. After college he spent 25 years in the Navy, including a tour in Iceland where he was exposed to salmon fishing using flies. After the Navy he worked at Penn State for almost 20 years. During this time he started fly fishing in the local streams when time permitted. Always interested in environmental issues, he was Penn State's representative on the board of ClearWater Conservancy for 12 years and remains active with the conservancy.

A member of TU and the chapter for several years, he helped facilitate the development of the chapter's strategic plan. Now that he is retired he hopes to find more time to fish and become more active in the chapter. His other interests include: spending time with his grand kids, membership on the Mount Nittany Health System board, Penn State Sports, and figuring out retirement...