Stormie D. Forte is currently a member of the Raleigh City Council, representing District D. She is the principal at Obsidian Consulting Services, LLC, where she assists local companies with business organization and development opportunities. She is also a partner in Cardinal Consulting Company, LLC, which provides a broad range of campaign services to candidates seeking elective office. Additionally, she is a partner in Cardinal Blue Consulting, LLC, which provides advocacy services and the development of grassroots initiatives for their clients. In these roles, she facilitates dialogue with her clients producing transformative and comprehensive strategies that will assist them in achieving their goals. She is also the host of The Art of Listening with Stormie Forte, a weekly radio talk show that airs on 92.1 Choice FM on Saturday mornings at 9:00 am.
She was previously employed by the North Carolina Department of Justice as the Ombudsman for the State Crime Lab. In that role, she led the effort to provide open, inclusive and clear mediation for all segments of the criminal justice system. As a sought-after thought leader and crisis communicator, she established and maintained interactions between local, state, and federal agencies. Additionally, she served as the Department of Justice’s Ethics Liaison to the North Carolina Ethics Commission. She was a representative of the North Carolina Attorney General on several commissions and committees.
Ms. Forte has experience in both the government and corporate sectors. She has previously been employed by the North Carolina Department of Justice as an Assistant Attorney General, where she represented the State in a variety of complex civil litigation matters and settlement negotiations. She has worked for the North Carolina Department of Corrections and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In the private sector, she has been a Vocational Rehabilitation Case Manager, a Family Preservation Specialist, and a private practice attorney.
Ms. Forte is a native of Raleigh and a graduate of Broughton High School. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Psychology. She received her Juris Doctor Degree from North Carolina Central University. She is licensed as an attorney in the State of North Carolina and in the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina Federal court. Additionally, she has her North Carolina Real Estate license. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Certified Court Mediator for District and Superior Courts.
In addition to Ms. Forte’s considerable negotiation and conflict resolution skills, she has developed a working knowledge of intellectual property and business concepts by being a member of and participating in programs sponsored by the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association. In addition, she is a member of the International Ombudsman Association, the United States Ombudsman Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the Clarence Lightner Y Achievers within the YMCA, the Board of Advisors for Preparing to Soar Program in Johnston County, the North Carolina Commission for Racial and Ethnic Disparities, the Advisory Board for the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Ethics Bowl, the Advisory Board of My Brother’s Keeper of Wake County and the Friends of the NC State Science Museum Board. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Tar Heel and NCCU basketball, as well as playing with her three dogs.
