In Memory of

Imogene Forte
1925-2005
&
Henry Forte
1922-2006

Founders of Incentive Publications

Imogene Forte

“She loved to teach.”

If God has an executive advisory board up there, I guarantee you that Imogene is on it! –Al Burdick

Imogene C. Forte was an accomplished educator, administrator, and entrepreneur who successfully guided Incentive Publications for over 35 years. Before founding Incentive Publications in 1969, she served as associate professor at George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, the institution from which she holds B.S. and M.A. degrees. Mrs. Forte was honored with the university’s Distinguished Alumna award for the year 2000. Prior to her Peabody tenure, her professional experiences included being a public school elementary classroom teacher; the first head of the Oak Hill School, a private K-8 Day School; the Founding Vice President and Director of Curriculum and Training for Children’s World, a national educational day care corporation; and advisory positions for numerous national and international consultancies with schools and businesses.

We at Incentive Publications all miss Imogene greatly, but she lives on in our hearts and minds every day and continues to be a great inspiration as we carry on our mission to provide the best educational resources we possibly can to help teachers teach and students learn. The original brainchild of Imogene Forte, Incentive Publications exists to create innovative and engaging resources for educators and kids. And why? Because they need them.

Henry Forte

Mr. Forte served as the business manager for Incentive Publications for most of the past 35 years. He held a B.S. in Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and was a registered Professional Engineer with a specialization in structural design. His professional history before joining Incentive Publications included service as an U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, twelve years with the Engineering Department of the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroad, and over twenty-five years as an associate with Barge, Waggoner, and Sumner, a private engineering consulting firm.

Mr. Forte was a loving and devoted family man, husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was a quiet, gentle friend and served as a valued mentor and trusted colleague to many.