Born in San Diego, California, Dr. Forte received her doctoral degree from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. A recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Forte is also a member of the Board of Directors at John T. Mather Hospital and holds membership in more than a dozen specialty organizations typifying her versatility and expertise.

As motivational speaker specializing in relationships and performance/productivity enhancement, M. Cecile Forte, Ph.D, 57, knew a lot, and regularly learned more, about what made people tick. But for one group, the pace wasn't being kept by a steady clock, but by a ticking time bomb. The 41,000,000 who annually experience menopause.

For the modern woman, whose success is tied to her control of her own destiny, unwanted hot flashes, gray hair, mood swings, and the like are a rude awakening. But Forte saw the maturation process as an opportunity to sit back and reflect -- like a highlights show without the commercial interruptions. And so the novel Wise Women Don't Have Hot Flashes, They Have Power Surges! was born. The story of a man adapting to his wife's growing outward as she grows older, the book became the foundation for Forte's new national lecture series. Forte also saw that this large force of powerful consumers would be a fertile audience for entertainment that addressed their issues. And that those issues would be of interest to the people who share their lives -- husbands, lovers, children, even parents.

Forte expanded into journalism, with her piece, "A Matter of Attitude," an exploration of menopause's affect on African-American celebrities Patti La Belle, Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad and Tamia for Heart & Soul magazine, and an article, "The Power of the Triangle," published by Ballentine Books in Febuary 2004.

Inspired, Forte saw multifaceted entertainment potential in women and aging. She partnered with Steven Latham, executive producer and co-creator of the PBS documentary series THE LIVING CENTURY to develop the documentary WHO YOU CALLING OLD? Forte also decided to use fictional formats to access issues of aging and has developed SILVER SISTERS, a situation comedy about a trio of 50 year-old-plus siblings who reunite to run a D.C. bed-and-breakfast. Also in development is a television film based on Forte's popular book.

Positioning herself as a sort of "Martha Stewart of women and aging," Forte is using her authority in the area to open minds and hearts to reality, allowing them to reject long-held fears and myths. Best of all she does it with wit and a smile, expertise and experience, mixing comfort with a healthy dose of comedy. The result is a message of inspiration that's easy to grasp and allows everyone who has or will come face-to-face with menopause to see it as a change for the better.