Danielle Forté is a proud native of Columbus, Georgia and the mother of a teenage daughter. Danielle is a product of a military family, her father is a retired Lieutenant Colonel and her mother is a retired community advocate. After graduating with honors from Hardaway High School, Danielle attended Spelman College (magna cum laude) and Emory Law School in Atlanta where she remained and practiced law for several years. In 2009, she returned to Columbus to practice law in the public sector. After serving as Assistant District Attorney, in 2018, Danielle ran in a special election and won the position of Muscogee County Clerk of Superior and State Courts. In her current position as Clerk of Superior and State Courts, Danielle manages forty (40) employees and an annual departmental budget and revenues totaling over $6 million.

On November 6, 2018, Danielle, with the help of various endorsements such as the Georgia Police Benevolent Association, was elected Clerk of Superior and State Courts by a landslide, winning every voting precinct in Columbus. On November 13, 2018, Danielle took the oath of office and “hit the ground running,” immediately implementing strategies for a successful division by targeting employee morale, customer service and constituent education.

Danielle promised to conduct an office that was fortified, fair and focused. She has delivered on that promise by developing events that educate constituents, delivering services that inform the community about important issues and demanding fairness in policies and procedures that impact her constituents - and she’s just getting started!

Immediately upon taking office, Danielle successfully developed and executed programs and activities that elevated the Clerk’s Office to a new level of community commitment and involvement, such as seminars, programs and events below:

• Dec. 20, 2018 - eFile Attorney & User Training (Mildred L. Terry Library)
• Apr. 4, 2019 - eFile Lunch & Learn (Main Library)
• Apr. 29, 2019 - Meet the Constituents (Mildred L. Terry Library)
• July 11, 2019 - Notary Public Training (Main Library)
• Aug. 23, 2019 - Successful Completion of Georgia Superior Court Clerk’s Assoc., New Clerk Training (Atlanta, GA)
• Nov. 21, 2019 - Criminal History Summit – Criminal Record Restriction (Columbus Government Center)
• Dec. 2021 - Began the 1st monthly Forté Community Outreach Program
• Jan. 21, 2022 - Notary Public Training (Citizens Service Center)

Although the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily restricted community outreach and activities from the Clerk’s office, Danielle and her staff worked overtime to ensure services and duties to the public were not interrupted and adhered to the Code, regulations and most updated ruling from the courts, including the Georgia Supreme Court. She and her team continue to work diligently to ensure court services provided by her office are reinstated within pandemic guidelines, as well as outlining future community events. 

Danielle enthusiastically supports her community and those in need. She serves on the boards of the Urban League of Greater Columbus, Tree of Life Healthcare and Partnership in Caring, Youth Advisory Board. Most recently, she successfully completed the New Clerk 40 Hour Training certification officially entered into the minutes of the court as mandated by law.

Danielle’s legacy from her beloved parents, who both died in 2020, is the love of country instilled in her from her father’s military service and love of service to the community from her mother’s service as a community development advocate. She understands commitment and hard-work go hand-in-hand and is honored to serve as your Clerk of Superior and State Courts.