“ One of the things that really helps keep me going is that I know that the decisions I make now will affect people positively long after I’m gone. That to me is a cool thing.” For LaForge and his wife, Sara, the desire to “fix” things goes beyond nuts, bolts, nails, and wires. Both have been deeply involved in the community service club Civitan in the Lansing area. Additionally, LaForge said he enjoys helping others more anonymously—especially around the holidays. “My father used to tell me, ‘If you do something for someone and expect something in return, don’t even bother doing it.’ That’s kind of what I try to live by,” LaForge said. LaForge said he first considered serving on the GLE Board of Directors when he read about upcoming board elections in Michigan Country Lines magazine. He said the idea appealed to him because he has a long-standing interest in electrical systems, and he thought it would offer him another way to serve the community. “I’ve done a lot of volunteer work in my life, and because GLE is a not-for-profit, I looked at it more as working on trying to help other people. One of the things that really helps keep me going is that I know that the decisions I make now will affect people positively long after I’m gone. That to me is a cool thing,” he said.
Problem Solver, Community Builder I
f you need something fixed, John LaForge is probably your guy.
“I can fix just about anything,” LaForge said. But then, LaForge ought to be a handy guy, considering most of his working life has been centered around building or fixing things. LaForge, who lives near the Barry County community of Delton, serves in the District 9 seat on the Great Lakes Energy Board of Directors, representing Allegan, Barry, Kent, Montcalm, and Ottawa counties. He was the first person to serve in that seat after the districts were created and is nearing the end of his second three-year term on the board. LaForge is retired from a 35-year career working for General Motors, where he worked as an electrical coordinator for dynamic vehicle tests. When a vehicle failed the test coming off the assembly line, his job was to work back up the line to figure out how to fix it. LaForge has also been a licensed builder and has owned and operated an auto mechanic shop for several years.
LaForge said one thing he doesn’t see a need to fix is GLE’s organizational culture. “I worked in the corporate world for a long time. The character and the culture at GLE is nothing I’ve ever seen before,” LaForge said. “I have a lot of pride in knowing these people and what they do for the members. It’s something that you don’t see in today’s society.” Looking to the cooperative’s future, LaForge explains that Truestream’s internet service will be a major factor in the years ahead. “First and foremost, it’s going to be fiber, and there is nothing faster than fiber,” LaForge said. “That is an exciting part that is going to make a difference in so many people’s lives.” He said he expects there will continue to be changes in how electricity is distributed and consumed, but he’s confident in GLE’s ability to adapt along the way. He’s also confident in GLE’s past and ongoing efforts to maintain the reliability of its electrical distribution grid. “That’s going to be very important with the advent of electric cars and artificial intelligence technologies,” LaForge said. When he’s not fixing things, helping others, or serving in his role on the GLE board, LaForge enjoys hunting and fishing and trips with Sara around the state on their Harleys.
MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES
5