Finding Rewards In Making A Difference John LaForge has done many things in his lifetime that he has found personally rewarding, but he said his role serving as the District 9 representative for members in Allegan, Barry, Kent, Montcalm, and Ottawa counties on the Great Lakes Energy Board of Directors is now at the top of that list. John, who lives near the Barry County community of Delton, is nearing the end of his third three-year term on the board and plans to seek reelection later this year. Much of John’s life has centered around fixing and building things. He is retired from a 35-year career at General Motors, where he was 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. John has also been a licensed builder and owned and operated an auto mechanic shop for several years. He and his wife Sara have also been active in the Civitan service organization. Additionally, John and his family also enjoy helping others in a more anonymous way—especially around the holidays. Although he’s moved away from vehicle repair and construction work in recent years, he now stays busy serving the community through his work as the chairman of the Barry County Planning Commission and Barry County Parks and Recreation Commission. John sees a lot of overlap between his service on these boards and his service on the GLE board. For example, the parks and recreation commission just completed a major update to its master plan. He said the process has many similarities to the strategic planning the GLE board and leadership do on a regular basis to ensure the long-term stability of the cooperative. John LaForge, an experienced craftsman, stands on a handmade staircase in his home that took him hundreds of hours to build.
“ Serving on the GLE’s board for the last nine years, I’ve worked, made decisions, and spent time learning to help improve the quality of life for thousands of people.”
He’s especially excited about the progress GLE is making in its Truestream network construction. With the overall buildout having recently passed the halfway point he said the board is now planning for the upgrades and maintenance that will be needed to keep the system functioning at a top level long after the construction phase is complete. John said one of the reasons he finds serving on the GLE Board of Directors and the Truestream board so rewarding is he can see first-hand the difference the cooperative is making in the lives of its members. “When I worked on cars or homes, I’d finish the job and people appreciated the work, but I didn’t get to see much more than that. Serving on GLE’s board for the last nine years, I’ve worked, made decisions, and spent time learning to help improve the quality of life for thousands of people,” he said. When he’s not busy with his GLE board responsibilities or with the county boards on which he serves, John enjoys hunting and fishing, traveling with Sara, and spending time with their grandchildren.
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