John Giroux - Family Mortgage

My Leadership Loveland Experience

Connie and I moved here nine years ago. Loveland has been a great place for our two sons to grow up. When we moved here I already had 15 years of experience in banking, including service as a regional bank president. My business - Family Mortgage, Inc. - resides at the corner of 4th and Washington in a white Queen Anne-style two-story, with bright yellow and royal blue accents. It seems everyone can find it easily.

Family Mortgage's tag line says exactly how I run my business, “Where families come first and dreams come true.”

We lived in Florida before moving here. I graduated from a one-year Leadership program there, so I was familiar with what to expect when I heard about the Loveland Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Program five years ago. Loveland's program, though, runs two years. In the second year, as leaders ourselves, we implemented the skills we learned to facilitate the new participant's program. The second year was a breeze compared to the first year!

In my opinion, the best thing about the program is the diversity of topics, access to city leadership and the networking and relationships we build. As a small business owner it can be challenging to take a full day off every month during the program. You don't get any say about when you are going to participate; you have to show up at Leadership Loveland. At times I was busier than ever, but I did show up.

As part of our Leadership Loveland class project we spent some time in the middle schools. Although our class project had nothing to do with drugs, classmate Scott Eastman and I gravitated toward the same idea at the same time. We saw a need in the community and decided to do something about it. The result was the creation of C.L.E.A.R., the Coalition of Loveland for Education, Awareness and Resources in the fight against methamphetamine (Meth).

C.L.E.A.R is a central clearing house of information on meth education, awareness, intervention and rehabilitation services available in the Loveland community and Larimer County, a grassroots, non-profit, all volunteer organization not affiliated with any national organization or government entity.

Honestly, we just jumped in. We knew nothing about meth or prevention at the time, but believed if more people would take an active role and get involved … even one person can make a huge difference. It wasn't because I believed I had a talent or knowledge … just saw a need and jumped in. If people were less fearful of failing or looking foolish and would just get involved … think of the possibilities!

A leader figures out what needs to be done. If no one does anything, nothing is going to change.

Involvement in Leadership Loveland returns so much more than the small fee you pay to join the program. Like anything, you get out of it what you put into it!

For more information see: LovelandCLEAR.org.

Editor's Note: John Giroux is the idea man behind the year-long 2010 project, Loveland365.com to publish a book about the People, Places and Things that make Loveland America's Sweetheart City. The project for 2011, 365 Sweethearts of Loveland, will profit breast cancer research.

Interview by: Maryjo Morgan (FredsUsedWebsites.com)