Baldwin EMC Board of Trustees
If you read Jimmy LaFoy’s trustee biography, you’d know about his 50 year career owning and operating accounting firms across the state of Alabama. You’d know about his 12 years on Baldwin EMC’s board, and his membership in other business and civic organizations, such as the boards of Farmers National Bank of Opelika, Ala., First American Bank of Decatur and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.
You’d learn a few things about his history, such as his degree in commerce and business administration from the University of Alabama, and how he helped found the Southern States Bank of Anniston, Ala.
You’d find out he was a member of First Baptist Church of Gulf Shores, and was a husband to Shirley, a dad to Monty and Keith and a grandfather to Courtney, Sterling, Jonathan and Eli.
These are the things you’d read in Jimmy LaFoy’s biography, because these were the things he believed would earn your respect and your vote for his position on our board.
However, there were a few things Jimmy LaFoy kept under the radar – things some of us only learned about upon his passing in May of this year.
Jimmy was a great chef. He loved to hunt and fish. He loved woodworking, carving and painting – especially beautiful birds.
He was devout in his faith, and believed in living it out by sharing his time, talent and treasure, always side by side with his beloved Shirley.
The stories that were shared during the celebration of his life were truly those of a life lived for others. A life spent recognizing need where it was, then working to meet it. A life that believed in the old adage “leave it better than you found it.”
But these weren’t the details Jimmy chose to include in his professional bio when it came time for board elections. Jimmy felt that space was best reserved for talking about the qualifications that made him a great leader for this co-op and its members.
The things that made him a great man were something else. These were the things Jimmy LaFoy carried out with a quiet humility, never bragging or seeking attention, just doing good for goodness sake.
In doing so, he left behind a legacy that surpassed a prestigious career. And the way he did this was nothing short of admirable.
As your board of trustees, it’s our duty to fill the district 7 representative position.
Filling Jimmy LaFoy’s shoes – well, that’s a different story all together.