John Plourde

John Plourde is often asked why he chose to volunteer. He advises that after he retired from the U.S. Navy as a Master Chief, he found a big void in his life. He could have found another job, but it would have been hard to find one that really challenged him like the position he had in the military—a job that was, and made him feel, important. Because of this, he chose to volunteer his time to do some important things for the community.

Since his retirement in 1990 he has been dedicated to his community. He volunteers time daily with the police department heading up the Volunteers in Policing (VIP) and is the Block Captain for his 35 household Neighborhood Watch Program. He is an instructor in the Citizens Academy, edits the department's newsletter and is the Webmaster for the city and Chamber of Commerce. In addition, John is the District Coordinator and Instructor for the AARP Driver Safety Program in Kings and Tulare County.

John averages 160 hours a month with RSVP projects. He has served on the Lemoore Planning Commission and has twice been appointed to complete terms on the Lemoore City Council. John has developed a VIP force in the Lemoore Police Department that numbers the same as the active force. He truly is remarkable.

He is eager to serve. John looks for a challenge and focuses on activities he thinks are important to his community. He initiates programs and heads them up. He is thoughtful, thorough and calls on himself to do excellent work.