By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
When Wyoming resident Lyle Converse received a letter of his pending reappointment to the city’s Officers Compensation Commission, it was then that he realized “I just wasn’t sure I could do another seven years.”
It was then that the 91-year-old decided to retire from public service having served on various city boards and commissions for 45 years.
“Well certainly on behalf of a very grateful city, thank you for your many years of service,” said Mayor Jack Poll during the Sept. 18 Wyoming City Council meeting where Converse was honored for his years of service. “As long as I have been mayor, I have always ended every letter that I sent out and other things to ‘be involved, be informed” and certainly you are the epitome of being involved and being informed.”
Poll noted that Converse brought so much knowledge to the several boards he served which included the city’s Officers Compensation Commission, the Economic Development Corporation, the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, and the Planning Commission.
“You have served our city wonderfully well but all good things have to come to an end,” Poll said. “Your years of service will always be remembered fondly and we appreciate everything you’ve done.”
For which Converse than received a standing ovation from the crowd. “I never get standing ovations and you were never mayor for crying out load,” Poll said with a chuckle to Converse.
“Well, I ran for the seat once,” Converse responded. It was through the urging of some friends that Converse ran for the Wyoming City Council in 1969. Converse would not win but he was appointed to the Economic Development Corporation which later became part of the Brownfield Development Authority.
Converse came to Grand Rapids in the 1940s on a GI Bill to attend Davenport College. Earl Robson, who owned Robson Department Store on Division Avenue, was looking for a sales person, so Converse took the job with the intention of getting his feet wet in sales for a year and moving on. Converse stayed, eventually taking over the store and finally closing it in 1993.
“When Lyle recently turn in his resignation from the Officers Compensation Committee, the city clerk looked at his past history with our community and realized that he had served the city faithfully for 45 years,” said Wyoming Assistant City Manager Megan Sall. “He was one of the founding fathers of the commission.”
And while Converse may have founded the Officers Compensation Committee, he is more well known for coming up with the idea of the Wyoming Rodeo which was operated out of Lamar Park for almost 25 years. He also served in the South Kent Chamber of Commerce and the Wyoming Chamber of Commerce, which at the time was a branch of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, according Converse.
Poll said the city has a number of openings available on various commissions and boards. For more information contact the Wyoming City Clerk’s Office at 616-530-7296.
Serving the community, according to Converse, is an important part of being in that community.
“It’s rewarding,” he said. “You meet a lot of people. You help promote the city.
“For myself, if I was to do it over again, I think I would probably do the same thing. Overall you get more out of it than what you give and I think we should all give back to our community for what the community does for us.”
