Staff
Megan Gogo, Operations and Community Service Coordinator
Megan Gogo is our Operations and Community Service Coordinator at The Alano Club of Kent County. She has been involved in her recovery since 2018. Like many in the program, she did not come here on a winning streak. She got a nudge from the judge. She found that people here were pleased with themselves and their lives. After a couple of months, Megan was sentenced to 200 hours of community service. It is there where her passion started. After finishing her hours, she was offered to join the team. Now, she oversees the community service program and the club operations. Megan can oversee as many as 150 community service clients per week.
When Megan is not working at the club, she continues her passion for recovery. Megan has completed the Addiction Studies Program at Grand Rapids Community College and wants to further her knowledge and education. She is very involved in Alcoholics Anonymous. Like many women, Megan has fought hard to be where she is today and, like most, has been able to be there now for her 10-year-old son. When she is not helping women in the program, Megan likes to spend her time either at home with her son and her fat cat, Monkey, or tending to her many houseplants. She is a true testimony that the program works.
Board Members
Brad Rose,
Board Chair,
Brad has worked in the lumber industry for 29 years now. He is responsible for roof design and engineering support for one of the largest builders of manufactured housing and modular home in the United States. His role includes engineering support for multiple manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S.
As part of the industry, Brad has worked hard to communicate technical information in an easy-to-understand format while promoting and implementing safety in the workplace and has served on many technical groups and industry-standard committees.
Brad has been in recovery since 2012, beginning at the Alano Club. By serving on the board, he hopes to improve on the existing solid foundation and help ensure that this club is around for years to come. In his spare time, he enjoys staying active in A.A. by attending meetings at the club and in the GR area, cycling, sailing, and relaxing while enjoying the many opportunities sobriety has brought him.
Susan Haworth-Hoeppner,
Board Vice Chair,
I retired as a Full Professor of Sociology from Aquinas College in 2019. While teaching at Aquinas, I also served as the Director of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center. In that capacity, I managed the Center's programming and academic curriculum. I worked closely with the college's development office to create and implement a fund-raising plan for the Center. The activities included fund-development events, individual donor solicitations, and grant writing to seek public and private grants. I have also served on numerous nonprofit boards and chaired board committees.
Service is an important part of my life and I believe that my participation on the board may be helpful not only to myself, but also to the board in its effort to engage in fundraising activities for the Alano Club of Kent County.
Michael Jasperse,
Board Treasurer,
I am a West Michigan native, who returned to the US in 2005 to help turn around a family business that was failing. I was in Poland doing business start-ups and capital investment operation start-ups for 12 years before that, which included starting a small chain of restaurants and coffee shops. Since returning, I have operated an LED lighting business for the last 15 years, serving the West Michigan commercial market in lighting retrofits and energy savings. I have also been involved in a few other start-ups tying back to my connections to Poland, in reaction to the COVID pandemic, and the area of motorcycle safety, which is a passion of mine. I have been a participant at the club for about 5 years now. I have my Bachelors from Calvin and my MBA from Grand Valley. I was brought on the board because it is also a bit of a turnaround situation – challenges I have seen in the past, and I look forward to getting to work.
Kevin Rogers,
Board Secretary,
My life started in Grand Rapids where I attended K-12 in Forest Hills along with most of my 8 siblings. After graduation, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing at Michigan State, followed by my Masters of Jurisprudence in Legal Doctrine and Analysis. I graduated magna cum laude with my Doctorate from Michigan State College of Law, and have been a practicing attorney since 2016 with a focus on consumer protection litigation and fraud prevention.
In addition to being a Member of the Alano Club, I am also a Member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the purpose of which is to detect and deter fraud. When I am not focused on work or Club activities, I am spending time with my two children
Ed Paul,
Board Member,
I am from Tennessee, but have lived in Grand Rapids for 56 years. I have been a member of this Club for 35 years.
I am a lawyer and worked for 27 years in employee relations dealing with employee discipline and training, all kinds of discrimination, insurance, wage and hour matters, and employee manuals. For many years, I routinely offered pro bono legal advice on personnel matters to the board and staff of the Alano Club of Kent County. Because of this background, I was asked to be on the Board by
the Nominating Committee created by the Club membership in December of 2023. AA saved my life and made my relationships and my life things to cherish rather than regret. I hope I can pay it back in a small way in service.
Michael Spielmacher,
Board Member,
I became a member of the Alano Club of Kent County in 1981 and have maintained my membership ever since. I previously served as Vice President for two consecutive terms on the Alano Club of Kent County Board of Directors. My wife, Michele Moore is also a long-time member of the North Alano Club.
I was employed at General Motors for over 30 years and retired in 1996. While employed I was a Local 167 union representative. Having fulfilled that responsibility, I became the plant photographer and videographer and served on various committees throughout my employment.
After retirement I became a volunteer in the recovery community. I was co-chair of a step study group at the Jellema house in Grand Rapids. Later on, I was hired by Wild Boar Harley Davidson for the position of customer service manager.
My recovery is the number one thing in my life and serving the recovery community is a top priority.
Hannah Chee, Board Memember
Alano Club of Kent County is the main pillar of my recovery community. It has provided a safe space for personal growth that I had not anticipated when I arrived in early 2021. The facilities and the staff have each contributed to this fruitful environment. The recovery communities that utilize the Club facilitate integral conversations and community events that are necessary for individuals in recovery to thrive. I am the Chair and a faithful member of the 5:30 pm Friendship Group at the Club. I frequent the South Club and have started a weekly meeting with another AA Member. I enjoy bringing overlapping groups of AA together.
All my management experience impresses on me the knowledge that this important recovery work can only be done when the needs of the building are met with efficiency, clarity, and professionalism. Clean and fully functioning facilities, prompt and clear communication with outside vendors and stakeholders, kitchen procedures, and keen menu management, each play an integral part in maintaining an environment where recovery communities can grow.
At the end of the day, in order for the Alano Club to best support both people seeking help and people seeking to aid those battling addiction, our Club should function operationally at its most efficient. There are many unique individuals and recovery groups that the Alano Club welcomes each year. My upbringing on the Navajo Reservation and my Navajo Tribal Membership contributes to my unique connection with diverse communities and points of view. I am proud to extend my experience and enthusiasm toward keeping our Club a welcoming and foundational place for people to find refuge and community.
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We are located at: 1020 College Ave NE | Grand Rapids, MI 49503
The Power of Recovery
“The roads to recovery are many, and the resolution of alcoholism by any method should be a cause for celebration by AA members.” — Bill Wilson
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