Meet the Board - Ryan Forbes

One of the Café’s greatest success stories, Ryan Forbes, came to Longmont looking for community and found RCL. Over the years, he’s moved from member to serving on the board – popping in to drop off comics or just say hello, his friendly presence is beloved amongst the staff, volunteers, and current members.

“You know, the thing that I always come back to as to why this matters is that any time I’m thinking of ways to support Longmont as a whole, there are so many ways the Café helps. I can’t recommend a halfway house to anyone, but I can recommend the Café to anyone, and know they’ll find a place to fit.”

L: Let’s get started – how long have you been on the board?

RF: I’ve been on the board since November 2022. I’m currently the board secretary.

L: Where are you from?

RF: Interesting question, I’m from all over the place. The most common answer I say is “from the mountains,” because I was raised here, mostly in Niwot. I went to Niwot High.  I also lived in Montana for about 10 years. With Colorado, you can ask me where just about anything is, and I have an idea.

L: What are your hobbies and interests?

RF: Hm…well, I study policy, both at the state and local levels. Partially for my podcast, also because I’m just interested in it. I also like to play Pokémon Go. I guess that’s it!

L: What’s your professional background?

RF: I spent 10 years as a software engineer for startups, the Department of Defense, and Fortune 500 Companies. More recently, I’ve been working in marketing and social media marketing, especially related to my podcast; I’ve also been leading some workshops and classes on video and podcast production.

L: Can you tell me about yourself and how you got connected with the Café?

RF: I got connected with the Café in 2020 or 2021 when I had recently moved back to Longmont, and I was looking for community. I was looking for 12-step meetings and attended one at the Café – it was my favorite, and eventually, someone who was a member of the Café invited me to stay for lunch. I kept coming back and realized the Café was more what I was looking for than a 12-step group.

At the end of 2022, I was asked to be a member of the board.

L: So, what drew you to saying yes to being on the board?

RF: I had never been on a board before, and I was not expecting to be asked to be on the board. That said, I really support the Café and its mission. I figured joining the board, just like becoming a member of the Café, would give me the opportunity to not only continue supporting the Café but also support the greater Longmont community.

L: What part of the mission of RCL speaks to you the most, and why?

RF: Being a refuge of healing, in part, it’s the aspect I remember the most, but I think it sticks because it’s a thing we need regardless of politics, conditions, or whatever is going on. People will always need a place to come feel safe and heal, from whatever is happening.

L: Can you speak to that in the context of your story, your journey?

RF: In 2014, I was in Texas working for a Fortune 500 company. At the time, I was meeting people and socializing the only way I knew how, which was going to happy hours and living near bars. One night, I blacked out, got behind the wheel, and ended up crashing into another car and killing someone. That led to a 6-year prison sentence.

One of the things I learned from my time in prison is that community is key. What kept me alive when I was first in recovery were 12-step groups and getting involved; so when I began to build my life here, that was the first stepping stone I wanted to find. At the Café, the response to my recovery journey was, “Hey, we enjoy having you here.” Everyone was interested in who I was and hanging out or working on projects together. 12-step groups were there for me early on when I needed that strict lifeline, but that just wasn’t where I was anymore. At the Café, I was meeting people who were at all stages of their recovery journey, no one was throwing labels of “you’re this” or “you’re that.” We’re all just in this.

L: Has there been a particular moment in your time on the board where you were reminded of the importance of what we’re doing or why this all matters?

RF: You know, the thing that I always come back to as to why this matters is that any time I’m thinking of ways to support Longmont as a whole, there are so many ways the Café helps. I can’t recommend a halfway house to anyone, but I can recommend the Café to anyone, and know they’ll find a place to fit.

L: What does community mean to you?

RF: Community ranges from the people who happen to live around me to the people who I keep around me by choice. Both of those are invaluable. Community is a word that feels thrown around and cheesy, but I feel like it’s an important word to understand. No one functions without the people around them; that’s community. I recently did a study on what helps people desist from crime; when they have supportive people and mentorship in their community, it reduces crime.

L: How has being on the board at RCL affected you personally and professionally (or both?)

RF: It’s been extremely helpful and enlightening. If I came onto this board, and it was my first experience with no comparison, I’d be ill-equipped to serve on any other board. This group works amazingly well because RCL’s mission is so powerful to the people who support it. I have a unique perspective because of the experiences of my life, and it’s something I know benefits the board; the benefit for me comes from just being a part and sitting at that table.

L: How would you describe the role of a board member to someone who’s never served on a board?

RF: That’s an interesting question. The way I would describe a board member is that, we listen to much more than we act. When you’re on a great board, you’ll know it’s working because you’ll look at each member and be able to identify, “this person knows everything about this subject,” whereas another knows everything about something else, but each person is working towards functioning as a whole. You don’t have to speak on every issue, because not every issue is your issue.

L: What are your hopes for the Café in the next few years?

RF: Not only do we open 801 Main Street and have it ready to go, but we can also serve more people. Not just in Longmont, but even folks just stopping through. I’m hoping that we find ways to become more accessible to people all over Colorado. I would love to see it available and accessible, and build the awareness so people know it’s here for them.

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L: What is your favorite Café event you’ve attended?

RF: MeCo Open Mic Nights are awesome.

L: What is the best book you’ve read recently?

RF: I guess the best book I’ve read recently is Think Again by Adam Grant.

L: Do you prefer movies or TV shows?

RF: TV Shows.

L: What’s your favorite food?

RF: Nachos.

L: What’s something you never leave the house without?

RF: My phone

L: Are you…listening to podcasts? Communicating?

RF: I’m usually catching Pokémon.

L: That’s important. Gotta catch em all.

L: Who is your role model?

RF: Socrates

L: Okay, whoa, deep cut. Why Socrates?

RF: He was so annoying to everyone; he was told by an oracle that he was the wisest man of his generation, so he spent his life trying to prove that there was someone wiser by questioning everyone. His philosophy operates on asking questions until you find the truth, which is an uncomfortable thing to find once you hit it.

L: What does a perfect day look like to you?

RF: Ooh…wow. Probably just snuggling with my wife and beagle and watching movies all day. If we can find something to watch that we can agree on.