McLean County has called him by many names: Coach Mac, Principal McIntyre and Mr. Board Chair, just to name a few.
Regardless of how they might have addressed him, anyone who has known John McIntyre has also known a dedicated public servant.
The Central Illinois native was recognized last April as a History Maker by the McLean County Museum of History.
McIntyre made a strong point to say none of his accomplishments would be possible without his loving wife, Lorry, of 55 years, and three children who supported all the time he spent away from home.
“We’ve been in the same house over here on the other side of the university on Anderson Park for 50 years, going on 51 years. We moved here in 1974…” said McIntyre in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
“My wife, Lorry, when I was offered a job here, wanted to come back. She was a student and graduate of [Illinois State University], and we’re just happy we did, because it’s a great community.”
Throughout his various jobs and traveling for work, McIntyre said the family never wanted to leave Bloomington. He said the people always drew them back.
Chair of the McLean County Board
After husband and father, McIntyre’s master status is certainly the former chair of the McLean County Board.
McIntyre served two stints on the county board, the first time from 1980-1988 and finally from 2008 until his 2023 resignation. He was elected chair in 2016.
He pondered on what was harder to deal with: the teenagers he coached or the members of the county board.
“That’s a very good question,” he laughed. “Kids are good, I enjoyed that very much. County board, that’s a challenge always, because politics is.”
During his time, McIntyre said he has several accomplishments to be proud of. One of them was the county’s recognition for the plan that eventually became the intergovernmental mental health action plan.
“I had 72 different leaders in this community, from hospital CEOs to social services, who all came, and we conducted hearings to establish needs and best practices to write this mental health action plan…” he said. “So, we have an agreement [with Bloomington and Normal], which has been, it’s 10, 11 years old now.”
The plan also included money to be sent to improvements at the McLean County jail.
It was so popular, in fact, that McIntyre presented it to members of Congress who awarded federal grants towards the county’s efforts.
“One of them was called Crisis Intervention Training, and so we’re able to train all first responders, police and fire, on identifying and finding how to work more and deal with mental health who are at that level [of crisis],” McIntyre said.
“Another one was called the FUSE project, and the FUSE project is still existing…basically finding people and engaging people in the system who have been in jail…who have mental health problems and helping them get better along.”
The Frequent User Engagement System, or FUSE, is a program that works to reduce caseloads in emergency rooms and jails by addressing those people directly who are frequently going there. McIntyre said he is proud to see it expand to areas like The Bridge.
Another area of pride for McIntyre is his work to preserve the McLean County Nursing Home once rumors stirred of it possibly closing.
“I was pretty pleased about that, because we were the only county in the state of Illinois, 102 counties, that actually did that,” he said. “There’re only like 13, I believe 12 or 13 county nursing homes left in the state of Illinois. Many of them closed for financial reasons, various reasons.”
McIntyre remembered several conservative members of the board were leaning towards bringing up a straight-forward vote on closing the nursing home or not. So, McIntyre went to the Finance Committee meeting to speak his mind.
“So, I said, ‘How about, give me a chance to see what I can do first?’ I had eight different people…that I went out into the community who had experience in health, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. Most of them retired and had coffee with each one down here,” he said. “And they met and dedicated themselves into reviewing all of our nursing homes’ finances, the plans we had, what we were doing as far as every aspect of running a business.”
In January 2018, McIntyre succeeded in getting the board to form an advisory committee to analyze the operations of the nursing home. By the end of the year, a plan was in place to make it financially viable again.
On the continued operation of the nursing home, McIntyre said, “It’s provided a lot of good services to this community. The counties that don’t have it, don’t have that.”
Coach and educator
Another constant in McIntyre’s story is that which earned him the beloved nickname “Coach Mac.” McIntyre’s involvement in athletics cannot go without mention.
From a semi-professional player himself on the Twin City Trojans in the 1970s to the longtime football coach of Central Catholic High School, McIntyre remembers athletics fondly.
“Coaching and athletics, it gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people who are dedicated to what they do. Some of them don’t get paid real well as others do, but they put in a lot of long hours,” he said.
The even more rewarding benefit, he said, is working directly with students. He said that was the best part of teaching, too.
“I think my one thing that I really enjoyed was the interaction working with young people in the high school and college age. And so I did that, like I said, for a long time, and it was a rewarding experience for me — and I hope it was for them as well,” said McIntyre.
He said coaching gave him a newfound respect for the ones who coached him as an athlete. He remembers still the opportunity a coach has to not just guide but also demand and discipline a student.
Interacting with other coaches was even an opportunity for fun. McIntyre said Frank Chiodo was a rival on the football field but more importantly, he was a good friend.
“We were fierce competitors,” he said. “I think the fun thing that I liked about athletics was, as well, that all of the number of people and coaches that I was rivals with…we could also have respect and do things personally on a positive note.”
It was a spirit of bipartisanship, some might say. A spirit McIntyre prioritized in politics as well.
Spirit of bipartisanship
Before McIntyre was on the county board the first time, he was approached by a friend, and boss at his insurance job at the time about joining.
Dale Dean of LeRoy was serving on the board and told McIntyre he should consider running. He said his friend, a Democrat, knew he would want to run as a Republican.
“…I think he saw that I interacted well, hopefully, with people, rest his soul. And so he didn’t probably even think about that so much at the time,” he said. “Just consider the fact that it wasn’t the number one thing forefront of our community, so much, the political involvement.”
Sure, there were things Democrats on the board did over the years that McIntyre did not agree with, but regardless of what that was, he said they shared one goal “of helping people and trying to accomplish what was best for the county. And I think that’s the way local politics should be,” he said.
“There’s always got to be a compromise as you go through in government or in democracy. That’s what it’s all about.”
McIntyre said all officials, local and national, would do well to remember they serve all of their constituents, not just the ones that voted for them.
Nationally, he said he has been paying attention to the redistricting dogfight in states across the country. At one time, he faced pressure to do the same.
“Well, I’ve done it, and I’ve seen sometimes if you turn that over, you can’t do it yourself, keep your hands out of it and your political parties and the leaders…can’t do it, you have to live with how it comes out…” he said. “We ended up with 10 members of each party on our board.”
Advice for candidates
When asked what prospective candidates should consider when thinking about running for office, McIntyre said more people should consider it to begin with.
He recognizes a life in public service can be difficult with so many other responsibilities to tend to.
“I say to them, give it a try, try to find the time that you can, regardless of how much time you have at the time,” he said. “It doesn’t take that much, and there’s a great reward in it…you can dedicate something besides just finances and time and support.”
Still, the critics can be tough, and McIntyre has dealt with that, but he said candidates will get it regardless.
He remembers how difficult it was to govern during the COVID pandemic.
“I had one opponent during the COVID time [who] accused my decision making of what I was doing, in effect, actually affecting the lives of people, health-wise, and our health department…” said McIntyre. “We were all under fire on those types of things, but you have to see beyond that.”
“I think criticism is just — it’s kind of just part of what you have to deal with, and it doesn’t really do much good to add fuel to the fire and come out and be defensive about things.”
McIntyre said critics can be aggressive and disappointing, whether they are watching you govern, coach or teach. What matters is understanding that work in public service is about addressing those people and going out of the way to help anyone who needs it.
He remembered when his mom once said, “John, if you don’t quit doing so many different things, people won’t think you can hold a job. I said, ‘Well, mom, I enjoy what I’m doing.’”
McIntyre, along with the other honorees, will be formally recognized at the museum’s June 17 gala as a McLean County History Maker.
