Joseph John LaPorte

Born February 6th, 1952, in Marquette, a son of Francis and Alice (Bishop) LaPorte, Joe began developing his athletic skills at an early age. By the time he was in high school he was a seasoned athlete in football, baseball, and basketball. He graduated from Marquette Senior High School in 1970.

Joe began his professional career as a Patrolman in the City of Marquette Police Department. A proud, distinguished member of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI), which reobtained its federal recognition in 1994, he took his experience gained in Marquette as a Law Enforcement Officer and Public Safety Specialist to Manistee, Michigan, where he immediately began serving the LRBOI, as Chief-Directorship, for Public Safety. Joe served in this capacity from August 2001, to August 2010. His professional accomplishments and awards were numerous and culminated in his selection as the Public Safety Professional of the year in Manistee for 2010. Joe’s dedication to his mission and the honors and awards he received did not go unnoticed. In August 2010, Joe joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Board as the Senior Tribal Advisor to the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE). At the time of this appointment to this commission, headquartered in Washington, D.C., Joe met his wife, Donna, and was serving as the Chair, Indian Country Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the world’s largest and most influential professional association for police leaders. Joe served on the CJIS board from 2010 to 2013, while keeping close ties with his Tribe, notably six years of service, as a Judge for the LRBOI Appellate Court and the application for and receipt of numerous federal government grants awarded directly to LRBOI. Other special assignments in the National Capital Region include consultancies with the National Counterterrorism Center, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence. It was during this time, Joe began to assess how his life and job experiences and formal education could be applied to an even greater endeavor when he decided to partner with the Small Business Administration to form his own Native American-owned, 8(a) Certified business. In 2015, Joe’s Company, Steel Buffalo, LLC, was officially formed. It was created to provide Cyber Security, Information Technology, Management and Law Enforcement services and solutions to Tribal Communities, the United States Government, and the private sector. In June 2016, Steel Buffalo, LLC, was awarded its first government contract. Union Pacific Railroad partnered with Steel Buffalo to expand its physical telecommunications infrastructure through Native-owned lands nationwide. In 2018, as President & CEO, Joe strategically formed a Joint Venture company, Red Bow Technologies, LLC and was recently awarded a spot on a coveted contract vehicle, STREAMLINED TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION RESOURCE for SERVICES (STARS-III) to bid on task orders from agencies throughout the federal government.

Joe is survived by his wife, Donna Marie LaPorte; his children, Tonya (Art Carlson) LaPorte of Marquette, Dana (Namid Phillips) LaPorte of Ishpeming, and Robert (Sara) Fawley, Jr. of Kennett Square, PA; his granddaughters, Olivia O’Connell, Emma O’Connell, Piper Rae Phillips, and Sierra Carlson; grandson, Colton Fawley; his siblings, Stephen (Germaine) LaPorte of Grand Rapids, Jim (Krystal) LaPorte of Detroit, Vicki (Tom) Sarasien of Marquette, and Cindy (Joe) Benson of Gwinn; a half-sister, Juanita (Michael) O’Connor of Laguna Beach, CA and numerous nieces and nephews.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents.

The family will receive relatives and friends at Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services on Friday, February 18th, beginning at 11:00 am, until the time of service at 1:00 pm. Pastor Kyle Detmers will officiate. Interment will be made in Holy Cross Cemetery. A reception will follow at Vangos.

Condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com.

Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to eaglesautismfoundation.org.