Two Minutes With...Albert LaValley
Albert LaValley stands in front of a triple decker at 38 Stanton St., one of his housing project’s currently under construction. Elizabeth Brooks photo.
Albert LaValley has been tinkering with energy efficiency ever since he was a toddler in galoshes, creating overly-elaborate systems of levees, dams and canals in his family’s driveway to “manage” water runoff during a rainstorm. As president of Sustainable Comfort Inc., LaValley is just as eager to positively contribute to the city of Worcester.
What is your history with the city of Worcester?
I grew up in Bernardston, which is a small, rural town in Western Mass. When I came to Worcester to attend WPI, I was blissfully ignorant of the negative opinions expressed about the city and its perceived worth compared to Boston, Providence, Portland or Hartford. What I saw was a place that had once been a center of power, regularly visited by presidents, with all the rich history, impressive architecture, and venerable educational and cultural institutions that accompanied wealth built in that time period. Everybody loves an underdog story. Here was a city that was overlooked and written off, that was poised to grow. I have believed in and wanted to be part of that renaissance ever since my early days at WPI.