For Attilio Romero, the first couple of weeks in February were a little different than usual. Instead of just hearing about how the city runs, as part of ZEPTO's City Councilman for a Day Fundraiser, he got to see it for himself. 

It all kicked off on February 4th, when he spent the day bouncing around town, meeting the people who keep Zachary moving. We were able to tag along to take pictures and interview the Jr. Councilman.

First stop? The Police Station, where Chief Darryl Lawrence welcomed him in. Attilio got to walk through the building, meet some of the officers, and hear a bit about what their day-to-day looks like. 

He even got to see the training area where new recruits try (and inevitably fail) to take Chief Lawrence down and where the officers practice using their tasers. Keeping a city safe is a lot more complicated than it seems from the outside, and he left with a new appreciation for the work they do.

The next stop was City Hall, where he got a tour of the building and access to the secret vault where he was loaded up with City of Zachry swag. He talked to Councilwoman Ambre DeVirgilio and the city staff about what it’s like to run a city that’s growing fast, balancing new neighborhoods and businesses while trying to keep that small-town feel. While there, Public Information Officer Sharon Philips tipped him off to a tree planting ceremony happening later in the afternoon. 

From there, he headed over to the Fire Department to meet with Chief Danny Kimble and the firefighters on shift. They drove him around in one of the trucks, let him check out some of the gear, and talked about what it takes to be ready at a moment’s notice—whether it’s a house fire, a wreck, or a medical call.

After that, he made a quick stop at South Plains Food Co.. He got to meet the folks running the place, talk a little bit about how small businesses shape the community, and—of course—grab a bite.

Before the day was over, Attilio joined Councilwoman Ambre DeVirgilio, Mayor McDavid, and Sharon Philips for something a little more hands-on—a tree planting that was part of a Keep Louisiana Beautiful land grant. It wasn’t a big production. Just a few people, some shovels, and a new tree in the ground. Jr. Councilman Romero dug right in. His enthusiasm for keeping our city looking its best was inspiring to the whole crew.

A week later, on February 11th, Attilio was back—this time at the City Council meeting, taking his seat as Councilman for a Day. Before things got started, he stood in front of the room and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, he sat back and watched the council work through everything from local projects to community concerns.

By the time it was all over, Attilio was was thinking about what could be next. He had ideas: more volunteer opportunities for kids, community clean-up days, maybe a few more trees around town. He even floated the idea of starting a Zachary Mardi Gras Krewe—a group that could bring people together for a parade, sure, but also a day dedicated to making the city look its best.

At the end of it all, he walked away with something more valuable than just a cool title for the day. He got to see how Zachary works. He learned how people show up, do the work, and try to make things better and left knowing that one day, just maybe, he could be one of those people too.