At P&P, we’re all about highlighting the best of Zachary, free of negativity and conflict. If you live long enough, we’ve all found ourselves in situations that have challenged our ability to be the bigger person. Today, we’ve got someone who stuck it out with us in the trenches when a neighboring politician was dogging our city to help win votes. We’re going to get into that and more. Here’s something to be grateful for—Summer is officially over and Fall is here. With that, comes a lot of exciting things for the family and for the city.Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Ambre DeVirgilio, the Councilwoman representing District 3 in Zachary. Ambre is a dedicated public servant and advocate for her constituents, working tirelessly to improve the lives of those in her district. In this episode, we'll dive deep into her vision for Zachary, her accomplishments, and the challenges she faces. Your support helps us bring you insightful conversations with community leaders who are shaping the future of our city. Stay tuned for an enlightening conversation.Support the show

Tall tales swirl around the dynamic figure known locally as AEKO, (an abbreviation of his real name, and pronounced “echo”), everyone’s favorite–and only–server at Asian Pearl. And some of them are true. Tune in as AEKO sits down with host Mike Gennaro to talk about his uncanny ability to remember hundreds, maybe thousands, of unique orders, why he always strives to go above and beyond, and yes, AEKO tells us about that one time in Bali...AEKO was featured in the April edition of Porch & Parish Magazine in the AAPI Heritage Month Special Section. You can read that article here. Support the show

Hey Zachary, I can feel a change in the air…can you?  If you don’t have your Halloween decorations up and a PSL in hand, it’s time to get with the program. We’re going to talk about a unique perspective today, running—yes, if you know me, you know I like to run with my kids, if I can keep up. We’re going to be specifically talking about Girls on the Run, a program that at its heart empowers girls through running. Children today are exposed to long standing gender stereotypes, societal obstacles and cultural challenges that can be detrimental to their emotional and physical health. Girls on the Run helps girls recognize their potential and rise above limiting gender expectations. This program is really about so much more than running – it makes an impact at a critical age when confidence and physical activity decline. There are so many benefits to this program, we thought we’d have Cate Willis on to tell you more. Learn more about Girls on the Run South Louisiana at their website:https://www.girlsontherunsola.org/Support the show

Zachary Mayor David McDavid joins host Mike Gennaro for the quarterly Fireside Chat with the Mayor.Tune in to hear about the progress of road rehab projects, legislative changes, a deep dive into how annexation and taxes from unincorporated areas of the city work, and much more! These quarterly episodes are generously supported through our partnership with the City of Zachary. Learn more about Mayor McDavid and get in touch by visiting www.cityofzachary.org. Support the show

Now for today’s topic—Hometown Business with Hometown Pharmacy of Zachary. If you’ve seen the new sign at the former Medical Pharmacy West, now you can get the details about their opening date and more. The name says it all…hometown service that the residents of Zachary expect and certainly deserve.Continuing the long-time legacy of caring customer service, we welcome Kaley Hill co-founder and president of Hometown Healthcare Management, LLC and John Stagg, who many of you may already know. John is a prolific local entrepreneur and CEO of Hometown Healthcare Management, Capitol Imaging Services, Champion Management and most importantly by far—he helped bring CC’s Coffee to Zachary. If you’ve ever gone to a local pharmacy, you’ll understand the difference between that and a big box experience—it’s just different.Today, we’re going to learn about what makes a hometown business different, and what helps one to withstand the competitive market forces and the test of time.Learn more about Hometown Pharmacy at https://www.myzacharyrx.com/Support the show

We’re continuing with our back to school showcase - you’ve heard from the ZHS Band of Blue Drum Majors, district athletic director and Broncos head football coach, Coach Brew, and this week we’re thrilled to have Zachary Schools Superintendent Ben Necaise with us in the booth! If you haven’t yet, go check out his article in the latest special edition of Porch & Parish, the Zachary Community School District Guide. It’s right there on the first page! And for those of you who need a quick refresher, Ben Necaise was elected the new superintendent of the Zachary Community School District by the board on May 2. He’s a decorated military veteran with a background in workforce development honed through years of an executive leadership position with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, where he became an award-winning educator - in 2008 as finalist for State Teacher of the Year and 2014 Louisiana Principal of the Year.Topday, we’re going to learn more about his journey from loafer student to top educator and the many plans he has in store for the Zachary Community School District.Support the show

Coach David "Brew" Brewerton is the Zachary Community School District Athletic Director and Head Football Coach of the Zachary High School Broncos. He's back for the second year in a row to talk all things athletics and football as the new school year kicks off!Support the show

Zachary High School Band of Blue Drum Majors Aaron Westbrook & Sara Lampton tell us what a Drum Major is, how they balance band, school and other extracurriculars, and how you can support local and students through the Band of Blue Foundation!Learn more about the Band of Blue and Band of Blue Foundation by following them on Facebook and Instagram.Support the show

Publisher and podcast host Mike Gennaro welcomes editor Jen Gennaro and Bre Smith, managing editor and podcast producer, for an update on all the wonderful things happening at Porch & Parish!From the e-newsletter to Family Dinner and the new Zachary Community School Guide - join us for a candid conversation about our mission and the many ways to plug in to Zachary.Support the show

Cybersecurity engineer and overall tech guru Jason Day joins host Mike Gennaro for an episode all about - you guessed it - cybersecurity! Jason walks us through best practices for protecting yourself from cyber threats in the home and at work. Support the show

Coach Sam Barham, long-time Zachary resident and beloved cross country, basketball and track coach with a 46-year-long career talks about overcoming adversity, being there for those who are grieving, and offers a sneak peek into the upcoming We Can Mens Conference he is co-hosting on August 5. Click here to learn more about the We Can Mens ConferenceAnd here's the link to the news article about Coach Sam Barham Mike mentions in the podcast. Support the show

P&P has has one of the brightest minds we’ve ever managed to coax to our headquarters on High Street, and I’ve asked him to be here to bring talk about how our town can benefit from some of the latest emerging technology. LSU’s incredible Dr. Andrew Schwarz is with us—he’s professor in the Stephenson Entrepreneurship and Information Department in the E.J. Ourso College of Business Administration and professor at the helm of the LSU Emerging Technology program. Andrew has worked in the market research industry for Fortune 500 firms, crafting research aimed at developing advertising campaigns for both new and established products and building models to forecast future trends in the consumer space. He’s been recognized as a top business leader in Baton Rouge and honored with multiple teaching and service awards locally and across the globe. His latest research has been in XR or extended reality, and we’ll unpack some of that, along with AI, Cloud Strategy, Cybersecurity and a whole lot more.Support the show

In this episode, ShredHedz President Travis Gaspard explains leveraging technology to scale business, Zachary’s unique value proposition to larger companies, and walks us through the upcoming Rising Plains Business Center project, which will house the Zachary Business Co-Op.The company is in the process of renovating and rebranding 19850 Old Scenic, next to The Animal Center and Lake Pointe Subdivision—which will include 2,700 sf for ShredHedz’s corporate headquarters, a 1,200 sf suite for Roaming Shot hunting-guide services, 2,700 sf Zachary Business Co-Op, which will create opportunities for small businesses to lease by the office. There are plans in place to offer an available podcast booth for lease for new podcasters, too!Among other things, Travis is a father of 7 and just helped found Fellowship Christian Academy. Support the show

Kellye Jeansonne of Wild Child Kitchen Gardens is here to give us some summer gardening project management advice and clarify what soil really is once and for all. It's not too hot, too late, or too early to start planting! Kellye gives practical advice for getting started with a garden TODAY. Learn more or sign up for the Wild Child Kitchen Garden Club by clicking here. Check out the article on Kellye in the Summer edition of Porch & Parish magazine, hitting racks across Zachary in early July. Support the show

Today, we'll meet a member of our Zachary extended family.  He's a State Farm agency owner,  a recently minted podcast host, and a pickleball fanatic who knows how to serve up more than just that. He ain't Jake from State Farm, but let's give a warm welcome to the incredible Cecil Graves! So grab your favorite spot, plug in those earbuds, and get ready for a podcast experience that's all about embracing the now, making connections, and making a positive impact in the Z. Support the show

Welcome back to another Zachary local experience. It’s summer, and a lot of you are traveling this week, so we dipped into the archives for one of our all time greatest episodes. We’re airing June 19th or Juneteenth. This day in 1865 is one of the most significant days in American history. Juneteenth commemorates Union Army General Gordon Granger's proclamation issued on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, TX which ordered the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state of Texas. It is a federal holiday, and a day for both solemn reflection and celebration. It was also Father’s Day weekend, and we’ve got local celebrity author and professor, Dr. Chris Yandle, here to give us some tips on how to connect with our kids—he did it through leaving notes in his daughter’s lunch box every day, and he’s here to tell you about it.As always, we love hearing from our listeners. If you have any questions, comments, or episode ideas, feel free to reach out to us. You can email us at editor@porchandparish.com. Support the show

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Porch & Parish podcast, where we bring you the stories, insights, and inspiration from the movers, shakers, and story makers of our community. Today, we have a special guest returning to our podcast booth. It's none other than Kenny Nguyen, the CEO and Co-Founder of ThreeSixtyEight Media.We wanted to feature Kenny once again because he's not just a dynamic entrepreneur, but he's also hosting an upcoming event that you won't want to miss. Kenny will be leading the charge at the highly anticipated Assembly Required Event in Baton Rouge. The event, titled "The Future of Talent," promises to be an extraordinary gathering of industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries, all focused on exploring the cutting edge of talent and its impact on our ever-evolving world. It goes down June 22nd 2023.And here's the exciting part: last time we checked there were only 20 tickets left for this event! So, if you haven't secured your spot yet, now is the time to act. Trust us when we say, you won't want to miss out on the insights, connections, and inspiration that this event will undoubtedly provide. Now, let's dive into today's rebroadcast episode featuring Kenny Nguyen. In this conversation, Kenny shares invaluable advice on building a brand that stands out from the crowd, assembling a winning team, and the crucial role of marketing in shaping an uncommon future for our beloved city of Baton Rouge.Host: As always, we love hearing from our listeners. If you have any questions, comments, or episode ideas, feel free to reach out to us. You can email us at editor@porchandparish.com. Support the show

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome, to another week of engaging home grown stories from the town we all love—I’m talking about the Z. But Zachary wouldn’t be anything without you, so I just want to let you know how grateful I am for you sharing these stories with us. Stories have a way of bringing everyone together, and today, we have a true luminary in our midst. Joining us is Terrie Johnson, and you may know her as the President of the Zachary Chamber of Commerce. There are so many more layers to Terrie's journey, which is a fascinating blend of entrepreneurial ventures, high flying coding escapades for the Challenger Mission, co-founding the Johnson Training Institute with her husband Damian, and a storied career in the tech realm. She currently graces the halls of IBM leading IT teams within the Agile methodology and Scrum framework. Get ready to embark on an enlightening adventure as we delve into Terrie's captivating story and the extraordinary work she's undertaking to elevate our beloved town.Support the show

Meet Scott Masterson, a dad of the highest quality, the City of Zachary Building Official and a renowned tomato enthusiast. Scott has been with the City of Zachary since 2003, having served as Building Official since 2007. In 2021, he was appointed to the Louisiana Construction Code Council, and in 2016, Scott was appointed by the Louisiana State Construction Code Council to serve on the International Residential Review Sub-Committee.  He is the Past President of the Building Officials Association of Louisiana (BOAL). In 2023, he was the recipient of the Curtis Mann Award by BOAL. The award, named in honor of long-time New Orleans Building Official Curtis Mann, is considered the highest honor for a building official in the State of Louisiana.  Scott was recognized for exemplifying the highest standards of integrity and professionalism and for his accomplishments and achievements in the code enforcement profession.This week we're talking building codes, tomatoes and Santa with Scott Masterson! Porch & Parish is also covering the hotly debated 2023 Tomato Growing Competition between Scott and Wayne Day. Only one will be named grower of the best tomato in a blind vote by City Hall employees on Monday, June 12. Check out the full story at porchandparish.com and stay tuned for the results! Support the show

Hey, Zachary people and welcome to all Zachary newcomers! It is sunny with a high of 90 degrees today, and I’m lovin it. This week we welcome Ashleigh McHugh, Director of the Zachary Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has been an excellent partner organization to the Porch & Parish Community - Thank you for supporting our mission to create a Zachary where everyone feels heard and engaged! We couldn’t do it without you. The 2023 chamber directory just came out this week. Pick up a copy at the Chamber Offices on Main Street or keep an eye out at local businesses. See more of what the chamber is up to at  https://zacharychamber.com/Support the show