Asked & Answered: Gino Romero – Family man, village councilor and wanna-be motivational speaker

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Gino Romero, a Los Lunas village councilor, works for TCM Sales & Marketing as a manufacture representative. His wife of 22 years is Delfina Romero; and their daughter is 20-year-old Alyssa, who is a college student at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz.. Their son, Jonathan, is 11 and attends Katherine Gallegos Elementary.

Q: What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

A: “I have the attention span of a 4 year old, so thoughts move in and out of my mind constantly. I drive quite a bit for work, so I tend to lean towards the things that I need to complete.

“Sales involves planning for today, tomorrow, next week, next month, goals for the year — it could be anything. I pass time listening to audiobooks or 80s and 90s music {hard rock, soft rock, country, rap, (I like it all).} I’m finally at the age where I don’t understand what a Dua Lipa is, and the Weekend used to be Saturday and Sunday but now it’s someone who makes music. I plan to start a petition to bring back the classics.”

Q: What’s a myth about your profession you’d like to bust?â¯

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Submitted photos

The Romero family at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

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A: “Two things, one being that traveling for work is fun; and secondly, working from home is easier than going into an office. Traveling is fun when you have your family or a friend in the car with you, but it can get boring driving with my own thoughts.

“After doing it for years, I realized I don’t have as many thoughts as I would have hoped. The idea of working from a home office is nice although it is hard to stay focused and not do tasks around the house. I’m not saying I would ever do this but making the decision between working, and watching ‘The Price is Right’ or a daytime Chicago Cubs game is a challenging one.”

Q: What were you like in high school?â¯

A: “Who can remember? My superpower in life is my ability to forget. All joking aside, I would love to say that I was a model student, but the reality is that school was the necessary means to play sports. I figured out early that I most likely wouldn’t play football or baseball beyond high school so the competition, friendships and overall memories I created would need to last for a lifetime. High school was 35 years ago for me and hard to remember but I hope I treated teachers and classmates with kindness and respect.”

Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received and from whom?â¯

A: “My dad passed away a couple of weeks after I won my first village council election. He and my stepmom, Trish, gave me money, which they really couldn’t afford but still wanted to support my campaign. The night of the election, I called him to share the outcome and he said to me, “Partner, you are going into public service not owing anything to anyone; make sure you leave the same way.” Solid advice from a man I miss dearly.”

Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?â¯

A: “I remember wanting to be a physical therapist. In my mind, I would work for a college or professional sports team, and it would be a way to combine my love of sports with a profession that provided for my family. Things change and I found myself in the restaurant business and eventually on the sales side of things as a representative for multiple manufacturers. I have no regrets, we have everything we need, and some things that we want so who could ask for more?”

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Four Las Vegas Raider fans swimming with dolphins in Cabo San Lucas. “Shame on us.” Pictured are Los Lunas Village Councilor Gino Romero, his wife, Delfina, and their children, Alyssa and Jonathan.

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Q: Who inspires you?

A: “Anyone who has overcome adversity. I find strength in people who defy the odds. Life can be difficult for all of us, and we all react or respond in our own way. I have a lot of respect for those who meet challenges head on and find a way to continually move forward and not be defined by their past.”

Q: If you could work any other job for one day, what would it be and why?

A: “A motivational speaker. Public speaking is an art form, and there are people put on this Earth to have an impact on any audience. I, unfortunately, am not one of those people, but whether it is at a conference, a podcast, or Ted Talk, I would love to clearly communicate a message and have it resonate with the audience helping them to be the best version of themselves possible.”

Q: What do you do in your free time?â¯

A: “My family will tell you that I watch way too much sports. The Chicago Cubs and Las Vegas Raiders are teams that I am passionate about, but I have found myself watching pickleball, or bass fishing competitions on occasion. I draw the line on competitive eating competitions. That is not a real sport, and someone needs to inform ESPN about that.

“Working in the yard and cleaning the garage are also activities I like to do. My wife says I move things from one side of the garage to the other, and then back again. I am old, what can I say?“

Q: What’s something about you most people don’t know?

A: “I have a fear of public speaking. It makes me nervous and gives me anxiety. No one that knows me will agree but I am pretty shy. I’m not really the type to start up casual conversations with people and make small talk. I don’t think that I am ever rude or dismissive but I just don’t initiate conversations as I know I should. I am getting better with this and since I can admit it, I am halfway to recovery.”

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Julia M. Dendinger | News-Bulletin photo

Gino Romero, a Los Lunas village councilor, speaks to a constituent after a recent village council workshop.

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Gino Romero and his son, Jonathan, on Easter morning at the City of Rocks near Bayard, N.M.

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Q: What three books would you to take to a deserted island?â¯

A: “The unofficial guide to surviving ‘Gilligan’s Island.’ ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ by David Goggins. ‘Unshakeable Hope’ by Max Lucado.”

Q: You find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?â¯

A: “This is a trick question. Well, possession is 90 percent ownership so I would invest 10 percent for the rightful owner, assuming there is one. I would call or text, “I’m never coming in again,” to work and begin working to find meaningful charities, create trust accounts for my kids and future grandchildren. Investment accounts would be a priority so we can travel and maybe experience first class.”

Q: Who is your best friend and why?

A: “My cousin, Carlos Apodaca, is my best friend. We truly talk on an almost daily basis. Carlos and I have been close for as long as I can remember. We provide support to each other during all the ups and downs that life presents. The advice we give each other is honest and real. We don’t sugarcoat anything and have talked about everything imaginable trusting that our conversation stays between us.”

Q: What’s your favorite song to sing when you’re alone?â¯

A: “‘Patience’ from Guns & Roses. I don’t know if it counts as a sing-along because I typically whistle and make up my own words. Remarkably, I whistle just like Axl Rose. My karaoke go-to song would be ‘She Talks to Angels’ by the Black Crowes or ‘Big Poppa’ by The Notorious B.I.G.”

Q: Where is your happy place, and why?

A: “On any vacation with my wife and two kids. My wife is a huge planner and ensures that we take at least one trip together every year to create memories. The ability to unplug from life and spend time together is something that I look forward to. The smiles on their faces are all I need to keep me motivated to work hard until our next trip.”

Q: Have you had a life-changing experience that led you to where you are today?

A: “Moving to Arizona to attend college. Derrick, Jay, Lacey, Danny and I left Los Lunas after high school and moved to Arizona, leaving behind the comforts of home, and literally growing into young adults together. Those years helped me learn about the value of the dollar, respect, responsibilities and actions that affect others as well as yourself. College was a great experience for me, and I felt like those years in Arizona were the cornerstone of who I would eventually become.”

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The Romero family spent one Christmas in Scotsdale, Ariz.

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Q: What teacher had the greatest impact on you?

A: “Coach Les Carter. His impact went beyond the field and the classroom. He taught us to respect ourselves so we would be better equipped to respect others. He taught us how to win and, more importantly, how to lose (going from class 3A to 4A, we did more losing than winning).

“Football is so much more than what is learned on the field. Team sports were valuable to me to learn how to work together and to be accountable to your teammates. I cherish those days, and I appreciate coach Carter’s influence on me not only as a player, but providing me with lessons that would eventually carry me through life.”

Q: What is your favorite movie scene and why?

A: “The courtroom scene in ‘A Few Good Men’ would have to be my favorite. I enjoy movies surrounding law or the legal process and that scene is witty, and I love the way that the case against Colonel Jessup builds up to an eventual confession. The screenplay was well written, and the all-star cast played the roles to perfection. ‘You Can’t Handle the Truth.’”

Q: If you could have dinner with one famous person — dead or alive — who would it be and why?

A: “Robin Williams. He interests me because he lived in the middle of his own storm and found a way to provide laughter and entertainment for millions of people. He had a very versatile and diverse acting resume and had success in comedy and dramatic roles alike. Depression can be suffocating, and I applaud anyone who can work through it and find a way through the darkness in an effort to feel ‘normal’ or become a better version of themselves. I understand that his life ended tragically but I think it would be very interesting to break bread with him at Olive Garden or something. Mmm, those bread sticks!”

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: “Twenty-two years of marriage and counting. It is well known that marriage is hard work and we have worked through loss, sickness and financial struggles like many couples have and we always seem to find strength in each other and faith in God to continue.

“Jonathan and Alyssa take the prize though. I’ve been blessed with being able to watch them grow into who they are and who they strive to be. Alyssa is everything good in my world. She is smart, kind, resilient and has a light about her that shines bright as she moves through stages in her life. Jonathan is everything I never thought I needed in life. He brings joy through humor, and his amazing smile. He embraces his intelligence and aspires to do great things.”

Q: How would you like to be remembered?

A: “As someone who tried to leave things better than I found them. Someone who trusted in God for strength and guidance in good times and bad. A good husband and supportive father with unconditional love for my wife and kids. Someone who has succeeded and failed, dealt with life’s challenges and kept putting one foot in front of the other.”

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