Winter Park board member is only 17

Joseph Robillard has his fair share of responsibilities. He has meetings to attend, votes to cast and is always brainstorming on ways to improve his city, everything that comes with being a member of the Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable Advisory Board.

As the newest member of the board, Robillard knows he has a lot on his plate, but that won’t stop him from finishing out his junior year of high school strong. After all, he has an AP English exam to study for.

The first and only teenager sitting on a Winter Park government board, 17-year-old Joseph Robillard has big plans for the city.

The Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable Advisory Board is one of many Winter Park boards that only require members to be residents of the city, according to the city of Winter Park website.

Robillard took advantage of this, and is thrilled about his new position, which fits right in with his love for environmental science.

“I was really excited and I was really honored, because no youth has ever done this before. It felt great that I’m that first step into maybe more youths participating,” said Robillard, who’s finishing out his junior year at Trinity Prep School.

Robillard first began his bid for a board position while attending the Winter Park Youth Leaders Program in this past summer. Following a speech at the program given by Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley, Robillard approached him about getting involved with the community. The mayor encouraged him to apply for a board position, despite them being normally reserved for adults.

Robillard applied, and in October of 2012, he was nominated for a position on the Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable Advisory Board out of more than 300 applicants, and voted in by the city commissioners.

Fellow board member Stephen Pategas said he was pleased to see a new face.

“I think it’s refreshing to have an age range on the board that runs from retirees to somebody who’s in high school,” Pategas said. “I think he brings a fresh perspective. We’re always trying to engage the youth of the community in the projects we’re perusing.”

In his first seven months on the board, Robillard helped organize the recent Earth Day in the Park Celebration and is also helping the city prepare for America in Bloom, a nationwide competition that ranks participating communities on the beauty of their flowers, plants and trees.

The young board member has also proposed a number of changes for sustainability in Winter Park, including the use of LED street lights, which are 50 percent more efficient and 30 percent more cost-effective. With that change approved by the board, now Robillard is spearheading the effort to replace the city’s streetlights.

Robillard’s family is pleased to see him making a difference in the community.

“My husband and I would sit back and say ‘Yes, he’s our son, and he’s amazing,’ but beyond that, his devotion, his dedication and his determination are beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” said his mom Jody. “I’m pretty impressed.”

Robillard is unsure what he wants to do for a career, but he knows that his passion for environmental science and his speech skills will play an important role in his future choices.

For now, Robillard is content with providing the Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable Advisory Board with a young, unique voice that speaks for other youths in Winter Park.

“I feel honored that I get to contribute that new perspective on ideas and get to represent a different crowd of people in Winter Park,” Robillard said.

Robillard’s current term will run until 2015, but he’s not done. He’s planning to run for another term right afterward.