Fighting on behalf of her community is the only thing Councilor Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta Zapata has ever known. Raised by community advocates in East Boston, Councilor Coletta Zapata grew up attending civic association meetings, neighborhood events, and even multiple protests against airport runway expansion alongside her mother, Nina. Those early experiences shaped a lifelong commitment to advocacy, equity, and public service — a commitment she has carried into every stage of her career and leadership on the Boston City Council.

Before her election to the Boston City Council in 2022, Councilor Coletta Zapata built a deep record of community service and leadership. She served as Chief of Staff to then-Councilor Lydia Edwards, where she amplified the lived experiences of her neighbors, and worked across the neighborhoods of Charlestown, East Boston, and the North End to address housing affordability, inequities in public education, and the climate threats facing Boston’s coastline. She later led the New England Aquarium’s external relations work, advancing a more resilient, inclusive, and accessible downtown waterfront.

Her dedication to empowering women in politics has been a consistent throughline. As Associate Director of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus, she helped recruit and train women to run for office and manage campaigns, while building statewide strategies to elect endorsed candidates. She served as a frequent Emerge Massachusetts trainer, mentoring women entering public service. Her early political organizing includes managing Lydia Edwards’s groundbreaking 2017 campaign and serving as community liaison to State Representative Adrian Madaro, roles that cemented her reputation as a collaborative, grassroots leader.

Since her election to represent district one, Councilor Coletta Zapata has built on that foundation with a record of tangible results. As Chair of the Committee on Government Operations, she plays a central role in the City Council’s legislative process overseeing the review, analysis, and negotiation of all ordinances, home rule petitions, and special laws before they advance to the full Council or the Mayor’s desk. This position serves as the final checkpoint for accountability, legal precision, and policy alignment across all city departments, ensuring that every law enacted reflects both community needs and sound governance.

In her additional role as Chair of the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency & Parks, she has led the Council’s efforts to advance local climate resilience, promote sustainability, and expand Boston’s parks network and urban tree canopy — strengthening the city’s commitment to equity and environmental stewardship.

Her approach to governing emphasizes listening and inclusion. Ahead of the FY 2026 city budget, she hosted a series of district town halls to collect resident feedback on priorities such as youth programming, education, housing, and constituent services. That participatory style ensures city policies reflect the lived realities of those most affected by them.

A proud graduate of Boston Public Schools and Boston Latin Academy, Councilor Coletta Zapata earned her degree in Political Science with a minor in Human Rights from the University of Massachusetts Boston. She lives in East Boston with her husband, Sebastian Zapata.