ABOUT

About Dr. Bill Wheat

Dr. William "Bill" Wheat, Jr., is a lifelong resident of Ponchatoula and Hammond. He graduated from Ponchatoula High School in 1976 and attended Louisiana State University to obtain his Bachelor's degree. In 1983, he graduated from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. That same year, he established Animal Care Center and watched its growth from the original three employees up to 43 today.

Dr. Wheat has served as member of the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association, including a stint as president in 1993; has served on the Continuing Education Committee for the Southwest Veterinary Medical Association; and has served as chair of the committee that established the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control Facility and helped write the animal control ordinance for the Parish.

Dr. Wheat is also active in many local civic and community organizations including the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, the Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce, and the Dixie Youth Baseball and Softball League. He has served as chair of the Ponchatoula Area Recreational Department, which oversees the recreational facilities at the North Hoover Road complex; served on the Board of Directors for Florida Parishes Bank; and is a member and eucharistic minister at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. He also proudly represented Ponchatoula as the 2017 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival King.


Dr. Wheat was proudly elected as Louisiana State Representative for District 73 in 2019 and has since represented and fought for our community. 


He is married to Andrea Hebert Wheat, with whom he has four children: Derek, Dana, Kristen, and Kellie. Between them, he has seven grandchildren. During his down time, Dr. Wheat enjoys being with family and friends at his camp on the Tangipahoa River.

Dr. Bill Wheat's Accomplishments

Business Experience:

  • Owner of Pet Care Center in Ponchatoula and Animal Care Center in Hammond
  • Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association – Member, Past President (1993), and Officer
  • Florida Parishes Veterinary Medical Association 
  • Florida Parishes Bank Advisory Board - Member
  • Southwest Veterinary Medical Association Continuing Education Committee – Member
  • Veterinary Professional Public Education Outreach

Community Involvement:

  • Strawberry Festival Board – Member
  • Tangipahoa Parish Mosquito Board – Member
  • Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce – Member
  • Tangipahoa River Holey Board – Member
  • Ponchatoula Citizen of the Year – 2011
  • Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival King – 2017
  • Tangipahoa Animal Control Facility – Advocate 
  • Ponchatoula High School Basketball Game Announcer – “The Voice of Ponchatoula” 
  • Ponchatoula High School’s Fall Softball Team – Volunteer Head Coach
  • Dixie Youth Baseball/Softball League – Commissioner and Coach
  • Dixie Youth Girls – World Series Director, 2013
  • Ponchatoula High School Booster’s Club – Past President 
  • Ponchatoula Area Recreational District (PARD) – Chair

Family and Personal:

  • Married to Andrea Hebert Wheat 
  • Children – Derek Wheat, Dana Daigle, Kristen King, Kellie Turnage, and seven grandchildren
  • St. Joseph's Catholic Church – Eucharistic Minister and Council of Ministries 
  • Graduate of Ponchatoula High School – 1976
  • Graduate of LSU School of Veterinary Medicine – 1983
  • Brittany Landaiche Memorial Foundation 
  • Born and Raised in Ponchatoula
  • Registered Republican


Louisiana House of Representative District 73

Elected as Louisiana House Member (2019 – 2023)

Committee Assignments:

  • Appropriations
  • Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development
  • Natural Resources and Environment
  • Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee
  • Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget 

Caucuses & Delegations:

  • Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation
  • Louisiana Rural Caucus
  • Northshore Delegation
  • Conservative Caucus

Awards:

  • Family Forum (3x)/2022 Patrick Henry Award
  • LA Association of Business & Industry (LABI) (3x Award Winner, Won Champion Award 2x)
  • Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) LA Legislative Champion Sportsman Award
  • Community Provider Association (CPA) OPTIONS – 3x Winner of Disability Services Award
  • 2022 Legislator Business Champion Award
  • Conservative Achievement Award – The American Conservative Union Foundation
  • American Legion Award
  • LA School Board Association Award
  • Education Champion Award – LA Association of Public Charter Schools

Major Legislative Accomplishments:

  • 1983 Flood Settlement Bill, Appropriation, and Settlement
  • North Oaks Hospital – Improvement on Funding Formula
  • Southeastern Louisiana University Capital Outlay Funding
  • Champion for Teachers Pay and Lower Health Insurance Premiums
  • Champion for Independent Pharmacies
  • Capital Outlay for Ponchatoula Fire Station
  • Capital Outlay for Hoover Rd. Roundabout
  • Athletic Park Funding for Restoration After Hurricane Ida
  • Highway 22 Overlay Project – 2022
  • Lobbied for New Senate District for the Northshore
  • Lake Pontchartrain Shoreline Protection - Rock Jetties
  • Funding for Disability Service Providers – Options
  • American Legion Funding
  • Tangipahoa Parish Council on Aging Funding
  • Author of the Zachary Cutrer Vaping Bill
  • Author of the Pediatric Day Care Camera Bill
  • Author of the Human Trafficking Bill for the State Police

Senate District 37 Map

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