Our guest is Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, the 54th person to serve the State of Louisiana in this capacity.

Billy Nungesser's drive to rebuild the tourism industry of Louisiana as we exit the pandemic is admirable, and we are well on the way to breaking the historic number of visitors we experienced in 2019 right before the pandemic. "In 2019, over 53 million people visited Louisiana leaving behind $1.9 billion in tax dollars, over $1,100 for each Louisiana family. By 2023, we'll be back to record-breaking numbers, In Louisiana, we treat strangers like family. You leave Louisiana with a friend for life and you keep coming back. Especially in the Acadiana region."

Billy brings a unique joie de vivre to his position. Enthusiastic and hard-working, he became nationally known 12 years ago when serving as President of Plaquemines Parish in the aftermath of one of the biggest environmental disasters in history, the BP Oil Spill. He became the voice of Louisiana’s frustration and the New York Times named him the "hardest working man in Louisiana."

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser pictured hunting with South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pam Evette in Louisiana swamps, 2022

Never seeing himself as a politician, Billy and his wife were living in Plaquemines Parish where they had built a riding center for special needs kids. With the 26 horses (and a few donkeys) they offered, he said, "We watched miracles happen in these young lives who had been wheelchair-bound." He also was a rancher with 400 head of cattle and 200 head of elk and had a successful business converting shipping containers into offshore living quarters.

When Katrina hit in 2005, Billy found himself not only with animals to rescue, but neighbors who were stranded with no help. He took in 30 people who lived with him for months. Commissioner Agriculture Mike Strain's dad and uncle, who were in the cattle business with him, lived with him for a year after Katrina, rescuing animals. "I never saw a politician come by. I got so aggravated that people were left on their own." He got angry enough to run for Plaquemines Parish President and won. He became a voice of Louisiana and its people.

Billy Nungesser in the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill which was one of the biggest environmental disasters in U. S. history, leaving so many birds dead and destroying our seafood industry along the coast.

Billy was elected to serve as our Lt. Governor in 2016. The Office of Lieutenant Governor oversees many departments, with its main responsibility being Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, overseeing state parks and nine museums. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is also an important focus, as Lt. Gov. Nungesser strives to build awareness in our citizens of the importance of cleaning up our state.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser spoke highly of Matt Stuller and his initiative, Parish Proud, for its heroic efforts to clean up Lafayette Parish and end the habit of littering. We can all do our part to pitch in and change our culture. For more information on Parish Proud, visit https://parishproud.org/

He also believes that the Historical Preservation and Revitalization of Downtowns throughout Louisiana is of critical importance. For an overview of grants and tax incentives, visit https://www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/historic-preservation/main-street/.

As a former Parish President of Plaquemines, Billy shared the importance of all businesses, strip malls, and restaurants putting out trash bins so that it is easy to dispose of trash. "When I was Parish President, we put out 20 trash cans along Hwy. 23 at an angle where people could throw their trash from their cars. 90% of garbage went into the trash cans or near enough so that it was easy to dispose of." He shared that less than 17% of our people actually litter. "It's time to clean up our state just as you clean up your home when you invite people over. Hopefully one day we won't have to spend millions to pick up trash.