Joel Robideaux

Joel grew up in Lafayette where he and his wife Bobette raised their three boys -- Dylan, Brennan and Luke. He is a graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and LSU, earning his master’s degree in Finance before becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). For 20 years he owned and operated a successful accounting firm in Lafayette, serving individuals, families and businesses before being elected as Lafayette Parish’s chief executive

In 2004, Joel was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. As a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, he served in many leadership roles including Speaker Pro Tempore, Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, Chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay, Chairman of the Retirement Committee, and as a Louisiana State Bond Commission member.

During his tenure as a State Representative, Joel was recognized by his colleagues with the coveted Hudson Cup, the "Gentleman of the House" award for the legislator who “most exemplifies the qualities of decorum, respect, humor and leadership” during the 2013 legislative session.

 In 2015, Joel was elected as Lafayette’s Mayor-President. He served in that role for four years before deciding not to seek reelection.  During his tenure as Mayor-President, Joel focused on leveraging Lafayette’s entrepreneurship, fiber infrastructure, and cultural uniqueness as economic drivers.  Managing a budget of over $600million, he identified areas of surplus and redirected over $30million to much needed drainage efforts. He also initiated the conversion of our Parish Animal Control Center to a “No-Kill Shelter” for domestic pets.

Mayor-President Robideaux has been active in the community, having served as Charter President of Kiwanis of Vermilion and a board member for both Camp De Bon Coeur and Habitat for Humanity. He has been an adjunct faculty member at UL and an instructor for Junior Achievement. As a fan of youth sports, he also coached for Lafayette Little League Baseball and Lafayette Youth Soccer.