Sheriff Gerald Sticker's 5 Favorite Things

Tangipahoa Parish's new Sheriff is home-grown. Gerald was born and raised in Bedico by his mother, Betty, and late father, David. He and his siblings, Amy and Jason, grew up in a strawberry-farming family.

Gerald graduated from Ponchatoula High School (’86) and earned his BA in Criminal Justice. He served as a Marine Corps Reservist with a one-year deployment overseas during Desert Shield. After 5 years as a shipyard welder and working as a reserve officer with Mandeville Police Department, Gerald began working fulltime with MPD and ultimately rose to become the Mandeville Chief of Police.

When he retired in 2021, Gerald returned to Tangipahoa and was elected Sheriff in November of 2023. He and his wife, Tonia Delatte Sticker, now live in Hammond.

Gerald is the proud father of Justin and Joshua and stepfather of Larilyn, Emma, and Jennie. He has one granddaughter, three grandsons, and a new grandson coming in November. Aside from his family, these are his 5 favorite things…

Gerald considers service his spiritual gift. From serving his church community as youth leader, to serving his larger community through law enforcement to serving his country as a Marine, his call to service tops the list.

Faith

Raised by a Catholic mother and a Baptist Father, the importance of strong Christian faith has been constant and utterly important in his life. Now a member of Cornerstone Church in Amite, his faith is vital in his life and ranks at the top of his favorite and cherished things.

Festivals

As the son of strawberry farmers, he remembers the Strawberry Festival when is was in its infancy and always enjoyed how it brought the community together to celebrate its resources. He now enjoys and has a deep appreciation for all the festivals our diverse parish celebrates.

Outdoor Activities

Golf and fishing are activities Gerald truly enjoys when he can find the time. He admits that it’s hard to be really good at either without dedicating enough time, so he’s resigned to being just “ok” at both, as his new role as Sheriff will take up most of his free time.

The Beach

Everyone needs down time to relax and decompress. Gerald’s favorite place to do that is operating on island time, on a beach with a book. Alabama and Florida are the typical destinations he tries to visit once or twice each year.