Secretary of State Tom Schedler, a resident of Mandeville, was first appointed to the position in 2010 after serving as first assistant for three years. Schedler was then elected by the people to serve a four-year term as secretary of state in 2011.

Schedler has worked diligently to streamline and update the processes within the Secretary of State’s Office resulting in a more efficient and effective experience for taxpayers. As a leader who believes the role of the secretary of state is a paternal one, Schedler’s priorities include protecting and defending the integrity of every non-partisan election, honoring and preserving the history and symbols of our state and assisting and supporting small businesses in filing their registration forms. A brief summary of Schedler’s accomplishments during the last two years in office include:

· Reducing the number of special elections in Louisiana to preserve limited tax dollars. After finding Louisiana had twice as many elections as compared to neighboring states over a five year period, Schedler sought new laws to save taxpayer’s money and increase the relevance of scheduled elections.
· Improving voter registration and participation through technology. Louisiana has the fourth highest voter registration statistics in the nation with 86 percent of eligible voters registered. The nationally recognized GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones conveniently allows citizens to check their voter registration status, review their individualized ballot in preparation for voting and locate their voting precinct using their phone. Louisiana is the first state in the nation to use this technology. Additionally, the GeauxVote portal (www.GeauxVote.com) includes a convenient online voter registration component which can be used by citizens statewide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Louisiana was the second state in the country to implement online registration.
· Honoring the sacrifice of our military servicemen. The Honor Vets. Vote. Program, encourages voters to visit www.sos.la.gov/honorvets for each election and honor a veteran with their vote. Upon completion of a short form, voters can print a commemorative certificate and are mailed a lapel pin and bumper sticker. Schedler also traveled to the Middle East in 2012 instructing active military servicemen how to vote while overseas.
· Enhancing services in the commercial division. Schedler worked to expand www.GeauxBiz.com for businesses wishing to file their corporate forms electronically and is moving towards establishing a one-stop shop for all statewide corporate transactions. The Geaux Biz portal saves small businesses time and money and improves the overall operations of the Secretary of State’s Office. Protecting owners through business identity theft legislation was the cornerstone of his first year in office.

Secretary Schedler’s solid foundation of governmental and private sector experience includes three terms in the Louisiana State Senate. During that time, he was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Alliance for Good Government (2002), Republican of the Year (2006) and was elected twice by his peers in the Senate to serve as Chairman of the Republican Delegation. Professionally, he is a licensed real estate broker, former bank president and board of directors member and serves on the Board of Trustees for a 156-bed regional hospital and medical center. Civically, he participates in numerous organizations including serving as President of the Slidell Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He is also a CASA trained court appointee.

Schedler was born and raised in New Orleans. He graduated from De La Salle High School in 1967 prior to receiving his Bachelor of Science in marketing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1971. In 1999, he was honored by his high school as one of De La Salle High School’s 125 outstanding graduates over the school’s first 50 years, and in 2010, was honored with the school’s Leadership Award. He has also been honored by his community as Citizen of the Year and Employer of the Year.

Secretary Schedler is married to his wife of 41 years, the former Stephanie Gele’ of Lafayette. She owns and operates hospice programs in Louisiana and Mississippi. They have three married daughters and two grandchildren.