Meet Mayor Bob Zabbia
Robert F. "Bob" Zabbia, a lifelong resident of Ponchatoula, brings to the mayor’s office over thirty-six years of business and administrative consulting experience dealing with the workings of governments at all levels—local, parish, state, and federal. This role has allowed him to see first-hand how other cities solve their problems.
He served as a member of the Board of North Oaks Health Systems from1998 until his retirement in January of 2010. He served as Board Chairman for two years helping to administer a multi-million dollar budget and expansion program. Mayor Zabbia served for six years on the Board of Parish National Bank before its merger with Whitney National Bank. He continues to serve on Whitney’s North Shore Advisory Board and also served one term as President of Tangipahoa Industrial Development Foundation.
He is a member of the Ponchatoula Kiwanis Club and the Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce and participates in their community involvements. As an active parishioner of St. Joseph Church, he recently served on its Finance Committee.
Mayor Zabbia graduated from Ponchatoula High School in 1968 and Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond in 1972 with a B.A. in Marketing and a minor in accounting. He has been married to the former Kim Howes since 1974, and they have one daughter Kate Zabbia Stuart who, along with her husband JD, resides in Nashville.
“Ponchatoula is where we were born, where we grew up, where we were married, where we all went to school,” the Mayor added. “Kim, Kate, and I all graduated from PHS where Kim taught for 33 years before her retirement in 2007.
“Ponchatoula is where I have lived my life. I know what this city is, I know what it has been, and I know what it can still become.”
