Roast of retired Sheriff Jack A. Stephens held to benefit St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce

Roastee Sheriff Jack A. Stephens and his son Barrett, who was one of the roasters.

Sheriff’s Office representatives at a table.	Roast Master of Ceremonies and Chamber board member Joey Difatta, Sheriff James Pohlmann, retired Sheriff Jack A. Stephens; Chamber Board member Claudette Reuther, Chamber Vice-Chairwoman Cindi Meyer, Chamber Chairman Jerry Calcagno and Chamber board member Charlene Walch.
Schools Superintendent Doris Voitier, in a light-hearted moment, returns to Sheriff Stephens a pair of clean socks she said he gaver her in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.	Sheriff’s Office representatives at a table.

Sheriff James Pohlmann draws a laugh from his former boss.

Any good chef will tell you a great way to cook is to roast something slowly at a low temperature until it is tender and soft.

And that is exactly what the roasters of retired St. Bernard Sheriff Jack A. Stephens did the night of April 4 in an event at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center to benefit the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce.

When the roast was complete, the roastee indeed had been slowly cooked and was tender, especially in his words describing how he missed the job of sheriff, the people he met and events he was a part of.

Sheriff’s Stephens served seven terms totaling 28 years and was the longest-serving sheriff in Louisiana when he retired June 30, 2012, and James Pohlmann, elected in November 2011, took over the post the next day.

Stephens, who seemed to get into the spirit of the evening, was roasted by his son, attorney Barrett Stephens, and Sheriff Pohlmann, along with special appearances by Schools Superintendent Doris Voitier and Tony Fernandez, the ex-sheriff’s cousin, long-time chief deputy and political confidante. Former Parish Council Chairman and Chamber board member Joseph DiFatta served as master of ceremonies.

Barrett Stephens spoke of growing up with a father who was the sheriff, referring in a dry style to the “moral role models’’ his father provided him in the form of some of the older sheriff’s deputies from the department whom he got to know around his home.

Barrett Stephens said he believes some of his first words were, “Don’t tell your mother.’’

But he said his father “was a great parent.’’

Schools head Doris Voitier spent time discussing how it was the disaster of Hurricane Katrina that gave her insight into Sheriff Stephens and brought them to a closer relationship.

She told one story of the hurricane involving the sheriff – when her feet were wet from a day of going through flood waters helping others – when it was Sheriff Stephens who gave her a dry pair of socks.

As many in the audience could have guessed what was coming, Voitier dangled a pair of clean, white sox at the retired sheriff and said she was returning them to him.

Fernandez laid out some of the political stories of his past with his cousin.

Sheriff Stephens’s successor, Sheriff Pohlmann, hit his old boss with some humorous one-liners, including saying that when you are in you are in and when you are out you are out. “Jack, you’re out,’’ he said.

Noting Sheriff Stephens’ recent work-out plan and weight loss, Sheriff Pohlmann said, “Jack, you look great. When you are out there’s no more free meals.’’

Getting serious, Sheriff Pohlmann told his former boss, “No one was faced with the challenges you were faced with in Hurricane Katrina’’ when the parish was flat on its back and law enforcement was put to the test.

When Jack Stephens had his turn to answer back his roasters he was philosophical at times, but compared the similarities of his two chief deputies in Fernandez and Pohlmann. “Both were so tight they squeaked’’ he said of them.

But he also noted that early on in his relationship with the now-Sheriff Pohlmann, “I saw signs in Jimmy of potential for leadership,’’ Stephens said, and said believes he is doing a good job. “Jimmy displayed a lot of courage during Hurricane Katrina.’’

Sheriff Stephens also said he is enjoying his retirement but in looking back at his old job, he admitted, “I enjoyed being sheriff. It was a very good job.’’

In early voting, the measure passed 1,297 votes for to 318 against.