Judge Stephen D. Wheelis
Stephen D. Wheelis was appointed by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on April 25, 2019 to serve as a Bankruptcy Judge for the U. S. Bankruptcy Court, W. D. of Louisiana at Alexandria and Monroe. Prior to his appointment, he was a shareholder of Wheelis & Rozanski, APLC, in Alexandria for over 20 years and initially practiced as a partner with Provosty, Sadler & deLaunay for 14 years.
His practice included representation of creditors and trustees in all bankruptcy chapters, banking, business & commercial law, litigation & appeals. He actively practiced bankruptcy law throughout all Districts of Louisiana and in many other states, pro hac vice.
He is a Board Certified Business Bankruptcy Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Supreme Court and the American Board of Certification since January 1, 1997. He served from 2011-2019 on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Certification, the Standards and Faculty Committees. He has been a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute for more than 20 years. He served as a member of the LSBA Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission, 1995 - 1998 and 2018-2019, and chaired the LSBA Board of Legal Specialization from 2009-2010. He served as an Assistant Bar Examiner for Code III from 2005-2019 and held memberships in the Louisiana Bankers Association, serving on the Bank Counsel Committee, as well as the Louisiana State, American and Alexandria Bar Associations.
On December 3, 2021, He was appointed to a 3 year term as the 5th Circuit representative on the Bankruptcy Judges Advisory Group for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. He is currently a member of the Crossroads American Inns of Court, The Judge Jerry A. Brown Louisiana Bankruptcy Inn of Court, the Federal Bar Association, The National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, serving as Chair of the NextGeneration Committee, and an Associate Member of NACTT.
He appeared consecutively in the annual editions of Louisiana Super Lawyers, Business Bankruptcy/Creditor Rights, from 2007-2019. He previously served as an adjunct professor for paralegal studies at Northwestern State University and Louisiana College and taught courses for the American Institute of Banking.
Judge Wheelis received his J.D. Degree in 1985 from Tulane University School of Law and his B.A. in Legal Studies from Northeast Louisiana University (now ULM) in 1981.
Stephen D. Wheelis was appointed by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on April 25, 2019 to serve as a Bankruptcy Judge for the U. S. Bankruptcy Court, W. D. of Louisiana at Alexandria and Monroe. Prior to his appointment, he was a shareholder of Wheelis & Rozanski, APLC, in Alexandria for over 20 years and initially practiced as a partner with Provosty, Sadler & deLaunay for 14 years.
His practice included representation of creditors and trustees in all bankruptcy chapters, banking, business & commercial law, litigation & appeals. He actively practiced bankruptcy law throughout all Districts of Louisiana and in many other states, pro hac vice.
He is a Board Certified Business Bankruptcy Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Supreme Court and the American Board of Certification since January 1, 1997. He served from 2011-2019 on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Certification, the Standards and Faculty Committees. He has been a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute for more than 20 years. He served as a member of the LSBA Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission, 1995 - 1998 and 2018-2019, and chaired the LSBA Board of Legal Specialization from 2009-2010. He served as an Assistant Bar Examiner for Code III from 2005-2019 and held memberships in the Louisiana Bankers Association, serving on the Bank Counsel Committee, as well as the Louisiana State, American and Alexandria Bar Associations.
On December 3, 2021, He was appointed to a 3 year term as the 5th Circuit representative on the Bankruptcy Judges Advisory Group for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. He is currently a member of the Crossroads American Inns of Court, The Judge Jerry A. Brown Louisiana Bankruptcy Inn of Court, the Federal Bar Association, The National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, serving as Chair of the NextGeneration Committee, and an Associate Member of NACTT.
He appeared consecutively in the annual editions of Louisiana Super Lawyers, Business Bankruptcy/Creditor Rights, from 2007-2019. He previously served as an adjunct professor for paralegal studies at Northwestern State University and Louisiana College and taught courses for the American Institute of Banking.
Judge Wheelis received his J.D. Degree in 1985 from Tulane University School of Law and his B.A. in Legal Studies from Northeast Louisiana University (now ULM) in 1981.
Ronda Winnecour
Ronda Winnecour was appointed Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Western District of Pennsylvania in October of 1999. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University School of Law, she has practiced law since 1979. Prior to appointment as Trustee, she served as an Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny Count from 1979-1989 and as the Allegheny County Juvenile Court Master- presiding over thousands of delinquency matters- from 1989-1999.
During her tenure as Trustee, Ronda has participated in or chaired hundreds of programs on Chapter 13 bankruptcy including chairing the Eighteenth Annual Allegheny County Bar Association Bankruptcy Symposium in December of 2005. She has served two terms as Chair of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association; is a member of the Erie Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Women’s Bar of Western Pennsylvania and is a member of the Women in the Law Committee. She is also a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute. In June 2011, Ronda became a faculty member of the Advanced Consumer Practice Institute which provides litigation training, nationwide, for bankruptcy practitioners.
Currently, Ronda is the Chair of the Due Process Committee of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, serves as in-house counsel to the association and sits on the Outreach, Legislative, Mortgage and Acceptance and Inclusion Committees. She is a former member of the Board of Directors. Recently, Ronda assisted the American Bankruptcy Institute in providing national training concerning Chapter 12 (family farmers) and the preparation and presentation of Master Classes in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 bankruptcy cases.
In the fall of 2020, Ronda Winnecour, became a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.
Ronda Winnecour was appointed Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Western District of Pennsylvania in October of 1999. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University School of Law, she has practiced law since 1979. Prior to appointment as Trustee, she served as an Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny Count from 1979-1989 and as the Allegheny County Juvenile Court Master- presiding over thousands of delinquency matters- from 1989-1999.
During her tenure as Trustee, Ronda has participated in or chaired hundreds of programs on Chapter 13 bankruptcy including chairing the Eighteenth Annual Allegheny County Bar Association Bankruptcy Symposium in December of 2005. She has served two terms as Chair of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association; is a member of the Erie Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Women’s Bar of Western Pennsylvania and is a member of the Women in the Law Committee. She is also a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute. In June 2011, Ronda became a faculty member of the Advanced Consumer Practice Institute which provides litigation training, nationwide, for bankruptcy practitioners.
Currently, Ronda is the Chair of the Due Process Committee of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, serves as in-house counsel to the association and sits on the Outreach, Legislative, Mortgage and Acceptance and Inclusion Committees. She is a former member of the Board of Directors. Recently, Ronda assisted the American Bankruptcy Institute in providing national training concerning Chapter 12 (family farmers) and the preparation and presentation of Master Classes in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 bankruptcy cases.
In the fall of 2020, Ronda Winnecour, became a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.
