Bill Wheeler - Vice Commodore


In the absence of the Commodore, the Vice Commodore is vested with the power of and performs all the duties of the Commodore. The Vice Commodore supervises the functions of the Membership, Communication, Entertainment and Bylaws Committees and discharges all the duties required by the Bylaws and performs duties as delegated by the Board of Directors.

Bill and his wife, Barbara, joined BYC in 2012.  He became a member of the House Committee shortly after.  Bill grew up in Bradenton, graduating from Southeast High in 1972.  As a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1976, he earned his Marine Engineering Degree.  He started his career as a Main Propulsion Test Engineer on Nuclear Fast Attack Submarines.  He left that for surface work in the U.S. Merchant Marine.  He advanced to a licensed Chief Engineer, steam and motor vessels, any horsepower, sailing with Lykes Brothers Steamship Company.  Over the course of his sea going years, he sailed to 42 foreign countries, through wars, famines, typhoons, hurricanes and winter storms.  He retired as Chief Engineer and then worked as the Director of Facilities at L-3 Communications in Sarasota, from which he recently retired.  He is a licensed Florida Certified General Contractor, Plumbing, Electrical, and Mechanical Contractor.  He and his wife like to spend free time outdoors and on the water, fishing, crabbing, and boating, as well as creating/building/fixing things.