By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – You might be wise to stay out of the way of Thomas “Trey” Brownfield, III, or you might get run over.
At least, that’s the way it appears when glancing back at the furious activity in his still short time frame of 31 years of living.
Brownfield is one of the newly elected Slidell City Council members who will officially take office on July 1, 2022, but it’s only the latest accomplishment for the up-and-coming Slidell business leader whose resume of success is incredibly impressive for someone still so young.
His City Council victory—considered to be the youngest council member ever for Slidell—was surprising to many people as he defeated a 20-year council incumbent, even though it was his first attempt at running for public office. And by the way, he didn’t just win the election, he stunned most political observers by taking 76 percent of the ballots.
Brownfield was one of the first council candidates to announce for the race last December, and even though long-time political observers were skeptical of his chance to win the election against the incumbent, he never doubted if he would be victorious.
“I look back at a lot of things I’ve been successful in so far in my life, and that’s why I was very sure I would win the election,” he said. “I never even wrote a concession speech.”
The road to success in the election was a simple formula he has utilized his entire life—outwork the opposition. It’s something his father and grandfather taught him from a very young age when they made it clear he needed to work for everything he wanted.
“My dad taught me to have a good work ethic, be a person of your word and learn to give when God blesses you,” he said.
With those lessons guiding him, Brownfield was working from the time he was a young boy, learning early business lessons by catching turtles in the Chalmette canals and selling them to the pet store, besides mowing yards and helping his grandfather sell Dab-A-Do hand cleaner.
“I was always an entrepreneur,” he noted. “I probably got that from my grandfather. I worked a lot with him, and he was such a people person—he never met a stranger, and I guess I have turned out a lot like that.”
He helped his father from the age of 14 with Integrity Security, their own business, and then opened his first official business at the age of 18 called Pelican Dive Services.
“We cleaned the bottom of boats, along with other repairs and anything else my friend and I could do to make money,” he recalled. “Then when I moved to Slidell, I let him have the business since he was the main diver and I had been the salesman.”
Indeed, sales work or public relations work is the thing that began to earn Brownfield a name in the Slidell business community from the time he emerged on the local scene as the new director for Keep Slidell Beautiful in 2019. Immediately recognized at business functions for his upbeat personality, Brownfield also “never met a stranger” it seemed as he began setting the stage for his first run at public office.
Even after graduating from high school, Brownfield seemed to be pulled between his own business efforts and college.
“I started college in 2011 and earned a Business Administration degree in two-and-a-half years,” he said, perhaps zipping through school so fast with honors since he paid his own way and worked as many as four jobs while in college.
In 2014, he purchased his first Slidell home in the district he would eventually run for and win his City Council seat. Within two years he had completely renovated the repo purchase, then began buying and selling other homes to build what is already a good start in the rental and renovation business.
Not enough? In 2019, he opened T&T Inflatables as yet another business, all while continuing T2 Development as the corporation directing his rental business.
But Brownfield hasn’t devoted all his life to making money, even if it might seem that way. His father’s advice to “give” has been seen in many other ways in the Slidell community.
While going to college he volunteered and then directed Slidell’s Ohana Pier, a local teen gathering place started by Christian businessmen. When Brownfield started leading the weekend get togethers they had 80 young people showing up, a number that grew to well over 300 within two years.
He has also become active with other community groups such as the Rotary Club, going through the year-long Leadership Northshore course, supporting the Heritage Festival as the chairman, the Olde Towne Main Street group and One Way Love, a group that helps homeless teens.
“I just want to do things, especially to see other people rally around a good cause,” he said about his heavy involvement in business and community efforts. “I don’t do things for the glory, I do them because I see needs in Slidell and I want to help. And it feels good to see things get done and our community improve.”
Now as a councilman he views drainage issues and the Slidell Police Department at the top of a long list of agenda items.
“We’ve got to do all we can for the police because we live 30 miles away from one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S.,” he said. “Our police department is really good right now, but we can help them be even better. When they see how much the community backs them it only makes them want to be their best.”
Brownfield’s name has already been mentioned as someone who might one day want to be mayor in Slidell, but he laughed when that was suggested.
“That’s not anything I’m thinking about now, but who knows down the road? Truthfully, I hate government. Like Ronald Reagan said, ‘the most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m here from the government and I’m here to help,’” he added.
But he does recognize the fact his seat on the City Council puts him in a position to do positive things for his community, something he is more interested in now more than ever after getting married five years ago, and having his first child, 18-month-old Bristol.
So far, his energy level in Slidell has certainly been recognized, but it all goes back to his parents and grandfather, who let him know at an early age he wouldn’t be getting handouts.
“I remember when I saved up enough money to buy my first car, a 2008 Chevy Malibu. My dad took me to the dealership and helped make the final deal to buy it and I was actually thinking he would pay the down payment for me. But when it came time to pay, he looked at me and said, ‘well, get out your checkbook.’
“But my parents did give me an 18th birthday present by paying three months on my car insurance. That was still a pretty big deal,” he added with a smile.
Brownfield said he plans to hold a monthly get together in his district to maintain the utmost in transparency for constituents.
“The main thing for me is to let people know what is going on. That’s what they want—to be informed about what their government is doing,” he said.
And by the way, did we mention that he and his wife recently became foster parents for a 17-year-old boy?