NewDEAL selects Brownsville mayor as ‘Outstanding Rising Leader’

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — The NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders) announced they have selected Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez as an Outstanding Rising Leader.

According to the city of Brownsville’s news release, Mayor Mendez is one of 19 leaders from across the country to join the NewDEAL, which is a selective national network of state and local elected officials.

Mayor Mendez joins the group at a time when state and local leaders are on the frontlines of responding to the pandemic and as they take on a critical role in implementing the American Rescue Plan.

NewDEALers are supporting each other in addressing the many challenges created and made worse by COVID-19 by innovating, convening virtually, and sharing good ideas.

Members of the nearly 200-person network are working to enact pro-growth progressive solutions in a diverse array of communities. They have been chosen from more than 1,650 nominations over its decade-long history.

“We are in a unique moment for state and local leaders as we must find solutions for the urgent challenges created by COVID-19 while not losing focus on longer-term issues that will also affect Brownsville’s economic security for decades to come,” said Mendez. “I look forward to sharing lessons with and learning from other leaders who are setting the standard for effective governance, and I am excited to be part of NewDEAL’s efforts to expand opportunities for Americans in communities nationwide.”

First elected in 2019, Trey Mendez was selected to join NewDEAL because of his dedication to establishing Brownsville as an innovation leader. One of Mendez’s key initiatives is his Broadband Connectivity Master Plan, which sought to address Brownsville’s prior status as the least connected community in the United States by eliminating the digital divide and increasing access to affordable broadband for students and their families, said the news release.

The Mayor has also spearheaded Brownsville’s economic development by making it an innovative and welcoming hub for technology companies, attracting SpaceX, Space Channel, and Spaced Ventures to the city.

Learn more about Mayor Mendez and the NewDEAL.