Juan (Trey) Mendez III, J.D.

Trey Mendez is a lawyer, mediator and restaurateur. He was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, and is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. Mendez was sworn into office as Mayor of Brownsville in July 2019 and ended his term in May 2023. Prior to becoming Mayor, he served 9 years as a Trustee for Texas Southmost College, the fastest growing community college in the State. In 2020, he was accepted to the Harvard Kennedy School program for Senior Executives in Leadership. The same year, he served as a member of the national platform committee for the Biden campaign. Mendez received national attention for his work to address and eliminate the digital divide in Brownsville, Texas, including being awarded with the Change Maker Award by New Century Cities in December 2020. In May of 2021, The NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders) announced the selection of Mendez as an Outstanding Rising Leader. In September of 2021, Mendez was one of 37 worldwide mayors selected to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Mendez has been invited as a panelist and participant in the Yale Mayors College and CEO Summit from 2021-2023. Under Mayor Mendez’s tenure, Brownsville, Texas focused on strategy, innovation and growth while cultivating new industry. Brownsville is now home to the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch facility, the headquarters for the Starship program, and the Gateway to Mars.