Dylan Tete
South Central Field Rep.
Dylan joined the Helmets to Hardhats team in 2007 and is the South Central Regional Director covering Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Prior to construction, Dylan was a captain in the U.S. Army Infantry. As a company executive officer in the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Dylan helped lead combat forces in Iraq shortly after the initial invasion. He was also called upon to provide a vital link between the military and State Department while in Mosul, serving the Commanding General of I Corps and CPA coordinator. In this role, he was able to directly participate in the rebuilding of Iraq. Armed with an Economics degree from West Point and a willingness to serve, he established the Cisco Systems Regional Academy at Mosul University and the Mosul Business Center. These institutions open new pathways of freedom and recovery for many Iraqis.
His life in the construction industry began shortly after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, ushering a new era of rebuilding for that area. In response to those early, desperate times, he supervised the construction of several FEMA temporary housing facilities with a local contractor. These facilities helped many first responders and homeless families return to New Orleans.
Later, Dylan joined forces with Gardner Development in 2006 and began the “Rebuilding While We Reclaim” movement in a section of battered New Orleans riddled with blight and violence. Having reconstructed numerous apartments and homes on the city’s demolition list, and receiving honors from the Historic Society, he learned that responsible building can have a broader meaning. He began meeting with civic leaders and other concerned citizens to take action against nuisance businesses that fostered crime. In the fall of 2007, a coalition of pastors, non-profit organizations, developers, and private citizens led by Dylan and his business partner won a settlement against two liquor distributors where multiple shootings occurred that summer.
Having gained an appreciation for the hard work of countless, skilled tradesman in South Louisiana, and for the sacrifice of our military personnel everywhere, Helmets to Hardhats was a natural fit for Dylan.
His home is New Orleans, where he lives with his wife and son.
