Leadership Team

Thomas F. Stallworth IV

Chief of Staff, Brinker

Thomas F. Stallworth IV serves as Chief of Staff at Brinker, a group of family-owned and operated commercial construction service companies responsible for several billion in construction projects and a critical force in the transformation and revitalization of Detroit.

Stallworth retired from the U.S. Navy as a Commander and Naval Aviator after 24 years of service. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and completed multiple deployments across the Pacific theater in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. As Commanding Officer of Naval Operational Support Center Detroit, he led medical, administrative, fiscal, and readiness operations for 600 Navy Reservists, earning the #1 regional ranking for his entire tenure. He then served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve, where he advised senior defense leaders and oversaw more than $800M in programs and assets.

Stallworth’s decorations include three Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Air Medals, and three Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medals. He logged over 2,500 flight hours across three aircraft types.

A native of Detroit and graduate of Florida A&M University, Stallworth earned his Naval Aviator Wings of Gold in 2005. Throughout his career, he served as one of fewer than 3% of African American aviators in the U.S. Navy. He has long believed that showing someone what is possible is more powerful than telling them. That belief now drives his work at Brinker, where he is focused on building opportunity for the next generation in the city he calls home.