Charles Lauersdorf

Charlie Lauersdorf has the honor of representing District 4 on the Fort Worth City Council. Though new to the municipal scene, he's no stranger to service. He has served nearly two decades in the Marine Corps and is currently a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserves. Following in his father's and brother's footsteps, Charlie started his Marine Corps career in 2001 after graduating from Garland High School. His first 9 years of Active Duty he'd find himself deployed 5 times, to include 3 tours to Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Charlie was stationed in California, North Carolina, and even in Washington D.C. at the Defense Intelligence Agency. He has since deployed overseas a total of 8 times and was wounded in combat in 2004. 

When not in uniform, he owns and operates a real estate media firm serving Fort Worth and beyond. He started his company in 2012, shortly after leaving Active Duty. Though this is his most recent business venture, Charlie has always been an entrepreneur. He calls himself the original Jeff Bezos since he too sold books - albeit he was in kindergarten and it was out of his bedroom closet. He said his mom was his only customer, but that hasn't stopped his entrepreneurial spirit. His senior year in high school, with the help of his biology teacher, he started VisualNet Productions, a website development company. Since starting his most recent business, he has assisted with business creation and helping numerous veterans in getting their ideas brought to life. 

Although most of what Charlie has learned has been through experience, he believes in the power of higher education. Charlie is a graduate of TCU's Executive MBA Program and has a Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence Studies, which he obtained while on Active Duty in the Marine Corps. 

Charlie's true passion is not the Marine Corps or small business, but servitude. Charlie has always been a servant-leader and believes in giving back to the very community he lives in. He is a member of a 501c3 non-profit BBQ team which raises money and awareness for veterans, law enforcement, first responders, teachers, and more. Charlie also assists numerous veteran-focused nonprofits with vetting applicants to ensure they meet the requirements and qualifications of the nonprofit from which they are seeking help. He believes this is crucial because just as he is a good steward of our tax dollars, he also believes donor dollars should be well spent. Charlie is also a Tarrant County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in which he is a volunteer advocate and voice for abused and neglected children in foster care. In this role, he works tirelessly for these children and dedicates numerous hours to them personally and behind the scenes. He also works side-by-side with their parents, CPS, foster families, judges, and everyone else involved in their safe placement into permanent homes. This often means spending weekend time mentoring and weekday time in the courts.

Charlie is married to Amanda, a high school nurse (RN) and Army National Guard nurse, and together they have 6 kids - 4 of whom still live with them while the oldest 2 are out in the workforce and college.