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Personality Profile
Dedicated to service:
Pineville, La., Mayor Clarence Fields By JULIE YOUNG | The Municipal
When Clarence Fields was elected to the Pineville, La., City Council in 1998, he had no interest in becoming a full-time public servant. He had a good job with the Central Louisiana Electric Company, or CLEC, and enjoyed a well-earned lifestyle with his wife Rosa and his two children: Clarence Jr. and Bethany. He merely wanted to help the families in his local district. “When you represent thousands of people, you realize that you play an important role in the community,” he said. However, his political career was launched only a few years later when then mayor Leo Deslatte resigned two years into a four-year term. Fields, the youngest and only African American member on the council, was tapped to step in for a few months until a replacement could be elected in October 2000. By that time, he had grown into the role and wondered if he should try to stay in office. “Most people (in my position) wouldn’t have done it,” he said, noting the community’s demographics were roughly 75% white. “The odds were against me. Still, I talked to my wife and a friend of ours who was a judge, and I prayed for the Lord to show me what to do.” Fields’ leap of faith was not without its sacrifices and obstacles. He not only had to step away from his job, resulting in a $30,000 decrease in pay and no guarantee he could reclaim his position if the campaign wasn’t successful. He also had to sell a vehicle, his boat and make a number of other lifestyle changes, but luckily his family was willing to accept the challenge. In the end, Fields fought off three opponents and secured nearly 66% of the votes to become the mayor of Pineville. He was reelected in 2002 with 78% of the votes and has been elected without opposition ever since. “That was the beginning of something really special,” he said. “We put together a great staff and changed the complexion of the city. Of course, it’s also easy to be the mayor of Pineville when the citizens take such pride in the place where they live.” Man of the people Early in his tenure, Fields became involved in the Louisiana Municipal Association, which works to educate, advocate and empower local governments to effectively serve the citizens of Louisiana. Fields became the first Pineville mayor to serve as the president of the LMA
38 THE MUNICIPAL | DECEMBER 2020
Clarence Fields was first elected as Pineville, La.’s, mayor in 2000. (Photo provided)
In Clarence Fields’ time as mayor, Pineville, La., has received Louisiana Garden Club Federation’s Cleanest City award 11 times in 16 years. (Photo provided)
