Tom Durel is a Great Grandson of L.P. Caillouet and Marie Adele Lagarde. He grew up in Thibodaux the fourth of five sons of Antoinette (Nette) Caillouet Durel and Francis Mederic Durel. He is a grandson of L. Edwin, the eldest son of L. P. He attended Thibodaux Collage and graduated with honors from Christian Brothers College with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He also has a graduate degree in Behavioral Research from the University of North Carolina.
For more than 40 years Tom worked in executive levels including CEO, President and Executive Vice President. He led companies and organization having a few people to several hundred to a few thousand. Most of his work dealt with turn-around or significant growth objectives. He retired in 2018 giving some of his time to mentoring young managers and leaders at a variety of companies. He and his wife live on Amelia Island in Florida.