About Paul
Paul Mark has dedicated his life to exceeding expectations through hard work and perseverance. His philosophy has been shaped by his blue-collar background, his strong commitment to family, and his passion for learning and education.
Paul was born in Massachusetts and spent his childhood in New Hampshire. When Paul was young his father was a Teamster working in a warehouse while his mother stayed home, devoting herself to raising Paul and his younger sister. In Paul’s early teens, the warehouse closed down, leaving the family unemployed and struggling to hold on to their dreams. His family pulled together through the hard times and never gave up; each member doing everything they could to secure a brighter future. Eventually, his father found employment with the Telephone Company and membership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The good times returned, but Paul never forgot the lessons of the bad times and dedicated himself to preventing others from experiencing such devastation.
During high school and through his early college years he worked at a number of part-time and temporary jobs. Paul secured full-time employment with Bell Atlantic at the age of 20 and immediately joined the IBEW Local 2320. Six months into working at the phone company, the members of IBEW went on strike against the newly renamed Verizon to retain health care benefits and job security. Paul, having learned much from his union brothers and sisters, became involved with the union. His experiences also cemented his involvement with politics and government, which he had been interested in since he was a young boy.
Paul was relocated to the Berkshires in February of 2003. Job-cuts were being made at Verizon and to avoid layoff he was given a choice of relocating to Pittsfield, Nantucket, or Presque Isle, Maine. Paul chose Pittsfield and has been happy with the decision ever since. He purchased a home in the town of Hancock in July of 2003. He loved the rural nature of the town, the beauty of the landscape, the privacy and politeness of the community, and the chance to someday raise a family in a healthy and happy community.
Paul was attending college in New Hampshire at the time; the move to Hancock did not deter him from following through on his commitment and earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Southern New Hampshire University in 2005. His passion for education and the opportunities which came along with it only increased the more he learned, causing him to enroll in both a Master’s Degree program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the evening division of Suffolk University Law School in the fall of 2005. Paul commuted back and forth across the Commonwealth from Hancock to Boston for law classes three nights a week while continuing to work full-time at Verizon and completing his UMass studies. In 2007 he completed his Master’s of Science and immediately enrolled in Northeastern University’s Doctorate in Law and Policy program. Paul graduated from both Suffolk Law and Northeastern in 2009. His Doctoral dissertation is entitled, “Predicting Labor Law Reform”, an analysis of why the Employee Free Choice Act will not pass the 111th Congress in spite of Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. Paul took and passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam in July 2009 and was sworn in as an Attorney in Boston on December 2, 2009.
While completing his studies Paul also got more involved in the labor movement and in his community. He became a union steward for IBEW to help his co-workers maintain fairness and dignity on the job. Paul was elected to the Executive Board of Local 2324 representing the Pittsfield Unit. His duties required him to address member concerns as well as oversee the finances and activity of the local union. He became Press Secretary of his local and a delegate to the Berkshire Central Labor Council. On the labor council he was involved with the successful “Labor for Life” fundraising team for the Pittsfield Relay for Life, as well as rapid response efforts to help workers in need, and numerous local political events. Paul currently serves on the Executive Board of Local 2325.
Paul founded a scholarship for the children of IBEW 2325 members and has promoted community and political involvement as Political Director and Chairman of the COPE Committee. He is a proud sponsor of the Hancock Community Christmas and the Hancock Citizen’s Scholarship Fund.
Politically, Paul has been involved in many aspects of campaigns on all levels of government. Paul first volunteered at the age of 16 to work for Bill Clinton’s re-election and the Jeanne Shaheen for Governor Campaign in New Hampshire. Through the years, he has served as a volunteer for various candidates, interned for Barack Obama for President, and drove for Bill Clinton as part of a Presidential Motorcade. He has served as Chairman of a state level Political Action Committee, overseen the political activities of his local union, won election by his peers to the union Executive Board, marched on Washington for health care reform, and experienced direct democracy in the form of the annual Hancock town meeting. Paul was recently elected chair of the Hancock Democratic Town Committee and a delegate to the party’s state convention in June. He now seeks more direct involvement and a greater chance to serve his community.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, Paul met a beautiful young Connecticut woman named Cassandra through mutual friends at UMass Amherst. They began dating, fell in love and were recently married. Cassandra also recognized how much the Berkshires have to offer and agreed to relocate to Hancock. They look forward to having children and raising them in this wonderful community.
All of these experiences have shaped the man who is now seeking to serve the Second Berkshire District in the State Legislature. His tireless dedication to hard work and helping others will continue once he is elected.
