About Paul

A native Californian, Paul has worked and resided in California all his life. The American flag flying in front of Paul’s house is one of his most heartfelt and earliest recollections. Together, his parents taught him that integrity was a must-have-value and that character matters. Today, Paul is married and has an 8 year old son. Paul’s wife, Cindy, is a Registered Nurse and is employed by the Veterans Administration.


Military Service—US Army 

Shortly after graduating from high school in 1970, Paul enlisted in the US Army because he felt it was his duty to serve during the Vietnam War. Trained in infantry tactics, Paul graduated from the Fort Ord Basic Combat Training Center in 1972. Subsequently, Paul was trained by US Army Special Forces as an engineer charged with planning combat fortifications. Instead of being sent to Vietnam as Paul expected, he was deployed to Engineer Command, West Germany, because of Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union. During this time Paul achieved rank of Army Specialist (Spec. 4). In 1974, Paul received an Honorable Discharge from active duty.


The G.I. Bill & College

After being honorably discharged from the US Army, Paul worked his way through college graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UC Berkeley. Later, because of his interest in business, Paul completed an accountant program at UC Santa Cruz, which enabled Paul, after intense self-study, to directly challenge the 15 hour Certified Public Accountant exam. Direct challenges, or challenges without accounting degrees, are rarely attempted, with less than 2 percent success rate. Paul was successful in this endeavor and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant today. A few years ago, Paul earned his Master of Arts in Management degree from the University of Redlands, completing his formal multidisciplinary business studies. Today, Paul continues to learn and educate himself on subjects such as economics, history, public policy, business and organizational best practices. Paul recently completed the UC Berkeley Executive Leadership Program and the UC Berkeley Strategic Management of Public Organizations Program (Scholarship Recipient).


25 Years of Business Experience in Private Industry

Paul worked in private industry for 25 years before working at the County. Starting in a sales capacity in the printing industry, Paul learned the profession of business from the ground up. Later, Paul worked in aircraft and telecommunications production planning and as an industrial procurement officer, making financial decisions on daily basis.

Paul’s success in these positions was based on being proactive about meeting the company's goals and ensuring that commitments were met timely and under budget—this has been his signature trademark throughout his professional career. The experience Paul gained in private industry gave him a tremendous business education; a great respect for businesses vying to meet production demands, meet payroll, and earn a profit. At the same time the business experience gave Paul a better understanding of the challenges faced by families during uncertain economic times.


Auditor-Controller’s Office

During 8 years with the Auditor-Controller's Office Paul worked on many projects and assignments, including training other accountants, reviewing countywide expenditures, analyzing special district financial reports, and rewriting the County's accounting manual. In addition, Paul worked with the team that produced the County's annual financial report-- the most important financial document produced by a governmental entity because it provides the taxpayer a comprehensive report on the use of tax revenues. Paul also wrote or was instrumental in writing fifty policies and procedures, covering the spectrum of governmental accounting and finance. "I never imagined I would one day work in government," said Paul, "however when the call came I was ready to pitch in and help."


Sets New Record in 2010 election  

Receiving 217,000 votes – the most votes ever cast for a candidate in the County’s 118 year history – was a humbling experience for Paul. He knocked on thousands of doors and spoke to dozens of citizen groups to earn their support. “The people believed in me because I connected with them and they knew intuitively I would fight for their best interests," said Paul. "I felt the Office had the capacity to do great work and become more transparent and open. Needed, as is often the case, was the proper tone at the top. It is my goal to provide this leadership," added Paul. Vastly outspent, Paul won every city and district in Riverside County.

Lifelong Dedication to the Community 

Serving the community has always been important to Paul. As early as 1978, for example, Paul had the distinct honor of personally meeting Ronald Reagan and being mentored by Ronald Reagan’s lead team of advisors. The meetings with the President's advisors taught Paul the value of having leaders in government who walk-the-talk. "This concept is at the very core of competent leadership. At the end of the day, we're here to serve the people responsibly, that's what it's all about," said Paul.


Professional Affiliations

In addition to being a member of the California Board of Accountants, Paul is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Academy of Political Scientists. As a member of these professional groups, Paul is required to undergo continuous training and held to highest ethical and professional standards.