Paul was born and raised in Sonoma County and received a bachelor’s degree in Forest Operations from Humboldt State University. While at Humboldt, Paul began working as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service, and, over the course of the next ten years, he held various positions, including Smokejumper in Grangeville, Idaho, and most recently Squad Leader with the Truckee Hotshots. During this time Paul gained valuable experience with fire suppression and prescribed fire, obtaining the qualifications of Crew Boss, Firing Boss, Heavy Equipment Boss, Incident Commander Type 5, and Emergency Medical Technician. He has been an instructor for multiple wildland fire classes and served as a cadre member for smokejumper rookie training. Outside of work he can be found cycling, in the garden, and visiting the coast with his wife and young son.