Paul graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) with a degree in geography. He began working at Dresser Rand as a draftsman, eventually advancing to an engineering technician position. He was appointed to the Cattaraugus County Planning Board in 1988 and served for 17 years, including all of the executive committee positions, with the last seven years as Chairman. He was honored to have served on the Board with both Torrance Brooks and Don Patterson until their passing.

In 2005, upon leaving his previous job after thirty years, Paul joined the County Planning staff as a Planner. In his time with the County, Paul was instrumental in activities such as bringing the long outdated County Comprehensive Plan up to current standards. This document, “Vision 2025 Comprehensive Plan - Moving Cattaraugus County Forward” is a guidance document for the County’s municipalities to use for local decisions. He also made the decision to consolidate the County’s six agricultural districts into one countywide district, one of the few counties in the State to do so. In addition, he worked on two updates to the County’s Consolidated Transportation Plan, which makes funding available to local entities for transportation needs.

Paul has been married to his wife Linda for forty years. They have a son, daughter, their spouses, and three grandchildren.