Paul Szczesiul recently retired as Manager of Disaster Finance Response Operations at the American Red Cross National Headquarters.  In that role he oversees the budgets for all major domestic disaster response operations. He previously worked in higher education with positions at Stanford University and the University of Houston.

Paul holds an undergraduate degree from Central Connecticut State University and a graduate degree from Bowling Green State University. He completed the Non-profit Management certificate program at California State University East Bay.

As a witness to and long-term survivor of HIV/AIDS,  Paul first tested HIV positive in 1987 and AIDS in 1994, following the death of his long-time partner in 1991. Living in San Francisco for 37 yeas he witnessed the ravages of the AIDS epidemic in the gay community. He volunteered as an HIV test counselor at Magnet, a clinic of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Paul also serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)  for Douglas County, advocating for children in the child welfare system. He enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, cooking and international travel.  He lives in Sutherlin with his 6 year-old Chocolate Lab, Sydney.