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Paul Evans was born in Salem, Oregon and raised nearby in the small town of Monmouth. He graduated from Central High School in Independence, Oregon in 1988. At age 18, Paul was elected to serve his community as a city councilor, becoming one of the youngest elected leaders in the nation. Like his cousin, father, and uncle had done before him, Paul joined the volunteer fire department and served with Polk County Fire District #1 while in college. Upon graduating from Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University) in 1992, he enlisted with the United States Air Force.

Paul spent over four years on active duty. Most of that service was with the 728th Air Control Squadron. Upon completion of his initial military commitment in 1997, he returned home to further his education, earning his Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with focuses in American Government, Environmental Policy, and Rhetoric at Oregon State University. He has led the city of Monmouth as Mayor, taught at Western Oregon University and Oregon State University, and has volunteered as a senior firefighter with Polk County Fire District #1.

Shortly after the September 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, the 116th Air Control Squadron—Paul’s Oregon Air National Guard unit—was involuntarily recalled to active duty for twenty-four (24) months. He volunteered to serve in uniform another two years on stateside as well as overseas deployments with duties including Kuwait, Iraq, the National Capital Region, and several high profile national security events. In 2007, shortly after completing an assignment in Afghanistan, Paul was asked to join the policy staff of Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski. There, he served the Governor as a senior advisor for Emergency Management, Military, and Veterans’ Affairs for over three years.

Paul departed the Governor’s Office in April 2010 and entered the private sector as Chief of the Protection and National Security Division for High Impact Technology (HIT). His portfolio included oversight of emergency services equipment and infrastructure, product development, marketing, and sales. His work included grant-writing, product development, and international sales (with special emphasis on Asia). Paul left HIT in February 2012 returning to teaching as an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities throughout the Willamette Valley.

Asked to join Chemeketa Community College as a full-time faculty member in 2013, Paul continues to teach Speech Communications courses between (and at times during) Legislative Sessions. He continues to develop courses on crisis/disaster communications, community leadership, veterans’ policy history, and veterans advocacy for the 21st Century. His research has produced papers and presentations on the rhetoric of emergency management, leadership, local government advocacy, and VeteranSpeak (the language of the veterans community).

Paul retired from the US Air Force/Oregon Air National Guard in May 2013. Later that year he began his first campaign for the Oregon House of Representatives. Elected in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and again in 2022, Paul has served as a champion for military families and veterans. He co-authored House Joint Resolution 202B (Ballot Measure 96) during the 2016 Legislative Session. This measure passed with over 80% of the vote and permanently set-aside 1.5% of all Oregon Lottery Revenues for Veterans outreach and services. Representative Evans led the Oregon House Committee on Veterans and Emergency Preparedness from 2017 to 2022, facilitating the establishment of new positions and programs for veterans education, health care, housing, transportation, and women veteran priorities.

In the 2022 Legislative Session Paul Evans was appointed Co-Chair of the Public Safety Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means. He continues for push for strategic investments in Emergency Preparedness, Military Families, and Veterans programming.

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