Representative Paul Evans was born in Salem, Oregon, and raised in nearby Monmouth. He entered public service early, being elected to the Monmouth City Council at just 18 years old. He served on the council throughout his college years and returned to elected office as Mayor of Monmouth in 1998. Paul joined the volunteer fire department and served with Polk County Fire District #1 while pursuing his degree, later rejoining as a senior volunteer firefighter. In 1992, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving over four years on active duty as an air battle manager/air weapons controller. He later joined the 116th Air Control Squadron of the Oregon Air National Guard, serving in Iraq in 2003 and 2005, and Afghanistan in 2006–2007. Following the Afghanistan deployment, he served as Senior Advisor for Emergency Management, Military, and Veterans' Affairs for Governor Theodore Kulongoski. He entered the private sector in 2010 as Chief of the Protection and National Security Division at High Impact Technology. He has worked in education as an adjunct instructor and as a full-time faculty member in the Speech Communication Department at Chemeketa Community College since 2013. Paul was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2014.
