A brief, but probably not all that interesting biographic synopsis about and for Mr. Paul Paris

Paul began life as a Marine Scientist (oceanographer) first with the State of Louisiana’s Coastal Management Division, and then later with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington, DC. While at NOAA, however, he traded in his scientific ambitions for a life in the enchanting world of Geographic Information Systems. Here, while federally-funded environmental programs were still under the good graces of Congress, he developed assessment and decision support systems and data products for the National Marine Sanctuaries and National Estuarine Programs, the National Shellfish Register, and numerous other coastal and near-shore oceanic management, and assessment initiatives then underway.

In 1994 he moved from the environmental to municipal arena largely to escape the craziness that is part in parcel of a metro-Washington, DC existence. He exchanged this for life on the Outer Banks of North Carolina (tough call) where he became Dare County, North Carolina’s first GIS Coordinator. In 1997 he left the county to pursue the independent life as a consultant, until, a year later, he received an offer he simply could not refuse: GIS Administrator with the City of Chesapeake. He was Chesapeake's first administrator, and spent more than a decade on the job. Paul has been a part of the professional GIS community for more than two decades. 

Tiring of the work-a-day world, and finally bowing to a long standing itch to make a go at more education: a PhD this time, he left the City of Chesapeake in July of 2009 and three weeks later found himself a poor, lowly graduate student in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University. Today he tends to classes and his chores as a graduate student. He also tweets, and keeps close tabs on the Saint Louis Cardinals, his preferred baseball team for more years than he cares count.

Paul received his BA degree from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA, (Go Hokies!) and his MS degree from the Louisiana State University (LSU - Geaux Tigers!), in Baton Rouge. Someday perhaps, he'll add NC State and a PhD to this line-up. We'll just have to wait, and see...

He lives with his wife and daughter in Kill Devil Hills, NC.