Born and raised
in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills, Councilmember Paul S. Marchand was a Coachella
Valley visitor and resident for more than a decade prior to his election to
the Cathedral City City Council in November, 2002.
Before election
to the City Council, Paul was a consistent advocate for an inclusive community
that respects all of its members. He has been a longtime community activist
in Cathedral City, serving most recently (1999-2002) as President of the Palm
Springs/Desert Communities Chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of
Lesbians & Gays).
In addition
to serving Cathedral City's residents as a Councilmember, Paul has represented
Cathedral City on the Board of Trustees of the Coachella Valley Mosquito & Vector
Control District since April, 2001, and currently represents the City on the
Human and Community Resources Committee of the Coachella Valley Association
of Governments (CVAG), as well as on the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy
Board. He also serves as CVAG’s representative to the Energy & Environment Committee
of the Southern California Association of Governments.
Here at home,
Paul was a key participant in the City's community revenue dialogue, in which
Cathedral City residents from all walks of life came together to try to develop
a workable strategy for securing vital revenue for financing needed municipal
services. Earlier, Paul advocated in favor of, and helped mobilize support for,
Cathedral City's first-in-the-Valley Domestic Partnership Ordinance. Paul has
also served on the Palm Springs Desert Sun Diversity Advisory Committee and
with the Palm Springs Human Rights Commission's Police Advisory Committee.
Among Paul’s
significant legislative achievements on the Council are his Downtown Energy
Savings Initiative, by which the City is realizing nearly $200,000 a year in
direct and indirect savings on its energy costs, as well as using the clean,
“green,” abundant and environmentally-friendly light of the sun to generate
electricity for our City Hall, as well as Cathedral City’s “Matricula Consular”
ordinance, which affords our public safety agencies an additional investigative
and Homeland Security tool by permitting limited use of the Mexican consular
identification card for identification. In the fall of 2005, Paul brought forward
memorial resolutions honoring the late Simon Wiesenthal and the late Rosa Parks.
Their unanimous adoption by Council put Cathedral City on record as the only
Coachella Valley city to honor these great exemplars of the human spirit.
Prior to relocating
permanently to Cathedral City, Paul was involved with the Bill of Rights Bicentennial
Project and with the State Bar of California's Barristers' Hospice AIDS Project.
While living in Los Angeles, he was also active in lay ministry in the Episcopal
Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles.
Paul Marchand,
a licensed attorney since 1989, received his law degree from the Valparaiso
University School of Law, in Valparaiso, Indiana, and his Bachelors from Vanderbilt
University, of Nashville, Tennessee. His offices are located in Cathedral City.
Paul's parents and his aunt also call Cathedral City their hometown
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