Born in Louisiana at England Air Force Base, Paul grew up in a proud military family. His father, of Irish heritage, served in the U.S. Air Force where he met Paul's mother, who is Chinese, while stationed in Taiwan. When Paul was about five, his father was reassigned back to Taiwan and Paul's only memory from that time in Taipei was the oppressive heat, amazing guava popsicles, and the unnerving discovery of a massive nest of snakes under their house - Paul has had a dislike for snakes ever since. After his father's service concluded, the family settled in Sacramento, California in the early '70’s. From his earliest years, Paul developed a deep respect for our veterans—not only for their service to the country but also for the sacrifices their families make along the way.
When his parents separated, Paul and his mother moved to Los Angeles to be near his extended family. Through sheer determination, his mother worked long hours as a hair stylist, eventually saving enough to buy her own salon. She ran the business for more than two decades, working six days a week, always on her feet, to pay the bills and put Paul through school.
This journey taught Paul about the grit, resilience, and courage it takes to be both a small business owner and a single parent. This experience fundamentally shaped his values and his commitment to always stand with our veterans and to championr the support our small local businesses need to thrive.
Bachelor of Science in Business, University of Southern California - Marshall School of Buisiness (Emphasis in Marketing and Finance)
Paul Wiggins's career began at Bank of America Corporate - Credit Card Division while he was earning his degree, where he worked part-time and was responsible for managing a portfolio of Accounts Receivables.
After graduating college, Paul's first full-time job was as a Credit Manager at Norwest Financial. He approved personal, auto, and mortgage loans by analyzing credit scores, verifying employment, and reviewing customers' financial history. After about four years at Norwest Financial, Paul sought more challenges and responsibility. He was subsequently hired by Macy's Corporate in downtown L.A. as Regional Manager for Macy's Credit Card Operations. This role sharpened his management and interpersonal skills, allowing him to develop high-caliber teams. Macy's eventually sold its credit card division to GE Credit Corp. Desiring a much-needed break before his next career move, Paul took the opportunity to visit relatives in the Seattle - he never left, and that was 33 years ago.
Since moving to Seattle, Paul has worked in Credit and Payables for a regional building materials+lumber yard in Issaquah and for Airborne Express in downtown Seattle.
Eventually the daily stress of commuting rush-hour traffic on the 520 while at Airborne Express prompted Paul to seek employment on the Eastside where he found a new professional home at T-Mobile Wireless Corporate in Bellevue. His career at T-Mobile spans 23 1/2 years, where he worked in multiple organizations, including Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Customer Care, and the Enterprise Program Office (EPO). For the last 15 years of his career, he served as Senior Project Manager in the EPO successfully delivering on multi-million dollar capital initiatives for the company.
Paul retired in 2022 and is currently a member of the Duvall City Planning Commission.