Background
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, DeSaulnier earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the College of the Holy Cross. He traveled cross-country to California in the early 1970s and eventually settled in Concord. As a young man, DeSaulnier worked as a probation officer, a truck driver and a hotel services employee. DeSaulnier was a member of both the Teamsters International Union and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union. His jobs allowed his early exposure to the challenges of working families and the power of organized labor to create equity among employers and employees. A small businessman, DeSaulnier owned and operated several restaurants in the greater Bay Area before taking office in the Legislature in 2006. He is a member of the Concord Chamber of Commerce and the Contra Costa Council. DeSaulnier lives in Concord where he raised his two adult sons, Tristan and Tucker. He is an avid runner and has completed twenty-one marathons.
Read more about this topic: Mark De Saulnier
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