Mark DePaoli

Mark DePaoli was elected Region 1A Director in a special election on September 12, 2025, after the promotion of the region’s former director, Laura Dickerson, to the position of vice president in June. 
 
Prior to his election as Region 1A Director, DePaoli served in multiple positions at UAW Local 600, most recently as the local’s 1st Vice President, a role he was elected to by the membership in 2023.  
 

Mark began his career at Ford when he joined the production line at the Dearborn Assembly Plant in 1993. He then decided to further his skills in 1996 and began the UAW- Ford, Tool & Die Apprenticeship. After graduating from the apprenticeship in 1999, DePaoli increased his responsibilities as a Committee Replacement for the Tool and Die Unit and also served as the lead Safety Trainer for the Dearborn Tool and Die Plant, holding certifications in GRASP, ECPL, Lifting and Rigging, and PMHV.  
 
His experiences while holding these positions inspired him to further his studies in Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations. In 2002, he graduated from Wayne State University’s Labor Studies Program. 
 

After graduating from Wayne State, Mark held an elected position as the Local 600 Guide from 2002 to 2005. He was then elected as a member of the Tool & Die Unit Bargaining Committee in 2004 and as a General Council Delegate in 2006.  
 
DePaoli continued to expand his skill set and knowledge within the UAW, and in 2008, he was elected Tool & Die Unit Vice President and to the local Bargaining Committee. Mark then became the Tool & Die Unit President/Chairperson in 2010. That same year, he held multiple elected positions, including Tool & Die Convention Delegate, as well as Vice President, Region 1A Skilled Trades Council, Ford Division. 
 
In 2011, DePaoli was honored to be appointed to the Local 600 Education Committee and as an Elected Alternate National Negotiator of the National Ford Department, Sub-council #3 (Skilled Trades) for the 2011 national negotiations.  
 
From 2011 to 2020, Mark served as the elected Financial Secretary of Local 600, where he worked to maintain a balanced budget year after year, while also overseeing dues, servicing several units, and coordinating many Local 600 events. He was then elected 2nd Vice President of Local 600 in 2020 and 1st Vice President in 2023. Mark was also elected to the historic 2023 UAW-Ford National Negotiating Team. Since 2014, Mark has been an elected delegate to the Region 1A Michigan C.A.P. Executive Committee. He is also a lifetime member of the NAACP. 

Mark resides in the Downriver Area with his wife, Valarie, and son Marco. He stays active in the community and has served as a coach for several youth sports teams. Mark enjoys playing hockey, golfing, working out, and spending time with his family and friends.