Meet Mark DeCaprio
WHERE I COME FROM
Mark and his wife Cathryn are lifelong Connecticut residents and have been Lebanon residents for the last 37 years. Mark enlisted in the US Navy Submarine Service and served on a nuclear submarine in New London, CT. After completing his four-year active-duty service in the US Navy, he attended Eastern Connecticut State University. He earned a bachelor of science in biology /a minor in chemistry, and a master's in public health (MPH) from the University of Connecticut. Mark started his state service as a microbiologist in the Department of Public Health Laboratory Division. He transferred to an emergency response coordinator position, working and retiring from the State Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), where he was promoted through the ranks and worked the last 20 years as a division director in the emergency oil & chemical spill response and spill prevention program. In addition to his division director duties, Mark served as CT DEEP's agency liaison with the CT Department/Division of Homeland Security, Connecticut's representative for the New England Regional Response Team (RRT1), and State Emergency Response Commission administrator.
On a local level, Mark was appointed in 2014 as Lebanon's local Emergency Management Director and served in this capacity for five years. In 2017, he started his five-year service as a volunteer at the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic, as Mark believes in helping give back to the community.
Mark was elected and currently serves on the Lebanon Board of Selectmen. He had been elected to other local boards, serving on the Lebanon Board of Education and Zoning Board of Appeals. During Mark's DEEP emergency response experience, he worked with many local, state, and federal law enforcement, fire, and first responder departments. This experience has helped Mark better understand the many challenges of emergency response work. Mark continues to strongly support law enforcement, fire, and military personnel strongly and deeply appreciates the sacrifices these good people make to help keep us all safe.
Accomplishments
Work Experience
- US NAVY Submarine Service New London CT
Attached to fast attack submarine (4 yrs.)
Qualified Submarine. Honorable discharge
- Lebanon Emergency Management Director (6 yrs.)
- CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) formally Dept. of Environmental Protection
Field Inspector and Emergency Response Coordinator
(above image: checking water table on gas station site)
- Division Director Emergency Response and Spill Prevention Division (20 yrs.)
- Administrator State Emergency Response Commission CTSERC (15 yrs.) (SERC supports all CT municipality haz-mat emergency response planning committees)
- Regional Response Team (RRT1) Connecticut representative (15 yrs.)
Members: US Coast Guard, US EPA, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and other federal agencies that are involved in emergency hazardous material releases to the environment.
- Homeland Security DEP/DEEP liaison on the Dept. of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS) Advisory Council
- CT State Health Department Laboratory Div.—Microbiologist (2 yrs.)
Political Experience
- Elected Lebanon Board of Selectmen 2021
- Lebanon Board of Education 2019-2021
- Lebanon Zoning Board of Appeals member since 2017-2020
- Lebanon Republican Town Committee member 2016
Achievements / Education Experience
- Master in Public Health (MPH) University of CT Health Center
- Registered Sanitarian (RS) CT Department of Public Health (25 yrs.)
- Numerous good conduct awards at CT DEP / CT DEEP
- Emergency Response Hazardous Materials
Haz-Mat Technician / Specialist (OSHA qualification)
- Eagle Scout
Groups / Organizations
- Lebanon American Legion Post 180 member
(2020 - present)
- Covenant Soup Kitchen Willimantic, CT
(2017 - 2021))
