Paul Tucker, of Salem, is the recipient of the Salem State University Alumni Association's 2018 Marilyn Flaherty Distinguished Alumna Award.
Presented during a ceremony on campus on June 10, the annual award recognizes graduates who have distinguished themselves through professional accomplishments.
Tucker earned a criminal justice degree in 1987 and has gone on to the the Democratic representative in the Massachusetts Legislature from the 7th Essex District. In the legislature, he is a member of the Joint Committee on Education, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Joint Committee on Ways and Means and is vice chair of the Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy.
"Paul has been a supporter of all things Salem State but particularly its criminal justice program," noted David Surface, president of St. Jean's Credit Union, who presented Rep. Tucker with the award.
Tucker retired after 32 years of cumulative service, including five years as chief of police in Salem. He was then elected to the statehouse in the fall of 2014, where he has served since.
"This recognition closes the loop for me," he said in his acceptance speech. "Salem State is where I got my first job as a campus police officer. It's where I struggled as a student, taking seven years to get my degree, persevering because of the support of the faculty. And to close the loop, it's where my daughter Shannon earned her degree in athletic training, the beneficiary of the campus transformation."
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Kim Burnett
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