Pavel Payano's family came to Lawrence in the late 80s in search of the American dream. For the past several decades his parents worked as teachers in the Lawrence Public Schools. As a product of the Lawrence Public School system, the son of two Lawrence Public School Teachers, he is deeply committed to improving K-12 education and making higher education more affordable and accessible to working class families.
Pavel is committed to protecting the environment and advocating for climate action. As a Lawrence City Councilor he sponsored policies that promoted recycling and minimized the amount of trash being sent to landfills and incinerators. Pavel believes that the issues of public health, environmental justice, transportation, and energy policy are inextricably linked, especially in urban communities.
He will work to advance renewal energy and create policies that will improve air and water quality, reduce waste and will address inadequate access to healthy foods, lack of transportation, and unsafe homes.