A former bartender, Mark DeSaulnier considers himself a good listener. It’s a skill he continues to hone as a member of Congress, where he averages two town hall meetings a month with constituents in California’s 11th District. After college, he moved to California and worked at various jobs in hotels, bars, and restaurants and eventually became owner of TR’s Bar and Grill in Concord, a popular political watering hole and power-lunch spot. DeSaulnier was appointed to the Concord Planning Commission in 1988 and in 1991 was elected to the Concord City Council. Two years later, he became mayor of the city.