Mike Dodson

{{Infobox officeholder

|image = Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael L. Dodson.jpg

|imagesize =

|name = Mike Dodson

|image name =

|state_house = Kansas

|state = Kansas

|district = 67th

|term_start = January 11, 2021

|term_end = January 13, 2025

|preceded = Tom Phillips

|succeeded = Angelina Roeser

|party = Republican

|birth_name = Michael Lee Dodson

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|11|16}}

|birth_place = Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

|death_date =

|death_place =

|spouse = Diane W. Dodson

|profession = construction consultant

|alma_mater = Kansas State University (M.S.)
National War College (diploma)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (certificate)
Center for Creative Leadership (certificate)
United States Army Command and General Staff College (diploma)
Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course (diploma)https://mikedodson.org/resume/ Mike Dodson Kansas House resume

|religion =

|residence = Manhattan, Kansas

|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

|branch = {{army|United States}}

|commands = Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Fort Riley, Kansas
III Corps Artillery
1st Infantry Division Artillery
3rd Battalion, 16th FA
C Battery, 2nd Bn, 1st FA

|rank = 25px Lieutenant General

|serviceyears =

|battles = Vietnam War
Gulf War

|footnotes =

}}

Michael Lee Dodson (born November 16, 1945) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 67th district from 2021 to 2025.

Dodson was elected to two full terms in the Kansas House of Representatives, defeating Democrats Cheryl Arthur and Kim Zito in 2020 and 2022 respectively.[https://ballotpedia.org/Mike_Dodson Ballotpedia election results]

Dodson is a general manager for Bechtel, the largest construction company in the United States. He is a retired United States Army lieutenant general and had previous political experience as a city commissioner and mayor of Manhattan, Kansas (2015–2018). On May 23, 2024, Dodson announced he would not seek re-election to the Kansas House.{{Cite web |last=Peoples |first=Brandon |date=2024-05-23 |title=Dodson announces he won't seek re-election to Kansas House |url=https://1350kman.com/2024/05/dodson-announces-he-wont-seek-re-election-to-kansas-house/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=News Radio KMAN |language=en}}

Committee membership

Dodson serves on four legislative committees in 2024:

Elections
Commerce, Labor and Economic Development
Insurance
Financial Institutions and Pensions

Early life and education

Michael Lee Dodson was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where his mother was staying with his aunt's family while his father was serving as a bomber pilot with the Army Air Forces. After his father was discharged from World War II service, they moved back to Colville, Washington. Dodson graduated from Colville High School and then enrolled at the University of Washington. He enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War and was commissioned as a field artillery officer in 1968. Dodson later earned an M.S. degree in operations research and systems analysis from Kansas State University. He is also a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College.{{cite web |url=https://www.nato.int/sfor/coms-sfor/dodson/t000905a.htm |title=Lieutenant General Michael L. Dodson |publisher=NATO Stabilisation Force |access-date=October 18, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.fieldartillery.org/tattoo-of-ltg-michael-l-dodson |title=Tattoo of LTG Michael L. Dodson US Army, Retired |date=2011 |publisher=United States Field Artillery Association |access-date=October 18, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.newpolitics.org/mike-dodson |title=State Representative Mike Dodson |publisher=New Politics |access-date=October 18, 2021}}

Military career

Dodson received fixed-wing and rotary flight training at Fort Rucker in Alabama. He was deployed to Vietnam twice, first with the 334th Armored Helicopter Company and then with the 2nd Battalion, 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division.

File:Lt. Gen. Michael L. Dodson.jpg

In peacetime, Dodson commanded C Battery, 2nd Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment and then 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment in Baumholder, West Germany. During Operation Desert Storm, he commanded the 1st Infantry Division Artillery. Dodson later served as commanding general of the III Corps Artillery at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and then of Fort Riley in Kansas.{{cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1070626.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018171052/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1070626.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=October 18, 2021 |title=Two Case Studies of Successful Strategic Communications Campaigns |first=Thomas P. |last=Galvin |date=March 2019 |publisher=U.S. Army War College |access-date=October 18, 2021}}

As a lieutenant general, he served as commander of the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina from September 8, 2000, to September 7, 2001, and then as deputy commander of U.S. Army Europe and the Seventh Army from September 17, 2001, to November 4, 2003.{{cite news |url=https://www.nato.int/sfor/indexinf/122/p06a/t0106a.htm |title=A new beginning |first=Peter |last=Fitzgerald |date=September 19, 2001 |issue=122 |newspaper=SFOR Informer |publisher=NATO Stabilisation Force |access-date=October 18, 2021}}

Dodson's military decorations include two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, a Silver Star Medal, a Defense Superior Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Bronze Star Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals and forty-five Air Medals.

Personal

Dodson is the son of Tom Dodson and Shirley Elizabeth (Wylie) Dodson (January 12, 1925 – September 19, 2014). They were married on January 12, 1945, in Pullman, Washington. Dodson has a brother and a sister.{{cite news |url=https://www.statesmanexaminer.com/content/shirley-dodson |title=Shirley Dodson |newspaper=The Statesman Examiner |location=Colville, Washington |access-date=October 18, 2021}}

Dodson is married to Diane Dodson and they have three adult children.

References

External links

[https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/members/rep_dodson_michael_1/ Kansas Legislature - Michael Dodson]
[https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/159016/mike-dodson Project Vote Smart profile]

Category:1945 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Oklahoma City

Category:People from Colville, Washington

Category:University of Washington alumni

Category:United States Army soldiers

Category:American Senior Army Aviators

Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War

Category:Recipients of the Air Medal

Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

Category:Recipients of the Silver Star

Category:Kansas State University alumni