Meet CJ

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Born and raised in Montague, MI, CJ Mikkelsen is a native Michigander. Growing up, he learned the value of hard work through working on his grandfather's dairy farm.

 

After high school, he moved to the Dallas area and worked hard to put himself through the certifications required to become an emergency first responder. He served the City of Dallas as a firefighter and paramedic, rising to the rank of Lieutenant and was eventually responsible for managing a Dallas fire station.

 

Public service has always been a core pillar in CJ's life. He always has strived to better the community that he is a part of. While serving as a firefighter, he was also an adjunct faculty member for the American Heart Association and worked at the Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

 

After retiring from 33 years in public service, CJ and his wife, Linda, fell in love with the community of Midland and decided to make it their home.

 

After settling in Midland in 2019, CJ has become incredibly active in the community. He is a proud graduate of the Midland Citizen Academy (Class of 2022) and served as a guest columnist for the Midland Daily News from 2023-2024. After the flooding in 2020, CJ used his expertise in emergency management to help organize the community around future flood mitigation efforts. He helped coalesce community stakeholders around the issue, which eventually resulted in increased state funding to implement a flood mitigation plan.  

 

Although he is retired, CJ elects to spend his spare time giving back to the community as a bus driver for the City of Midland's Dial-A-Ride program. Additionally, he is a board member for The ARC of Midland, where he works to promote the welfare and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

 

CJ and his wife, Linda, are the proud parents of four adult children, and the even prouder grandparents of two beautiful granddaughters.