# Mike Dodson
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{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image = Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael L. Dodson.jpg
|name = Mike Dodson
|state_house = Kansas
|state = Kansas
|district = 67th
|term_start = January 11, 2021
|term_end = January 13, 2025
|preceded = [Tom Phillips](/source/Tom_Phillips_(Kansas_politician))
|succeeded = [Angelina Roeser](/source/Angelina_Roeser)
|party = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
|birth_name = Michael Lee Dodson
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|11|16}}
|birth_place = [Oklahoma City, Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma_City%2C_Oklahoma), U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|spouse = Diane W. Dodson
|profession = construction consultant
|alma_mater = [Kansas State University](/source/Kansas_State_University) ([M.S.](/source/Master_of_Science))
[National War College](/source/National_War_College) (diploma)
[Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/source/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology) (certificate)
Center for Creative Leadership (certificate)
[United States Army Command and General Staff College](/source/United_States_Army_Command_and_General_Staff_College) (diploma)
Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course (diploma)[https://mikedodson.org/resume/ Mike Dodson Kansas House resume]
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{army|United States}}
|commands = [Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Stabilisation_Force_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina)
[Fort Riley](/source/Fort_Riley), [Kansas](/source/Kansas)
[III Corps](/source/III_Corps_(United_States)) Artillery
[1st Infantry Division Artillery](/source/1st_Infantry_Division_Artillery_(United_States))
3rd Battalion, [16th FA](/source/16th_Field_Artillery_Regiment)
C Battery, 2nd Bn, [1st FA](/source/1st_Field_Artillery_Regiment_(United_States))
|rank = 25px [Lieutenant General](/source/Lieutenant_general_(United_States))
|service_years =
|battles = [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War)
[Gulf War](/source/Gulf_War)
|footnotes =
}}
'''Michael Lee Dodson''' (born November 16, 1945) is an American politician who served as a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) member of the [Kansas House of Representatives](/source/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](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) 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](/source/Bechtel), the largest construction company in the United States. He is a retired [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) [lieutenant general](/source/lieutenant_general_(United_States)) and had previous political experience as a city commissioner and mayor of [Manhattan, Kansas](/source/Manhattan%2C_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](/source/Kansas_Legislature) 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](/source/Oklahoma_City), [Oklahoma](/source/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](/source/United_States_Army_Air_Forces). After his father was discharged from [World War II](/source/World_War_II) service, they moved back to [Colville, Washington](/source/Colville%2C_Washington). Dodson graduated from [Colville High School](/source/Colville_High_School) and then enrolled at the [University of Washington](/source/University_of_Washington). He enlisted in the Army during the [Vietnam War](/source/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](/source/Kansas_State_University). He is also a graduate of the [Army Command and General Staff College](/source/United_States_Army_Command_and_General_Staff_College) and the [National War College](/source/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](/source/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](/source/20th_Field_Artillery_Regiment_(United_States)), [1st Cavalry Division](/source/1st_Cavalry_Division_(United_States)).[{{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](/source/Stabilisation_Force_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina) from September 8, 2000, to September 7, 2001, and then as deputy commander of [U.S. Army Europe](/source/United_States_Army_Europe_and_Africa) and the [Seventh Army](/source/Seventh_United_States_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 Medal](/source/Defense_Distinguished_Service_Medal)s, two [Army Distinguished Service Medal](/source/Distinguished_Service_Medal_(U.S._Army))s, a [Silver Star Medal](/source/Silver_Star), a [Defense Superior Service Medal](/source/Defense_Superior_Service_Medal), four awards of the [Legion of Merit](/source/Legion_of_Merit), two [Distinguished Flying Cross](/source/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_(United_States))es, four [Bronze Star Medal](/source/Bronze_Star_Medal)s, four [Meritorious Service Medal](/source/Meritorious_Service_Medal_(United_States))s and forty-five [Air Medal](/source/Air_Medal)s.[{{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.