Meet Michael Carter

Michael Carter is a husband, father, lawyer and candidate for trustee on the Chilliwack Board of Education.

Michael lives in Yarrow with his wife and four children, who range in age from 5 to 19 years old. Michael’s oldest child is at Trinity Western University working toward a Bachelor of Education, with plans to become a teacher.

Professionally, Michael is a partner at Cleveland Doan LLP, practicing commercial litigation. That work is fundamentally about untangling complicated problems. Michael has a calm and patient demeanour, which allows him to listen carefully, identify the important issues and find workable common ground between parties who disagree. He believes a board of education is at its best when it can do the same: listen well, work together, and keep the focus on students.

In his earlier years, Michael grew up in the Lower Mainland before his parents moved to the Cariboo in British Columbia to run a cattle ranch. He spent several years living and working on his parents’ ranch. Michael’s ranch days were characterized by long days and the practical, fix-it problem solving that ranch life demands. He later returned to the Lower Mainland during his university years.

Family is a large part of the picture for Michael. One of seven children, he is now an uncle to 17 nieces and nephews ranging in age from 3 to 34. The close-knit extended family makes for a full table at holidays and a fairly wide view of how children change from year to year.