Education and Experience

Councilor Mike Hackerson and his wife, Candiss Rinker, are natives of Illinois and graduates of the University of Illinois. Mike also holds Master’s Degrees in Management, Military Arts and Science, and National Security Strategy.

Mike retired as a Colonel in 1999, serving 28 years in the Army.  His final assignment was Chief of Army War Plans in the Pentagon.  He commanded Army aviation units at all levels and was the senior LongBow Apache helicopter pilot in the Army when he retired.

Mike’s second career was in strategy and aerospace consulting for IBM, Accenture, and PwC.  Mike and Candiss moved to Indian Shores in 2011.  They have two adult sons.

Involvement

Mike has served the past 5 years as the Indian Shores Community Garden Coordinator.  He also served on the Board of Adjustments and as an alternate on the Administration and Finance Committee prior to being appointed to the Town Council in January 2017.  He is currently leading the Gulf Blvd Beautification planning committee, leveraging the Penny’s for Pinellas program and a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation.