Sparks City Councilman Mike Carrigan earned his M.A. in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1997.

He serves as the chairman of the Regional Planning Governing Board and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority. He is the chairman of the Sparks Redevelopment Agency and the Sparks Marketing and Tourism Committee.

He is a member of the Nevada League of Cities Legislative Committee, Sparks Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee, Sierra Arts Foundation, the Navy League and the Nevada and the Washoe County Republican Central committees.