Mike Redfern has been a sailor, a newspaper editor, a teacher, and a school principal. Trained as a visual artist (NDD/ATD), he is currently a part-time freelance journalist and president of the Kimberley Arts Council.. His past board experience includes the North Columbia, East Kootenay, and Yellowhead Teachers' Associations and Golden District Arts Council, which he helped to found. Recent board experience includes Kimberley Summer Theatre, which he also helped to found.