Mick has been on the Hastings Rural Community Board since 2001, when he was elected as a councillor and appointed to the Community Board as one of two Council representatives.
He put his name forward to be the Zone 3 representative in 2010 as it seemed vital to achieve some co-ordination of boards in the zone so that they could share experiences and learn from each other. Being Chair of Community Boards Executive Committee since 2010 further enabled him to lead the Community Boards nationwide to achieve better relationships with their parent councils, a more constructive way of operating and through the zone meetings and the Community Boards Conference a chance to share experiences and achievements they have made.