Carl Meyers

Carl Meyers

Republican Party

University of Michigan Board of Regents

Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2033

Years in position

0

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Michigan, Dearborn, 1979

Personal

Birthplace

Dearborn, Mich.

Religion

Roman Catholic

Profession

Senior vice president

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Carl Meyers (Republican Party) is an at-large member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. He assumed office on January 1, 2025. His current term ends on January 1, 2033.

Meyers (Republican Party) ran for election for an at-large seat of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Carl Meyers was born in Dearborn, Michigan. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, Dearborn, School of Business in 1979. Meyers' professional experience includes being a senior vice president of investments for Raymond James in Dearborn, Michigan. He has been affiliated with the City of Dearborn Retirement Systems, Dearborn Centurions Charity, the City of Dearborn Compensation Commission, the Michigan State Police Retirement System, Focus Credit Union, and Megan's Dream Charity benefiting The Dearborn Animal Shelter.

Elections

2024

See also: Michigan State Board of Regents election, 2024

General election

General election for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for University of Michigan Board of Regents on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carl Meyers (R)	25.7	2,574,288
✔		Denise Ilitch (D)	25.1	2,511,589
		Shauna Diggs (D)	23.5	2,349,849
		Sevag Vartanian (R)	22.5	2,257,913
		Donna Oetman (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	1.6	158,633
		Andrew Chadderdon (L)	1.6	157,190
		Huwaida Arraf (D) (Write-in)	0.1	7,882

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 10,017,344
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic convention

Democratic convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Incumbent Denise Ilitch and Shauna Diggs advanced from the Democratic convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on August 24, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Denise Ilitch (D)
✔		Shauna Diggs (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican convention

Republican convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Carl Meyers and Sevag Vartanian advanced from the Republican convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on August 24, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Carl Meyers (R)
✔		Sevag Vartanian (R)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Andrew Chadderdon advanced from the Libertarian convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 20, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Andrew Chadderdon (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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U.S. Taxpayers Party convention

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Donna Oetman advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 27, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Donna Oetman (U.S. Taxpayers Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Meyers received the following endorsements.

• Citizens for Traditional Values – PAC

2020

See also: Michigan State Board of Regents election, 2020

General election

General election for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for University of Michigan Board of Regents on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Bernstein (D)	24.7	2,442,192
✔		Sarah Hubbard (R)	24.0	2,370,945
		Shauna Diggs (D)	23.9	2,366,730
		Carl Meyers (R)	22.8	2,257,254
		Eric Larson (L)	1.2	113,816
	Submit photo	James Lewis Hudler (L)	1.0	97,659
	Submit photo	Crystal Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)	0.8	82,594
	Submit photo	Michael Mawilai (G)	0.7	74,136
		Ronald Graeser (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)	0.5	49,194
		Keith Butkovich (Natural Law Party)	0.4	37,193

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,891,713
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic convention

Democratic convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Incumbent Mark Bernstein and incumbent Shauna Diggs advanced from the Democratic convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on August 29, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Mark Bernstein (D)
✔		Shauna Diggs (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican convention

Republican convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Sarah Hubbard and Carl Meyers advanced from the Republican convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on August 29, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Sarah Hubbard (R)
✔		Carl Meyers (R)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Green convention

Green convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Michael Mawilai advanced from the Green convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on June 20, 2020.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Michael Mawilai (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Eric Larson and James Lewis Hudler advanced from the Libertarian convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 18, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Eric Larson (L)
✔	Submit photo	James Lewis Hudler (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Natural Law Party convention

Natural Law Party convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Keith Butkovich advanced from the Natural Law Party convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 30, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Keith Butkovich (Natural Law Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention

U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)

Ronald Graeser and Crystal Van Sickle advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 25, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Ronald Graeser (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)
✔	Submit photo	Crystal Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Carl Meyers did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Carl Meyers completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Meyers' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Carl Meyers is a long-time advocate for an affordable college education. He believes that the cost of higher education and the level of student debt is a national tragedy. He has proposed an immediate freeze in tuition rates for Michigan resident students.

He has over 35 years of professional experience in finance and investments. Presently, Carl holds the position of Senior Vice President of Investments for Raymond James in Dearborn, Michigan.

Carl is a 1979 graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, School of Business, BSA.

He is active in the local community and serves on several boards and holds leadership positions. He brings 25 years of board experience and board governance.

Appointed by the City of Dearborn Mayor, Carl presently serves as volunteer Chairman of Dearborn's Police and Fire and General Employee's pension boards with responsibility for administration and plan assets of over four hundred million dollars. He has led the boards since 2008.

Carl has served as a Special Advisor to the Board of Member Focus Credit Union and Board Member from 2012-2019.

He is a past Gubernatorial appointee of on the Michigan State Police Pension Board.

In 2004 and 2016 Carl was the Republican nominee for the University of Michigan Board of Regents.

Carl resides in Dearborn, Michigan with his wife Mary. They have three children and one granddaughter. Carl is a member of The Church of the Divine Child Catholic parish in Dearborn.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I will propose a freeze in tuition rates to address the high cost of attending U of M. The tuition freeze will also offer relief to students with the financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• I will insist on fiscal constraint in the growth of the budget along with transparent board governance.
• I will propose a cap on the number out-of-state students admitted to the Ann Arbor campus that will then allow a greater number of our daughters and sons to attend the University of Michigan.

   Featured local question

Explain your views on campus sexual assault and how the university can best protect all students.

Claims of sexual assault and harassment on campus should be treated seriously and vigorously investigated without delay! This includes claims against both students and employees. A grievance process should be utilized where both parties are afforded due process and entitled to representation as the claim is evaluated. The employee cases against Dr. Anderson, Provost Philbert and Mr. Daniels are particularly troubling. For too long the University and Board have been complacent on this issue. The University should work as partners with the local criminal justice jurisdiction for complaint resolution.

   Featured local question

How do you feel about the university’s current tuition level? What strategy should the university pursue concerning tuition?

I will propose an immediate freeze of tuition for financial relief during these challenging times. I am the only candidate running to publicly offer freezing tuition. The cost of college and student debt is a national tragedy. A U of M education is now out of reach for most of our residents, without significant student debt and family sacrifice. The University needs fiscal discipline to control the growth of the budget while working closely with the legislature for greater state investment in higher education. In addition I would propose an evaluation of all areas of the University to ensure efficiency in the budget allocation. The endowment where possible, should also be leveraged to add additional aid.

   Featured local question

How much authority should the board delegate to the university president? Please be specific.

The role of the Board of Regents is one of governance, transparency, oversight, policy, budget goals. and vision.

The role of the President is to administer the University through the Boards directives. The citizens of Michigan are the stakeholders of the University. The stake holders elect a board to over see their institution. The Board then hires a President to discharge their vision and administer the University.

Today, the Board needs to hold the President to a higher level of accountability. I feel that the Board should have not taken the President's recent budget and tuition increase recommendation and should have frozen tuition at current levels for in state students. The President should have articulated a stronger plan to safely bring students back to campus and have athletes back to the field. The President should have had a more proactive response to the sexual misconduct cases levied against employees of the University.

It is extremely important that the Board and President understand their relationship and roles. The ultimate success of the University of Michigan will depend on the trust that emanates from their relationship with the other.

   Featured local question

How much should the board involve itself in the matters of the athletic department or academic departments?

I believe that the Board's primary responsibility is unbiased oversight for the citizens of Michigan of the University. That includes the educational mission, medical facility, and athletics. The Board should not attempt to micro-manage the University. That's not to say that they shouldn't be involved in matters of the various departments. The conduit needs to be the administrators that the Board charges with the fulfillment of the academic mission. The President and his administrators should then be held responsible and accountable as they run the University.

The success of this great institution depends as much on reputation as it does performance. I'm very troubled by the Board and President's response to the Covid-19 crisis and the sexual misconduct by employees of the university.
On the pandemic, the President and board failed to articulate a strategy to test and return students to campus.

The President and the Board have been out of step with their response to the Dr. Anderson and Provost Philbert cases. In addition, there needs to be greater transparency when the University address these types of matters.

   Featured local question

How would you propose to reduce university costs?

Containment and reduction of fixed and operating costs are essential for any enterprise to survive, prosper and deliver their mission. The University of Michigan has not demonstrated the discipline to control costs and slow growth of the budget.

The growth of the budget and the decrease in state funding has led the University of Michigan to be one of the most expensive public universities in the country. The board and administration are tone deaf on the significant cost of attendance. This is unacceptable!

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Michigan is facing a massive deficit. Like it or not, it's time for the University to get real about the budget.

To start with, the University should work with an organizational consultant to identify areas of budgetary inefficiencies. The administration should then institute cost cutting where needed and appropriate. The University should also look to the private sector for strategies to cut costs. U of M could learn a lot for our local auto industry on this issue.

I also believe that the digital delivery of higher education presents an opportunity to save costs. We are learning from the pandemic that it is very practical to deliver some classes, where appropriate via video. This would lessen the need for expensive buildings. This could lead to long term fixed cost reduction.

The most important component of cost cutting and containment is the will to do it. It's troubling that the Board and administration have not made this a top priority. If elected, I will.

   Featured local question

Why are you running for the university board? What qualities make you more qualified than the other candidates?

I am running to address the high cost of tuition at U of M and will propose an immediate freeze! My 38 years of experience in finance and solving complex financial problems will be an asset as the University and the Board grapples with the financial fallout from the COVID-19 crisis.

My experience in investment management will aid in the oversight of the Universities' endowment. I've served on boards for over 25 years and know the importance of best practices and transparent governance. I'm extremely proud to of received the endorsement from both the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press in my run for the U of M Board in 2016.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I've had a great interest in the issue of access to higher education in our state. Specifically, the challenge faced by Michigan families and students to have financial access to a college education without a lifetime of financial encumbrances. I also feel that the high cost of higher education has led to exclusion and has stifled diversity. A diverse student body and university community is essential to the learning experience. In addition, I would like to see a cap on the number of out-state students admitted to the Ann Arbor campus to give Michigan applicants a greater opportunity to attend.

This interest in access to higher education evolved from my investment practice where I've counseled families for over 35 years on college savings and financing plans. The cost of a U of M education has risen at such a velocity that many students are faced with taking on significant amounts of student debt.

The debt problem in the United States has been exasperated with the public health crisis. There are now nearly 1.5 trillion dollars of student debt now outstanding. This is tragic.

This passion to give back to my community led me back to the University of Michigan where I took a stand against the high cost of a U of M education and ran for the Board of Regents in 2004, 2016 and in 2020.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Passion, Experience and Commitment to Service.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Actually, there are two events that I first recall during my formative years. The first was the Detroit Riots during the summer of 1967. I grew up in Dearborn and we shared a boarder with the city of Detroit. Just 10 years old, I didn't understand what a riot was, why there was shooting and why the city was burning. It was an uneasy feeling with tension in our home.

The other was the first moon landing in 1969. We were at a cottage watching the landing and the first steps on an old black and white TV. I was 11 years old and was fascinated with the mission as were all Americans. It was a celebratory occasion. I didn't come to understand the magnitude of the moon landing for a number of years.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I've been an entrepreneur my entire life. I started by shoveling snow, painting garages, delivering the Detroit News on route #72, and bussing tables at The Chambertin, a fine-dining restaurant in Dearborn in the 1960s - 1970s.

Summer jobs were always interesting. My first significant paycheck was from working on the Ford Motor Company assembly line during the summers while attending the University of Michigan, Dearborn campus. I was placed on the graveyard shift at the Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne working from 5:48 PM until 4:18 AM building Ford Broncos and F150's. We worked six and seven days a week building 240 trucks per shift. I will never forget it.

What was so rewarding about the assembly line job was that I earned and saved enough to put myself through college without debt or assistance, and have enough left over for a car and spending money for the school year.

After college, I started my investment advisory practice at Paine Webber in Dearborn. Success was achieved without family connections or a family business.

We will probably never get back to those days of paying for college with a summer job, but I'm ready to give it a try.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer.

It is a fascinating true story of struggle and perseverance.

The book depicts May 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest where climbers were stranded when a fatal storm took the mountain.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow) by Fleetwood Mac

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I believe that in times like we are facing today with the University of Michigan's challenging financial situation and the continued fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic that experience and understanding of financial matters is the single most important attribute to bring to the Board. It will take many years for the University to regain financial footing in a post COVID-19 world.

My 38 years of financial experience in solving complex financial problems will be an asset to the Board during my term.

Further, the University of Michigan endowment at over 12 billion dollars will be important as we work through the crisis. Oversight of this fund will take on greater importance. I've worked in the investment markets for over three decades and have the knowledge and experience to understand the complexity of investing and to monitor this vast sum.

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