Carolyn Hokanson is a Family Practice doctor with a Master's degree in Public Health. She practiced with Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Oregon for 26 years, was on their Board of Directors for four years, and retired in 2011. She did her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University before attending Medical School at Wayne State University where she graduated in 1976. She completed a Residency in Family Practice in Midland, Michigan, two years of teaching at a residency program in Detroit, and two years of active duty in the US Navy in Bremerton, Washington before joining Kaiser. Outside her busy medical career, she has been Treasurer of St. Luke Lutheran Church Social Concerns Committee which donates funds to local nonprofits.