Michael
Caldwell

As Mayor, Caldwell has cut property taxes by more than 15% to the lowest rate in over 30 years, delivered the largest pay increase in the history of the city’s police department, doubled the number of fire stations, and doubled the city’s parks and trails, all while Woodstock earned international recognition for its technology-forward approach to local government. On just 3% of Cherokee County’s land, Woodstock now generates roughly 40% of the county’s GDP, built on a foundation of entrepreneurship.

Caldwell is the founder and a managing partner of Black Airplane, an award-winning digital product agency headquartered in downtown Woodstock that has launched hundreds of products serving more than 100 million users and over $250 million in annual end-user transactions. A three-time Georgia Titan 100 honoree and Hall of Fame inductee, he was invited to Taiwan in 2024 to speak at one of the world’s largest technology and innovation conferences, including a panel on artificial intelligence.

Governor Brian Kemp appointed Caldwell to the board of the Georgia Technology Authority, and he serves as Vice Chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission. First elected to the Georgia House in 2012, he spent eight years representing Woodstock and championed ethics reform, term limits, and economic freedom across the state.

Michael grew up in Towne Lake and Woodstock, graduated from Cherokee County public schools, and earned his BBA in Finance from Kennesaw State University in less than three years. He and his wife Katie are raising their four children, Oliver, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Victoria, in the community where he grew up.