Was elected to the Sierra Vista City Council on March 13, 2001 and was seated on that body on May 24 of that year. A Sierra Vista resident since 1979, Dockter has been active in many community organizations. She served as Chairman of the Arts and Humanities Commission and has been an active member of the League of Women Voters, Friends of Art Discovery Series, American Red Cross, Sierra Vista Symphony Advisory Board, Cochise College Chorus, Fort Huachuca Officer and Civilians Spouses Club, and her church.

Born in 1942 in Denver, Colorado to Henry and Helen Pelham, Dockter grew up in Boulder City, Nevada where her father worked for the Bureau of Reclamation as a Project Development Engineer (Glen Canyon Dam and CAP were two of his projects). Dockter attended the University of Utah where she earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. While attending the U of U, she was Treasurer of Alpha Delta Si Sorority and a member of the University Marching Band. Dockter has also taken accounting classes at Cochise College.

The former Carol Pelham married Bruce Dockter, from Laramie Wyoming, in 1966 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They have three children - Debbie, Cindy, and Devin, and seven grandchildren - Erin, Ryan, Kevin, Mason, Emi, Owen and Marlowe. Bruce Dockter's career as a civilian with the U.S. Army took the family to New Jersey, Illinois, Iowa, Germany, Georgia, New York, and Arizona.

Presently Mrs. Dockter is serving as liaison to the Airport Commission, Sister Cities Commission, Citizen's Police Academy Associate and the Upper San Pedro Advisory Commission.