Chris Thomas didn’t even wait to graduate before becoming a leader in the Centralia School District.
As a senior at Centralia High School, he served as vice president of his class, lettered in all four years of tennis and played basketball for the legendary Ron Brown.
After graduating in 1987, he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Seattle University.
Then he returned to the community where he was raised, and his contributions as a coach, volunteer and advocate for everything Centralia never stopped.
Once a Tiger, always a Tiger, as they say.
Now, Thomas is being bestowed with one of the highest honors offered to Hub City graduates — the title of 2027 Centralia High School Distinguished Alumnus.
“You may know Chris Thomas from the sidelines of a basketball court, a story in The Chronicle, his work with Providence or years spent coaching local kids,” the Alumni Committee of Centralia Rotary and the Centralia School District wrote in a news release last week. “Wherever your paths have crossed, there is a common thread: Chris keeps showing up for Centralia. Now, it is Centralia’s turn to show up for him.”
The community is invited to celebrate Thomas during a formal presentation at 7 p.m., Jan. 25, in the Centralia High School Library. Thomas will also spend time with Centralia High School student leaders and the graduating class to share an encouraging message and take part in the placement of a permanent Distinguished Alumni plaque alongside previous honorees.
The celebration will continue the following night, Jan. 26, as Thomas is honored at halftime of a Centralia High School basketball game that starts at 7 p.m.
There, Thomas will receive his “Tiger for Life” banner.
“Former teammates, classmates, players he coached, coworkers, friends and fellow alumni — come help us give Chris a hometown thank you,” the alumni committee wrote in the news release.
After his time at Seattle University following high school graduation, Thomas spent 14 years at The Chronicle as a sports reporter and copy desk chief. After his time at the newspaper, he went to work in communications for Providence Centralia Hospital, Providence St. Peter Hospital and Providence Medical Group, a job he held for two decades as he was promoted up through the organization.
The 2027 Centralia High School Distinguished Alumnus honor, though, is more in recognition of his contributions when he wasn’t working but, rather, volunteering his time and talents in the community.
Thomas coached the Centralia High School freshmen basketball team from 1992 to 2002. Over the years, he has coached Little League and Babe Ruth baseball as well as youth football and basketball.
“His support for young athletes includes longtime involvement with the Centralia Athletics Activities Facilities Foundation and helping create the Ron Brown book and golf tournament, which raised funds for youth sports,” the alumni committee stated in the release.
Thomas has also volunteered his time to Dollars for Scholars, the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce and a term on the Centralia School Board.
He is currently chairman of the Centralia College Board of Trustees.
When reached by The Chronicle, Thomas said his first thought after being notified of the honor by Centralia School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Grant was of “the many other people who probably deserve this more than I do.”
“Like any award like this, it wouldn't be possible without my family and friends,” he said. “My wife, Sarah, is there at everything, selling raffle tickets at the Ron Brown Golf Tournament, making a dessert for the Dollars for Scholars dessert dash, welcoming people at a chamber event, joining me at a college event — everything. My son, Noah, was there as he grew up — delivering food donations for the high school's food drive competition against Chehalis, serving as a student ambassador to the City of Centralia, helping at Providence's Paint the Town, helping put up campaign signs when I ran for school board.”
The Centralia High School connection runs deep in the Thomas family. His siblings — Mike, Pat, Alice and Joe — are all CHS graduates, as is his son, Noah, who graduated in 2017.
Chris and Sarah have been married since 1995.
Thomas said his proclivity for volunteering was engrained in him by his parents.
“Volunteering came naturally because of the example of my parents, Jim and Nancy,” he said. “My dad was always helping at the Knights of Columbus, Elks, the city and school, and for years and years for local Babe Ruth Baseball. My mom has spent her entire life as a volunteer for St. Joseph and St. Mary's churches and other organizations. I've always wanted to have an impact on my community and was blessed to work for two organizations — The Chronicle and Providence — which allowed me to pair my job with the ability to do just that. I wouldn't have been able to serve on things such as the chamber or college boards without their support.”
He said his brothers and sister — along with many of his friends — are equally deserving of recognition for their efforts in the community.
“I don't want to start naming names, because I'll fail to mention someone, but I could think of dozens of people who I do and could call and they have and would drop everything to come help or donate to some event or organization,” Thomas said.
His involvement with the school district continues today, as he is in his second year as a volunteer coach for the Centralia boys golf team.
His coordination of the Ron Brown Golf Tournament, which raises money for the basketball team and Centralia Youth Sports, most recently resulted in $5,000 for youth sports and $4,000 for the hoops program.
The Thomas family continues to support Dollars for Scholars by gathering donations for the annual auction and helping with the dessert dash.
The family has also established the Thomas Family Scholarship in honor of Jim Thomas.
Chris Thomas is vice president of the Riverside Golf Club Men’s Club — “probably more fun than volunteering,” he says — and his wife serves on the Pope's Place Board of Directors.
“Other than that, we spend a lot of time helping care for my mom, Nancy, who is over at Woodland Village in Chehalis, spend time traveling to Arizona, and North Carolina, since Noah is married to a great woman, Bailey, and lives there, and enjoying semi-retirement,” Thomas said. “Thanks so much to the Rotary and CSD for this honor. The district is headed in the right direction, and I look forward to its continued success and growth. Go Tigers.”
The alumni committee noted in its news release that the 2027 Distinguished Alumnus Award recognizes a career of accomplishments, “but it also celebrates something more personal: years of giving his time, investing in young people and helping his hometown thrive.”
“If Chris has been part of your Centralia story, we hope you will be part of this celebration,” the alumni committee wrote. “Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.”
Thomas is just the fourth honoree of the alumni committee’s Distinguished Alumnus Award program. The inaugural recipient in 2024 was fishing industry pioneer Gary Loomis, class of 1960. In 2025, Tom and Karen Alderson (classes of 1975 and 1976, respectively) were honored for their work supporting the community through Alderson’s Award West Printwares and other efforts. Last year, Dr. Lindsay Schwarz (class of 1999) was honored for her work as a neuroscientist with her own lab at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
