Bucoda Mayor Pro Tem Kiersten Presley announced her resignation Tuesday from both her current position as the town’s acting mayor and from her town council member 5 position due to her moving out of state in a statement sent to The Chronicle.
The Bucoda Town Council met following Presley’s resignation to select a new mayor — Bucoda Town Council Member 1 Callie Carpenter — according to George Sharp, rural program manager for the Thurston Economic Development Council.
The new mayor comes following the death of former Mayor Rob Gordon, who died of cancer last week at the age of 42.
Presley’s statement is as follows:
“Dearest Beautiful Bucoda community, I wanted to take a moment to share some bittersweet news with all of you. I have had to make the decision to resign from my positions as mayor pro tem and town council member 5. As many of you know, my family and I are embarking on a new chapter in Texas, and this move necessitates stepping down from my roles here.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served this wonderful town and its people. Your support and collaboration have meant the world to me, and I will always cherish the memories and achievements we've shared together. I will be back to push in the beautiful fire truck should Rob’s funding come through! And reveal the new playground the Bucoda Improvement Club is working on.
“When we bought that land to develop we heard a lot of ‘Whys?’ I will be leaving town with a laundry list of reasons I truly loved being a resident of this community.
“In light of my departure, I am thrilled to announce that Callie Carpenter has been appointed as the new mayor of Bucoda. Callie brings a wealth of drive and dedication to this role, and I have full confidence in her ability to lead our community with grace and vision.”
“Thank you, Bucoda, for everything. Warmest regards, Kiersten Presley”
Presley took over as mayor pro tem earlier this month following the death of Gordon on June 3.
She had just recently been elected to her town council member position, running unopposed and winning Gordon’s old position in November 2023 after Gordon took over as mayor towards the end of 2022.
Gordon stepped up to the mayor position — which is entirely voluntary in the small community of Bucoda and comes with no pay — following former Mayor Steven Purcell’s resignation due to his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma returning.
Then, right around the same time Presley was first elected last November, Gordon announced his own diagnosis of stage 4 stomach cancer, which he succumbed to earlier this month at the age of 42.
He was also the Bucoda Fire Department’s assistant chief and had been serving as a firefighter since just before his 16th birthday. Along with his wife, Miriam Gordon, he is survived by his two children, Jakob and Anna Gordon.
A celebration of life ceremony will be held for Gordon at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 15, at the Riverbend Ranch located at 2841 184th Ave. SE in Tenino. The ceremony will be a potluck and attendees are invited to bring their favorite dish to share.
