The Centralia School Board has appointed Mike Stinkeoway to fill the vacant director position 3 on the board.
Stinkeoway will walk the district’s “orange carpet” and take his oath of office at the Centralia School Board’s regular meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. on Jan. 24 at the Centralia School District office boardroom.
A Navy veteran, Centralia School District alumni and parent of two current Centralia students and two graduates, Stinkeoway said he is “driven by a genuine desire to be an integral part of the process in shaping and fostering the educational landscape for the benefit of current and future generations.”
The Centralia School Board selected Stinkeoway out of a pool of nine applicants following a six-hour interview process on Saturday, Jan. 6, and a subsequent executive session. The decision itself was made public at a Jan. 10 special public meeting.
“It’s really amazing to have a whole host of very good candidates,” Centralia School Board Chair Tim Browning said during a special meeting on Wednesday, later adding, “It would have been great if we could have had all of you on the board because you all had something to contribute.”
Stinkeoway served as a sonar technician and operator in the U.S. Navy from 1997 to 2006 before building a civilian career as a technician and a maintenance supervisor. He currently works as the director of operations for Rogers Machinery Company Inc., which has a manufacturing facility in Centralia in addition to locations across the country.
He also volunteers as a Centralia Youth Soccer coach and volunteers at the district’s youth, middle school and high school sporting events.
“I am eager to contribute to the Centralia School District Board by leveraging my military background, professional expertise, community involvement, and dedication to educational excellence. I am confident in my ability to support and advance the district's mission,” Stinkeoway said in his written application to the school board.
Stinkeoway fills the vacant director position 3 seat that was previously held by Vicki Jackson, who did not run for re-election in November 2023. Andrea Ware ran unopposed for the position on the November ballot, but announced her resignation in late November.
Director position 3, like all positions on the Centralia School Board, is an at-large position.
Stinkeoway joins Debra L. Parnham, Martiza Bravo, Tim Browning and Sarah Holmes on the five-person board.
The Centralia School District expects board members to attend study sessions on the second Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. and attend board meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. Board members may also participate in committees related to education and attend school events throughout the year, according to the Centralia School District.
Bravo, who was appointed to a vacant position in November 2022, ran unopposed for director position 2 in the November general election and began her first full four-year term on Dec. 1.
Newcomer Holmes beat incumbent Mandi McDougall, who was seeking a second term, in the director position 4 race 51.46% to 47.52% in the November general election.
She and Bravo were sworn in during the Centralia School Board’s regular meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13.
