Mike Stinkeoway walked the district’s “orange carpet” and took his oath of office at the Centralia School Board’s regular meeting on Jan. 24.
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.
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.
