The Centralia City Council unanimously appointed Norm Chapman to be the next mayor of Centralia during its Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Newly elected councilors Kevin Curtis, Ray Chapman-Wilson and Tucker Voetberg also took their oath of office, as did Chapman as he was also re-elected into his District 1 seat. Deputy Mayor Chris Brewer retained his role in a unanimous vote.
Former Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston received a nomination for another term as mayor but ultimately declined. Curtis also received and declined a nomination.
Chapman expressed shock at both the nomination and the unanimous vote to appoint him as mayor. He was first appointed to the council in September 2024 following the resignation of Cameron McGee and was re-elected in the November 2025 election. Chapman previously served on the Centralia Planning Commission.
“It wasn’t on my bucket list, but I’m very honored to represent Centralia. I’ve lived in Centralia long enough to see some really good mayors that have come through the system, and they all have specific personalities and leadership styles. What I notice about all of them is the desire to make Centralia a better place,” Chapman said after taking his seat in the mayor’s chair. “I’ve got my share of weaknesses. I think we’re a group of seven with a lot of diversity in the council. I think that’s a great thing. We are equal when it comes to votes, and I think I am going to focus on that.”
Chapman gave credit to former Centralia councilor Mark Westley, who often “make comments that would change my mind for the betterment of Centralia.” He encouraged healthy discussion among the council even if there is disagreement, and he acknowledged that the council has a united passion for where they live.
“It’s important that we live within our means. It’s important that we continue to make forward progress in making Centralia welcoming for all,” Chapman said.
In the Nov. 4, 2025, general election, Chapman defeated challenger Lisa Striedinger by nearly 39 percentage points, earning 526 votes, or 69.21%, to Striedinger’s 231 votes, or 30.39%.
Councilors also took the time to thank Smith Johnston for her service as mayor. She was appointed in January 2022 and now remains on the council in her Position 2 at-large seat.
“I was only on council for six months when I got appointed to the deputy mayor position, and I thought I was in over my head,” Brewer said. “You helped me figure out how we set agendas, and your guidance in helping me in this role and just become a better councilor was invaluable.”
“I want to thank the former mayor Kelly Smith Johnston for a fantastic job that she’s done over the last four years,” Curtis added. “I’ll be looking forward to spending at least the next two working with you as a council member.”
In a statement to The Chronicle, Smith Johnston expressed her gratitude for the community and added clarity as to her reasoning for declining the nomination to return as mayor.
“Serving Centralia as your mayor has been one of the most meaningful and enriching experiences in my life. Centralians are resilient, generous, creative and kind,” she said. “I am grateful to the city staff, councilors and the many other leaders and volunteers in our community who work consistently to strengthen Centralia. Together, we achieved a lot. Over the past four years, we have created a 20-year Hub City Greenways vision and are implementing that through several projects. We’ve built up our housing pipeline and created new housing from a new shelter to new single-family residences and everything in between. We closed the homeless encampment at Blakeslee Junction, addressed homelessness compassionately yet firmly, and overall crime is down. We’ve focused on smart growth to address flooding, economic development and quality of life. We’ve put limits where needed to ensure Centralia remains healthy and a good place to live. We have emphasized inclusion as many new Centralians have moved here and celebrated our town’s history and legacy. We didn’t get it right all the time, but we’re moving in the right direction and the future is bright.
“I was willing to continue to serve as mayor and was nominated for that role. It was clear in the process, however, that the council was not aligned on what type of leadership they wanted, so I declined,” Smith Johnston continued. “It is hard enough to lead the many challenges a mayor faces, without also having constant challenges from within. I will finish the last two years of my term as a councilor, focused on serving Centralia, implementing our Hub City vision and strengthening our economic development. Thank you, Centralia, for giving this former military child who moved frequently a sense of community and home.”
Chapman-Wilson narrowly defeated Leah Sisemore by 15 votes in the District 2 race for the seat that was previously held by Sarah Althauser. Chapman-Wilson received 338 votes, or 51.13%, while Sisemore, a former Centralia councilor, earned 323, or 48.87%.
Curtis won the District 3 seat over Tera Haskins, receiving 551 votes, or 70.19%, to Haskins’ 225 votes, or 28.66%. Curtis takes over the seat previously held by Max Vogt. Voetberg ran unopposed in the District 4 race and now replaces Westley.
