February 27, 2026
Mayor Chris Creech Focuses on Maintaining Umatilla’s Rural Way of Life
By Cindy Peterson
Mayor Chris Creech Focuses on Maintaining Umatilla’s Rural Way of Life
Mayor Chris Creech
Impactful experience: In March 1969, I got in a bad shootout during an arrest and had to shoot a man. Back in those days, you didn’t go to a therapist when you shot somebody. You just had to work it out. I talked to other officers who’d been through it, so that’s what helped me. I quit for a while and went to work at a Ford dealership, but that wasn’t what I liked to do.
Since retiring: I have a John Deere tractor, so I stay busy taking care of our place in Mabel and helping my neighbors.
Favorite meal: Ribeye steak cooked medium rare with baked potato and banana pudding for dessert.
On my bucket list: My mother was 93 when she died and I turned 82 in December, so I’d like to live as long as she did.
Fun Fact: I am a member of the Umatilla Lodge No. 65, F. & A.M. in Umatilla.
Photos: Nicole Hamel and Cindy Peterson
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Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.
