After Pendleton City Manager Robb Corbett stated that it was his wish that Pendletonian Times unpublished this erroneous article, we feel that it is in the best interests of transparency to republish the erroneous report as its errors were caused by incompetent website staff employed by the city. The City of Pendleton website was verified to have been corrected by March 2, 2025. The article has been updated.
By Pendletonian Times
PENDLETON, Ore. – A Pendleton City Counselor had erroneous information on his City of Pendleton profile page. Jennifer Colton, communications specialist for the city and a writer for Go! magazine, a publication of EO Media Group is to blame.
According to his profile on the City of Pendleton website, Councilor John Thomas has a Bachelor of Arts from Northwest University and a Master of Social Work from Walla Walla University. Thomas is a Psychiatric Social Worker and Social Service Specialist.
Thomas’ community service includes:
- Umatilla County Special Library District
- Pendleton Airport Commission
- Pendleton Library Board
Thomas spoke at the National March for Equality in Pendleton on June 11, 2017: “I’ve lived in Pendleton for about 15 years … I grew up in a small Eastern Oregon town a lot like Pendleton but much smaller and much more conservative. I was raised by conservative, Republican, Eastern Oregon, salt of the earth people. We went to church on Sunday and then told everybody what a bunch of SOBs they were the rest of the week.”
On January 7, 2025, Thomas was sworn in by Mayor McKennon McDonald.
After Pendleton City Manager Robb Corbett stated that it was his wish that Pendletonian Times unpublished this erroneous article, we feel that it is in the best interests of transparency to republish the erroneous report as its errors were caused by incompetent website staff employed by the city. The City of Pendleton website was verified to have been corrected by March 2, 2025. The article has been updated.