Mayor and Four Council Members Sworn Into Office
Published on January 06, 2026
On January 5, 2026, during a special meeting, a newly elected Mayor and four City Council Members were sworn into office.
Centennial Municipal Judge Kevin Ellmann administered the oath of office to Mayor Christine Sweetland and Council Members Cindy Sandhu (District 1), Ashish Vaidya (District 2), Ryan Dwiggins (District 3), and Durrell Middleton (District 4), each of whom will serve a four-year term.
The City also expressed its sincere gratitude to Mayor Stephanie Piko, who concluded her eight-year term, as well as outgoing Council Members Robyn Carnes (District 1), Tammy Maurer (District 2), Mike Sutherland (District 3), and Marlo Alston (District 4), for their dedicated service to the community.
Mayor, At Large — Christine Sweetland
Christine Sweetland has served as the District 2 Council Member since 2020. She is a Certified Residential Appraiser and CEO of 5280 Appraisal, LLC. During her time on Council, Sweetland has served as liaison to several community organizations, including the Arapahoe County Open Space Trails Advisory Board, the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District Working Group for Parks, Trails, Open Space and Recreation, the Denver Regional Council of Governments, and the High Line Canal Collaborative, among others.
A Centennial resident since 2001, Sweetland vacated her District 2 seat on January 5, 2026, when she was sworn in as Mayor. City Council will discuss options to fill the vacant District 2 seat, either through a special election or by appointing a resident from District 2.
District 1 — Cindy Sandhu
Born and raised in Centennial, Cindy Sandhu has deep ties to the community and its neighborhoods. She has more than 30 years of experience volunteering and serving the community. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, Sandhu served two and a half years in the Peace Corps as an environmental volunteer in the Dominican Republic. She and her husband are raising their three children in Centennial, continuing the sense of community and quality of life that shaped her own childhood.
District 2 — Ashish Vaidya
Ashish Vaidya earned his undergraduate degree cum laude from Villanova University and holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Temple University. For the last 15 years, he has taught social sciences at both the high school and college levels. Vaidya has traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland to help build houses for people who had lost their homes during the Troubles. He and his wife, Heather, have lived in Centennial since 2015.
District 3 — Ryan Dwiggins
Ryan Dwiggins holds a BBA in Management from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Baylor University. He has served on the Centennial Planning & Zoning Commission since April 2021 and is currently Director of Economic Development for JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle). He manages transportation real estate projects across Colorado. Dwiggins is active in the Economic Development Council of Colorado and the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation’s Front Range Economic Collaborative and is a licensed Colorado associate broker. He lives in Centennial with his wife and son and enjoys spending time with his family, attending Rockies games in the summer and DU hockey games in the winter.
District 4 — Durrell Middleton
Durrell Middleton holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois. He has founded three businesses spanning information technology, property management, and sports entertainment with the Colorado Kings. His community involvement includes volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club, leading anti-bullying programs, mentoring at detention centers, and serving on several community boards. Middleton has lived in Centennial with his wife and children since 1999.
View photos from the special meeting.
The City Council will discuss the method for filling the District 2 vacancy at the January 6 Study Session meeting.