City of Kake

Mayor Lolanda (Lonnie) Cavanaugh

Mayor Lolanda (Lonnie) Cavanaugh was elected mayor of Kake in December 2024. A lifelong resident of the town, Lonnie brings a wealth of experience to the role, including a background as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a distinguished 25-year career as the business manager for the local school district.

Now retired, Lonnie is passionate about giving back to the community she has called home for so long. Outside of her duties as mayor, she enjoys baking, gardening, crafting, and working on subsistence foods. She also cherishes spending time with her grandkids and relaxing at the beach.

With a strong commitment to unity, growth, and progress, Mayor Cavanaugh is dedicated to fostering a bright future for the town and its residents, believing that through collaboration, the community can achieve great things together.

Monica Ashenfelter

Monica Ashenfelter is a dedicated Lead Accountant and Payroll Specialist at Kake Tribal Corporation. With several financial audits under her belt, she brings a high level of expertise and precision to her role. In addition to her professional achievements, Monica has served on the City Council for seven years demonstrating her commitment to civic engagement. She has been a middle school girls' basketball coach for two years and is a certified high school basketball referee with five yers of experience. Her extensive experience and dedication make her an invaluable asset to her team and broader community. 

Hank Copsey

Hank Copsey was born in Seattle but grew up in Kake, Alaska. After completing high school in Kake and earning his associate degree, he returned to his hometown. With a career deeply connected to the land, Hank worked as a Kake Tribal logger, log truck driver, yarder engineer, road crew member, and sorting yard worker from 1999 to 2003. Since then, he has served as the Keex Kwaan Community Forest Partnership Coordinator for the Organized Village of Kake. Hank joined the city council in 2018 and has actively contributed to the airport, roads, and water committee over the years.

Jordana Grant

Jordana Grant was born and raised in Billings, Montana. In 2011, Jordana moved to Alaska and taught in Little Diomede for three years. In the fall of 2014, she relocated to Kake to teach English, where she lived for three years before moving to Washington in 2017. Jordana returned to Kake in 2021 and was elected to her first term on Kake’s city council in October 2022. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Kake area and sharing good food at the beach with her family.

Kelli Jackson

Kelli Jackson, a proud Shaugukeidí from Kake, Alaska, spent parts of her childhood in Anchorage before returning to Kake as a high school sophomore. As an adult, she made the heartfelt decision to move back to her hometown to raise her son. Deeply connected to her roots, Kelli is passionate about strengthening the community, preserving its cultural heritage, and fostering opportunities for future generations. Her dedication to Kake drives her service as a newly elected city council member, where she advocates for a thriving and united community. 

Ashley Padgett

Ashley Padgett, 34, is a lifelong resident of Kake, Alaska, and a graduate of Kake High School. She is pursuing a Business and Administration degree with a minor in Accounting. For the past 11 years, Ashley has served as the Administrative Operations Manager at Kake Tribal Corporation, where she focuses on fostering positive change and recognizing the talents within the community. As a city council member, she is deeply committed to doing what is best for the people of Kake. Ashley is a proud wife and mother of four daughters, with her family actively invested in the community's future.

Tessa Rostad 

Tessa Rostad has an accounting and business background and works in the business office at Kake City School District. In Fall 2023, she was elected to the Kake City Council. She serves as chair of the Harbor Committee and is a member of the Finance Committee. In her free time, Tessa enjoys kayaking, hunting, reading, and spending time with her family.