Beshear appoints member of Versailles city council to fill mayoral vacancy
Laura Dake has been appointed mayor of Versailles by Gov. Andy Beshear.
Beshear’s office announced the appointment Friday afternoon.
Dake is a member of the Versailles City Council. She replaces Brian Traugott, who had been mayor for 13 years and resigned effective Oct. 1 to take a position with the Kentucky League of Cities.
Dake will serve the rest of Traugott’s term, which expires in 2026.
She said in a post on Facebook Friday that she was “honored and humbled” by the appointment.
“Thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement,” Dake wrote. “I’m feeling a little like a deer in the headlights at the moment, but looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and working hard for this community that I love. Again, THANK YOU for making me feel welcome in this role.”
Dake previously worked for ITNAmerica, a nonprofit that provides community-based transportation services for senior citizens. She is board chair for a program that grew out of that work, Woodford Wheels.
She said she and her husband also own Art Space Versailles, a gallery and retail space focused on Kentucky artists on Main Street.
Dake said in a brief interview Friday night that she plans to be “really focused on liveability, walkability, sustainability,” as well as traffic and economic development issues.
She has lived in Versailles 32 years and was recently re-elected to a fifth term on city council, a position she will resign to become mayor.
Dake said she is “just really grateful for the opportunity.”
After Traugott’s resignation, the city council had 30 days to name a successor, but four of the city’s six council members ran for the office, and none was able to secure enough votes to be chosen. That left the office to be filled by a gubernatorial appointment.
Among other appointments announced Friday, Beshear’s office said the governor has named Fred Allen Meyer, of Nicholasville, 1st District magistrate in Jessamine County. He replaces Justin Ray, who resigned.
This story was originally published November 22, 2024 at 7:00 PM.
