Karl Kassel
Karl W. Kassel | |
---|---|
Mayor of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska | |
In office October 2015 – October 2018 | |
Preceded by | Luke Hopkins |
Succeeded by | Bryce Ward |
Personal details | |
Born | September 10, 1952 Brockport State University |
Profession | Government administrator |
Karl W. Kassel (born September 10, 1952) is an Independent (United States) politician and former Mayor of
Biography
Karl W. Kassel was born in 1952 in
Kassel lives "off-the-grid" in a rural corner of the FNSB near the former Murphy Dome Air Force Station. His house, built in 2009 and occupied by Kassel and his family beginning early the following year, was noted for a combination of window placement, solar panels and a heat exchange system, which resulted in little usage of fossil fuel oils to heat the home.[2]
Kassel has traded on the similarity of his name to that of the NPR broadcaster Carl Kasell. He has participated in fundraising efforts for public radio station (and NPR affiliate) KUAC where he offers to record an answering machine or voice mail greeting, similar to the prize offered on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! where Kasell records such a greeting.
Political career
2008: Campaign for state house
Kassel was unchallenged in the primary and received 1,844 votes. His Republican opponent was Mike Kelly.[3] He lost the election receiving 5,020 votes as opposed to 5,024 for Kelly, a difference of only four votes.[4]
In 2008, following his retirement as parks and recreation director for the
2010-present: Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly
Kassel defeated incumbent Guy Sattley, who had served five mostly non-consecutive terms on the body starting in 1990, to claim Seat I. Seat I is a three-year term.
In 2012, Kassel was elected by his fellow Assembly members to serve as the body's presiding officer for the following year.
Kassel ran for borough mayor in 2015 and was elected. He served one term and did not run for a second term. See List of mayors of Fairbanks, Alaska.
References
- Fairbanks Daily News Miner.
- ^ Rettig, Molly (March 13, 2011). "Cutting-edge techniques keep Fairbanks home toasty with almost no fuel". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- Fairbanks Daily News Miner.
- Fairbanks Daily News Miner.