Meet Kate
Kate grew up primarily in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana and graduated from Hellgate High School in Missoula. Her father was a life-long Forest Service Ranger, and her mother was a City Planner, Small Business Consultant, and Affordable Housing Administrator. Through them, Kate first learned the meaning of public service.
Education
A “western girl” at heart, Kate set off to Maine in 2001 to experience someplace new and to attend Colby College. There, Kate studied theater and music, and met her husband, fellow Colby student Alex Telis.
Early Career
After working in D.C. for Senator Max Baucus (Montana), Kate was accepted into George Mason Law School. Upon graduation in 2012, she served as the judicial law clerk for The Honorable Jan Brodie of the Fairfax Circuit Court of Virginia, assisting with civil and criminal matters that came before the Court.
Following her clerkship, her family’s moves to Albuquerque and Los Angeles were prompted by Alex’s residency and fellowship in Orthopedic Surgery. In Albuquerque, Kate became an Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted domestic violence felonies, varying in severity from false imprisonment to murder.
In 2015, following the birth of her son, Kate moved into the nonprofit sector to become the Development Director for Cuidando Los Niños. This nonprofit serves unhoused families with young children by providing education and care for the kids while helping their parents obtain housing and jobs.
In July of 2018, the Telis family moved to Los Angeles, where Kate started her own law office and worked on cases of sex trafficking and excessive use of force by law enforcement.
Present-Day
In 2019, the Telis family settled in Spokane to make it their “forever home” when Alex was hired by Sacred Heart as an orthopedic trauma surgeon. Kate dove into volunteer work at the League of Women Voters, where she helped create Spokane Youth Votes and the Civics Bowl. Her daughter was born in 2020.
As her children have grown, Kate has volunteered her time with local campaigns and at Hutton Elementary, tutoring kids in math and reading, teaching Junior Achievement, helping in the lunchroom and supervising recess.
In 2023, she became the leader of the Spokane chapter of Moms Demand Action, a national bipartisan organization that advocates for common sense gun reforms at all levels of government.
Throughout her years in Spokane, Kate has seen firsthand how impactful City Council can be in crafting policies that keep Spokane safe, beautiful, and thriving. Due to her legal background and her 
connections to many organizations in Spokane, she has a unique perspective, relationships, and skill set that will help Spokane address some of the toughest issues we now face. Because of this, she is running for election and hopes to earn your support.