Offering friends and supporters a “big hug,” former Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole said farewell (at least temporarily) to local politics this week – she is returning to the law firm founded in 2004 with her husband, Kevin Cole, and other attorneys. Her practice will focus on “community affairs, government relations, and public finance.”
Following her term in office and her defeat last year in a run for mayor, Cole took time off to decompress and travel with her family. There had been considerable speculation that she would run for office again, specifically the Travis County Commissioner Precinct 1 seat held by Ron Davis (who earlier this month announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2016). But Cole said she would not seek that post, instead endorsing attorney James Nortey, who recently filed a campaign treasurer designation to seek the seat.
Kevin Cole is now with Blazier, Christensen, & Bigelow. Sheryl Cole will be the sole principal in the Cole Law Firm.* (See note below.)
Announcing her decision, Cole said she is “more relaxed and happy,” and “fully enjoying the extra time I have to spend with my friends and family.” She cited praise from former mayor Will Wynn, who said Cole brings “a wealth of knowledge in community affairs and governmental relations, and will be an invaluable asset and resource for individuals who need guidance in working with various community groups and governmental entities.”
Cole was elected to the City Council in 2006, the first and only African-American woman elected at-large in Austin. She earned her J.D. from the UT-Austin School of Law in 1991 and has been a resident of Austin for more than 30 years. In recent years, she led the Downtown revitalization effort known as the Waller Creek Project, to bring commercial and park land out of the creek’s flood plain.
*Note: Post has been updated to clarify details of the new positions.
This article appears in May 8 • 2015.
