District 11: William H. Cole IV

410-396-4816
410-545-7464 (fax)
Room 527, City Hall
William.Cole@baltimorecity.gov

 

Committees: Vice Chair, Taxation, Finance and Economic Development; Education; Land Use and Transportation; Chair, Community Development Subcommittee.

Public Service Career

Bill Cole began a career in public service at age 19 as intern for State Senator George W. Della, Jr. and then as legislative aide to former State Senator Walter Baker (1995 and 1996 sessions). From 1996 – 2003, Bill served as special assistant to U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07).

In 1998, Bill was elected to the Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC) in District 47A, and was subsequently elected Sergeant of Arms by his fellow members of the DSCC. Several months later, the DSCC selected Bill to fill the seat vacated by Del. Timothy Murphy who was appointed to the District Court bench. Governor Paris Glendening approved the selection and Bill entered the Maryland House of Delegates in February, 1999.

The loss of 84,860 Baltimore residents between 1990 and 2000 caused the city to lose an entire legislative district - the 47th where Bill Cole was a delegate. The redistricting thwarted Bill’s goal of continuing service in the House of Delegates – although he ran for reelection in 2002 in the newly formed 46th District, he lost to three other incumbents.

Family and Education
Born in Maryland in 1972, Bill Cole has lived in downtown Baltimore for more than 20 years. After receiving a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland College Park in 1994, and a M.A. in Legal and Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore in 1996, Bill was admitted to Alpha Epsilon Lambda, the national honor society for graduate and professional students.

As Bill’s career flourished, so did his family. Now the proud father of three, Bill and his wife, Michelle, live in the Otterbein neighborhood where he served as president of the community association from 2003 to 2007. Bill and Michelle, an assistant Maryland attorney general, have worked tirelessly to promote excellence in public education. Both of their school-age children attend Baltimore City Public Schools.

A strong believer in encouraging young people to go into public service and in educating Baltimore’s future leaders, Bill currently teaches Legislative Process at the University of Baltimore where he is an adjunct professor in the Legal and Ethical Studies graduate program. He also participates as a regular presenter in the University’s Student Leadership Certification Program.

Today
After experiencing the rewards of working to solve some of our city and state problems, Bill Cole knew that his vocation and/or avocation would always include public service.
Currently, Bill serves as:

Bill has previously served as external staff to the Baltimore City Ethics Board, a board member of the Patriots of Fort McHenry, a member the Baltimore City Night Life task force, and a number of other community organizations. He has walked three times in the 50-mile MS Challenge Walk to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.