Bill Cole (Montana politician)

Bill Cole is the current Mayor of Billings, Montana.

Bill Cole
Mayor of Billings
Assumed office
January 2, 2018
Preceded byTom Hanel
Personal details
BornBozeman, Montana, U.S.
EducationDartmouth College (BA)
Columbia University (JD)

Early life and education edit

Cole was born and raised in Bozeman, Montana. He earned a Bachelor's degree in history from Dartmouth College and received his Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School. Cole and his wife, Anne, returned to Billings in 1991, where he practiced law and he is a professor at Montana State University.[1]

Career edit

Before entering local politics, Cole practiced real estate, land use, and commercial contracts law. He also served as chair of the Billings Chamber of Commerce. Cole was elected on November 7, 2017, succeeding two-term mayor, Tom Hanel, who was term-limited. Cole faced member of the Montana Senate, Jeff Essmann, defeating him by 7,000 votes.[2][3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Mayor | City of Billings, MT - Official Website". ci.billings.mt.us. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  2. ^ Ferguson, Mike. "Bill Cole, Jeff Essmann advance to general election for mayor". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  3. ^ Kreimer, Olga (9 November 2017). "New Billings Mayor Says More Can Be Done To Attract Millenials". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved 2019-12-06.