# Janice Cole > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Janice_Cole > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Janice_Cole.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Cole > Source revision: 1285537387 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Janice McKenzie Cole** is an American attorney who served as the [United States Attorney](/source/United_States_Attorney) for the [Eastern District of North Carolina](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Eastern_District_of_North_Carolina) (1994–2001) under President [Bill Clinton](/source/Bill_Clinton). During her tenure as U.S. Attorney, she helped introduce five communities to the [United States Department of Justice](/source/United_States_Department_of_Justice)'s [Weed and Seed](/source/Weed_and_Seed) crime-prevention program. Cole has been honored as Woman of the Year by the [East Carolina University](/source/East_Carolina_University) Branch of the [American Association of University Women](/source/American_Association_of_University_Women) and Tarheel of the Week by [The News and Observer](/source/The_News_and_Observer). ## Education and career She received her Bachelor of Science degree with highest honors from [John Jay College](/source/John_Jay_College) of Criminal Justice, part of the [City University of New York](/source/City_University_of_New_York). She also has a master's degree in public administration from John Jay. She received her [Juris Doctor](/source/Juris_Doctor) degree from [Fordham University](/source/Fordham_University) in 1979. Cole, a native New Yorker, is a former New York City police officer, and was in one of the first groups of female police officers assigned to patrol the streets in high crime areas. Upon her completion of law school, Cole served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York. In 1983 she moved to [Hertford, North Carolina](/source/Hertford,_North_Carolina), a rural community in [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) and started a private practice. Seven years later she was elected to serve as a state District Court Judge. She was the first black and first woman to serve as a judge in that district. She held that position until she was sworn in as the United States Attorney in February, 1994. Cole unsuccessfully ran for the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) in 2002.[1][2] In 2008, she was selected by the [North Carolina Democratic Party](/source/North_Carolina_Democratic_Party) to be a member of the [United States Electoral College](/source/United_States_Electoral_College), voting for [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) and [Joe Biden](/source/Joe_Biden) on behalf of the state's voters.[3] When the state's electoral college met, Cole and elector Kara Hollingsworth, both African-Americans, formally nominated Obama.[4] Cole was one of the initial members of an advisory committee appointed by U.S. Sen. [Kay Hagan](/source/Kay_Hagan) to help her recommend nominees for U.S. attorneys and federal judgeships in North Carolina.[5] In January 2023, Cole was appointed as the town manager of [Hertford, North Carolina](/source/Hertford,_North_Carolina), where she resides with her husband. Prior to her appointment, she was the interim manager of the town.[6] ## Personal life Cole is married to [J. Carlton Cole](/source/J._Carlton_Cole), who was a District Court Judge for the 1st Judicial District of North Carolina until his appointment to the North Carolina Superior Court in 2009 by Governor [Beverly Perdue](/source/Beverly_Perdue). They reside in Hertford. ## References 1. [Library of Congress](http://lcweb2.loc.gov/elect2002/catalog/1250.html) 1. [News & Observer: Where U.S. Attorneys are Now](http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/where_u_s_attorneys_are_now) 1. [News & Observer: Tar Heel Dem electors ready to vote](http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/tar_heel_dem_electors_ready_to_vote) 1. [AP: It's official: Barack Obama elected 44th president](http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20081215/NEWS/812150275?Title=It_s_official__Barack_Obama_elected_44th_president) 1. [News & Observer: Hagan names lawyers to guide her](http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/hagan_names_lawyers_to_guide_her) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090403010924/http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/hagan_names_lawyers_to_guide_her) 2009-04-03 at the Wayback Machine 1. [The Perquimans Weekly: Interim No More: Council Names Cole Hertford's Manager](https://www.dailyadvance.com/perquimans/news/local/interim-no-more-council-names-cole-hertfords-manager/article_5913c558-f682-5fc0-8a33-9739b095c24a.html) ## External links - [Albemarle Bank & Trust](https://web.archive.org/web/20110707075443/http://www.abtnc.com/Directors/Janice%20McKenzie%20Cole.html) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Janice Cole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Cole) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Cole?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.