Chad Cole is from Boone, North Carolina. He graduated from Watauga High School.

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Chad Cole is from Vilas. He has an associate's degree in biblical studies from Andersonville Theological Seminary. He lives with his wife, Maria, and their children.

Chad has worked in emergency services for more than two decades. He also has experience in organizational leadership, managing teams, coordinating operations, and overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets in both nonprofit and private-sector roles. 

Chad currently works as a travel operations specialist for Mercy Ships, the owner of Trinity Transport, and the pastor at Chestnut Dale Baptist Church. He previously worked as a firefighter and an emergency medical services technician.

11/08/2022 OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - WATAUGA

2024 Watauga County Unofficial General Election Results | Local ...

Chad previously ran for Watauga County Board of Education in 2024 and 2022, but did not win.

For Candidate Chad Cole on Issue school-services-resources: Advocates for data-driven decisions regarding staffing, facilities, and programs to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars while maintaining educational quality and student services.

Advocates for data-driven decisions regarding staffing, facilities, and programs to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars while maintaining educational quality and student services.

- Advocates for data-driven decisions regarding staffing, facilities, and programs to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars while maintaining educational quality and student services.

School Facilities & Resources

Opposes the use of school vouchers, believing they are unnecessary for education access.

Opposes school vouchers and other programs that allow qualifying families to use public money for alternative schooling options, including private schools

- Opposes school vouchers and other programs that allow qualifying families to use public money for alternative schooling options, including private schools

Access to Education

For Candidate Chad Cole on Issue teachers: Supports prioritizing teacher support, competitive compensation, and policies that respect classroom realities to retain quality teachers and staff.

Supports prioritizing teacher support, competitive compensation, and policies that respect classroom realities to retain quality teachers and staff.

- Supports prioritizing teacher support, competitive compensation, and policies that respect classroom realities to retain quality teachers and staff.

Teachers

For Candidate Chad Cole on Issue school-curriculum: Supports strengthening career and technical education and workforce pathways, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges to provide students with practical options and long-term value in public schools.

Supports strengthening career and technical education and workforce pathways, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges to provide students with practical options and long-term value in public schools.

- Supports strengthening career and technical education and workforce pathways, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges to provide students with practical options and long-term value in public schools.

School Curriculum

Believes that safety issues in schools stem from outside the school and supports the presence of student resource officers for safety-related programs.

- Believes that safety issues in schools stem from outside the school and supports the presence of student resource officers for safety-related programs.

Student Wellbeing

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Chad Cole

Meet the Candidates 2024: Watauga County Board of Education ...

Chad Cole graduated from Watauga High School. He is a parent.

Chad has worked in emergency services for more than two decades. He has also worked in both nonprofit and private-sector roles, where he managed teams, coordinated complex operations, and oversaw multimillion-dollar budgets. 

Chad previously ran for Watauga County Board of Education member in 2022 but did not win.

Candidate Filing Officially Underway for 2022 Election Season ...

Said, "With declining enrollment and rising costs, the board must make thoughtful, data driven decisions about staffing, facilities, and programs. My experience managing budgets and operations has taught me the importance of transparency, accountability, and long-term planning. The goal is to use taxpayer dollars wisely while protecting educational quality and student services."

Said, "Cole said he does not support the use of vouchers, which allow for families to choose if their children go to public or private schools. Cole said he believes vouchers are 'not a need.'"

Supports providing competitive compensation to teachers.

Supports strengthening career and technical education, workforce pathways, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges.

Supports having a student resource officer in every school.

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 