Erik Cole is a member of the Metropolitan Council

Metropolitan Council (Davidson County)

The Metropolitan Council is the legislative body of the consolidated city-county government of Nashville, Tennessee and Davidson County.The Council has 40 members, 35 of which are district council representatives, and five of which are council members at-large. If a member resigns or dies before...

 of Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

 and Davidson County

Davidson County, Tennessee

Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...

, representing the 7th district.

Education and career

Erik Cole was elected to serve as a councilman in 2003. In August 2006, he became the council's president pro tempore, meaning he would substitute for the council's president when the vice mayor became absent. He is Vice Chair of the Federal Grants Review Committee and a member of the Health, Hospitals, and Social Services; Planning, Zoning, and Historical; and Transportation and Aviation Committees.

He works as the Executive Director of the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. After graduating from Hillsboro High School, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a Minor in Environmental Studies from James Madison University

James Madison University

James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...

 at Harrisonburg, Virginia

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...

. He is also a member of the Metro Homeless Commission.

Political views

Erik Cole voted against the English First bill, which would have declared English as Nashville's official language. He also voted against canceling zoning in Percy Priest Lake

Percy Priest Lake

J. Percy Priest Lake is a reservoir in north central Tennessee. It is formed by J. Percy Priest Dam, located between miles six and seven of the Stones River. The dam is located about 10 miles east of downtown Nashville and impounds a lake 42 miles long...

. On the third reading, he voted for the proposal for a new ballpark for the Nashville Sounds

Nashville Sounds

The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...

, which included provisions for hotels, condos, shops and other businesses on the land adjacent to the stadium.