Spanish: 301-725-5300, ext. 2120
James Kole was elected to his first term to represent Ward 1 on the Laurel City Council on November 2, 2021, and was officially sworn into office on November 22, 2021. He currently chairs the Environmental Affairs Committee and the Laurel Pride Day Planning Committee, and has previously served on the Historic District Commission, Planning Commission, and Ethics Commission.
James also represents Laurel at the state and national level, serving on the Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations (FAIR) Committee of the National League of Cities, and on the Community Outreach and Engagement Committee for the Maryland Municipal League. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the National League of Cities LGBTQ+ Local Officials Constituency Group and serves as Vice Chair of the Maryland Municipal League LGBTQ+ Caucus, where he works with colleagues across the region to strengthen representation and community engagement.
Originally from Central Pennsylvania, James earned a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Contracting – Design/Build, with a minor in Horticulture, from Pennsylvania State University. He relocated to Laurel in 2012 to pursue a career in commercial landscape management, where he continues to lead operations across the Washington, D.C. region.
A lifelong community-minded leader, James began his civic engagement early—serving as Chairman of his church’s youth group and head acolyte during his youth, and later as a member of the local borough council during college. In Maryland, he has served on the Board of Directors for the MD/DC/VA Landscape Contractors Association and as a member of the National Collegiate Landscape Competition Committee. In Laurel, he has been actively involved with the Laurel Historical Society Gala Committee, the Main Street Organization, and Laurel for the Patuxent, where he served as Co-Chair of the Riverfront Restoration Action Committee.
Outside of his civic and professional responsibilities, James is an avid gardener, cultivating herbs, vegetables, and ornamental plantings. In his free time, he enjoys walking through Old Town Laurel and along Riverfront Park, where he finds both inspiration and community connection.
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