Ms. Cora Cole-McFadden is a native of Durham, North Carolina. She attended Durham Public Schools. She decided to transfer from Hillside High to Durham High her senior year as the struggle to integrate schools in Durham continued. She attended North Carolina Central University and the University of North Carolina. Cora is a life-long member of the West Durham Baptist Church where she sings in the choir, works with the Sunday School, the Social Concerns committee, and in whatever capacity she is needed. She is the mother of two adult children, Lori and Larry.

She retired from City government where she served as the first Black woman department head, received the first City of Durham Diversity Change Agent Award, which is named in her honor, and was bestowed the honor of a council resolution recognizing her work as Affirmative Action Director while still a City employee. She is known throughout the region for her commitment to making Durham a better place by taking affirmative steps to include historically underutilized groups in its conduct of business. Her election to the Durham City Council in 2001 and re-election in 2005 helped to add another bit of history to the City of Durham for she is the first Black woman to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore in the history of the City of Durham. Because of her work and focus on youth, a Youth Division now exists in city government and the City of Durham clearly recognizes its importance because it reports directly to the City Manager. Her zest and zeal for youth resulted in the creation of the first City of Durham Youth Council now in its fifth year. She serves as advisor to the Durham Youth Commission, is a member of the Neal Middle School Site Based Committee and a mentor for Grandparents Network. Cora serves as President of the Ebonettes Service Club and is a charter member as well.

Other City Council responsibilities include council liaison to numerous boards and committees: the Durham Area Transit Authority, Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Upper Neuse River Basin Board of Directors, Weed and Seed Committee, Housing Appeals Board, Joint City-County Planning Committee, the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness Steering Committee, the Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Durham-Chapel Hill-Orange Work Group, Durham Cultural Master Plan Advisory Board. She serves on several City Council subcommittees. Some of these are Audit Services Oversight Committee, Insurance, Passenger Vehicle for Hire, Towing, Personnel, Council Procedures, North East Central Durham and many others.

She has served the Democratic Party as County chairperson, and is on the State Executive Committee, and was an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Ms. Cole-McFadden is a member of the NC Black Elected Municipal Officials Assn., National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, and was recently appointed to the Human Development Committee of the National League of Cities. She holds memberships in the National Council for Negro Women, Eastern Star, Order of the Golden Circle, NCCU Alumni Association, DurhamCommittee on the Affairs of Black People, People’s Alliance, NAACP and the MLK Steering Committee. Honors and awards include: Outstanding Service Award, West Durham Baptist Church at its 114th Anniversary Celebration, October 2006; Star Studded Citizen Award, Beta Phi Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; The Order of the Long Leaf Pine – State of North Carolina; Government Service Award – the ARC of Durham County; Keeper of the Dream Award-Durham Community MLK Steering Committee; Leadership Award-4th Congressional District; in 2006 she was honored at the 32nd Annual Freedom Fund Banquet of the Durham Branch NAACP for her contributions to the Durham community, and for touching the lives of so many young people. She was a 2008 recipient of the Mahogany Dimes Award for Leadership and was inducted into Women of Note, African American National Historic Series of Outstanding Women of America in May 2008. She was honored with the North Carolina Bethune Recognition award in appreciation for outstanding public service in June 2009.

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