John (J.C.) Cole
John Donaldson Cole
Work Experience
AGRICULTURE
American Heritage Farm, NJ, USA Co-owner – March 2010 to Present.
Part owner and Director of sustainable food production. Responsibilities include: designing and developing family farm property to a sustainable farm completely functional in a grid down situation. Includes the design of multiple energy, water, vegetable, and animal protein sources.
Part owner and Director of sustainable food production. Responsibilities include: designing and developing family farm property to a sustainable farm completely functional in a grid down situation. Includes the design of multiple energy, water, vegetable, and animal protein sources.
Architectural Investments SIA, Latvia President – March 1993 to April 2009.
Owner and President of the first foreign owned real-estate development & management firm in Riga, Latvia. Responsibilities include: Locating and developing property with financial potential. Once the projects were developed, to manage the buildings, including repair and maintenance, hiring of personnel, rent monitoring, and customer relations.
Owner and President of the first foreign owned real-estate development & management firm in Riga, Latvia. Responsibilities include: Locating and developing property with financial potential. Once the projects were developed, to manage the buildings, including repair and maintenance, hiring of personnel, rent monitoring, and customer relations.
BUSINESS
Aizkraukles Biznesa Centrs (ABC) SIA, Latvia C.E.O & Director – February 2007 to April 2009.
Owner, C.E.O. and Director of the largest business center in the Aizkraukle Region of Latvia. ABC is a development and reconstruction project of 21,000 m2 (226,000 ft2) building located on 3.4 ha (8.4 acres) of land that was the former VEF (State Electronics Factory). Responsibilities include: locating and purchasing the facility, arranging financing, overseeing the renovation, bring to EU standards, renting and management of ABC, including repair and maintenance, hiring of personnel, rent monitoring, and customer relations.
Owner, C.E.O. and Director of the largest business center in the Aizkraukle Region of Latvia. ABC is a development and reconstruction project of 21,000 m2 (226,000 ft2) building located on 3.4 ha (8.4 acres) of land that was the former VEF (State Electronics Factory). Responsibilities include: locating and purchasing the facility, arranging financing, overseeing the renovation, bring to EU standards, renting and management of ABC, including repair and maintenance, hiring of personnel, rent monitoring, and customer relations.
Scandinavian Buildings & Homes SIA, Latvia C.E.O. & Director – March 2005 to January 2009.
Owner, C.E.O. and Director of start-up prefabricated manufacture of a timber frame wall panel production located in Aizkraukle, Latvia. Responsibilities included: Managing operations, setting corporate strategy, arranging financing, negotiating customer contracts, purchasing and setup of manufacturing machinery. Besides supplying Sweden’s largest construction companies with product, SB&H created a low cost, energy efficient replacement for the Soviet housing stock.
Owner, C.E.O. and Director of start-up prefabricated manufacture of a timber frame wall panel production located in Aizkraukle, Latvia. Responsibilities included: Managing operations, setting corporate strategy, arranging financing, negotiating customer contracts, purchasing and setup of manufacturing machinery. Besides supplying Sweden’s largest construction companies with product, SB&H created a low cost, energy efficient replacement for the Soviet housing stock.
POLITICAL
Recognition from the Michigan National Guard – May 2000When the Soviet Union broke up, the US sent the State National Guards to each of the newly separated countries. The Michigan National Guard came to Latvia to meet with, and lend training to, the Latvian Military. They brought business groups with them to help facilitate trade and investment. The Latvian American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), under the leadership of AmCham President J.C. Cole, help to facilitate the business meetings. In appreciation of AmCham’s contributions and support, the Michigan National Guard officiated a Certificate of Appreciation to J.C. Cole.
LATVIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia, Latvia President & Board of Directors – March 1993 to March 2008.
President (volunteer) for the first 9 years of the first and largest Western business organization in Latvia and an additional 6 years as a Director. Responsibilities include: starting and building the Chamber, representing the views of the Chamber’s members to the Latvian, American and other governments, representing the Chamber on the Foreign Investors Council in Latvia (FICIL), advising potential American investors on Latvia, fighting for the development of fair and healthy business laws in Latvia, representing the Chamber at the White House and Capitol Hill.
www.AmCham.LV
President (volunteer) for the first 9 years of the first and largest Western business organization in Latvia and an additional 6 years as a Director. Responsibilities include: starting and building the Chamber, representing the views of the Chamber’s members to the Latvian, American and other governments, representing the Chamber on the Foreign Investors Council in Latvia (FICIL), advising potential American investors on Latvia, fighting for the development of fair and healthy business laws in Latvia, representing the Chamber at the White House and Capitol Hill.
www.AmCham.LV
Foreign Investors Council in Latvia (FICIL), Latvia Vice Chairman and member – May 1999 to March 2008.
A founding member (volunteer) and instrumental in the formation of the first Foreign Investment group in the Baltic countries. FICIL annually meets with the Prime Minister and Cabinet to advise on improvements of Latvia. American Chamber of Commerce representative to FICIL, Vice Chairman of FICIL, and Chairman of the FICIL Real-estate Committee. Actively works with both the Latvian Government and Riga City Council to improve the real-estate environment by advising on the development of laws and the removal administrative barriers. Advised the US Embassy, the EC, and the World Bank on Latvia’s development. Designed and responsible for setting up the structure of FICIL, which the FIAS World Bank group uses in other countries.
www.FICIL.LV
A founding member (volunteer) and instrumental in the formation of the first Foreign Investment group in the Baltic countries. FICIL annually meets with the Prime Minister and Cabinet to advise on improvements of Latvia. American Chamber of Commerce representative to FICIL, Vice Chairman of FICIL, and Chairman of the FICIL Real-estate Committee. Actively works with both the Latvian Government and Riga City Council to improve the real-estate environment by advising on the development of laws and the removal administrative barriers. Advised the US Embassy, the EC, and the World Bank on Latvia’s development. Designed and responsible for setting up the structure of FICIL, which the FIAS World Bank group uses in other countries.
www.FICIL.LV
SOCIAL
Junior Achievement Latvia, Latvia Chairman & Board of Directors – October 1996 to January 2008.
Chairman (volunteer) for 4 years, Director at large. JA is the largest non-profit student business education organization in Latvia. JA Latvia has 28,000 students (approximately 10% of the Latvian grade school population) and over 300 schools participating in it’s courses. Implemented financial monitoring system, organized sponsorship program, increased student and school participation.
JALatvia.com
Chairman (volunteer) for 4 years, Director at large. JA is the largest non-profit student business education organization in Latvia. JA Latvia has 28,000 students (approximately 10% of the Latvian grade school population) and over 300 schools participating in it’s courses. Implemented financial monitoring system, organized sponsorship program, increased student and school participation.
JALatvia.com
Old Riga Christmas Market SIA, Latvia CEO & Shareholder – December 2001 to November 2003. Shareholder to April 2009.
A founding shareholder, concept creator, and first Director (volunteer) of the first (non-profit) Christmas Market since Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1939. The Markets purpose is to reestablish and promote Christmas and holiday traditions, develop the Latvian Christmas craft industry, and promote tourism during the holiday period. Responsibilities included: Design of market and kiosks, construction of kiosks, location of sponsors, receiving Riga City and architectural permission, arranging volunteer staff. Presently a shareholder. This was the first Christmas Market in Latvia since WWII. It was developed Christmas Traditions lost during the Soviet Period, it developed an outlet for handcrafts so those craftsman in the countryside and villages could get some cash flow, and it brought in Tourists during the Christmas Holidays. This set the standards of ultra-traditional with very little commercialization. The Old Riga Christmas Market is now one of the best markets in Europe.
View more at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iqw4BG5lww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iqw4BG5lww
A founding shareholder, concept creator, and first Director (volunteer) of the first (non-profit) Christmas Market since Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1939. The Markets purpose is to reestablish and promote Christmas and holiday traditions, develop the Latvian Christmas craft industry, and promote tourism during the holiday period. Responsibilities included: Design of market and kiosks, construction of kiosks, location of sponsors, receiving Riga City and architectural permission, arranging volunteer staff. Presently a shareholder. This was the first Christmas Market in Latvia since WWII. It was developed Christmas Traditions lost during the Soviet Period, it developed an outlet for handcrafts so those craftsman in the countryside and villages could get some cash flow, and it brought in Tourists during the Christmas Holidays. This set the standards of ultra-traditional with very little commercialization. The Old Riga Christmas Market is now one of the best markets in Europe.
View more at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iqw4BG5lww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iqw4BG5lww
REAL ESTATE
InterSource Real-Estate Group, Latvia Vice President Operations – Sept. 1995 to Oct 2000.
Responsibilities included: Property management, leasing and sales of approximately 20,000 sq. meters (200,000 sq. ft) of property, 25 items representing approximately $25 mil of investment in Riga. Also, locating property with financial potential, designing projects for maximum profit. Hiring of engineers, attorneys & sub-contractors. Formulating cost analysis of improvements. Supervising and coordinating construction. Negotiating contracts with tenants and purchasers. Evaluating marketing and advertising program. Construction Project Manager of Jacob’s Barracks, the largest project of it’s kind in the 3 Baltic States, responsible for building, managing and securing the European Commission’s Embassy, Royal Netherlands Embassy, the US Ambassador’s residence, and the Italian Ambassador’s residence.
View more at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcg428vTHm8&t=130s
EDUCATION
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
B.S. Civil Engineering, June 1983
B.S. Geological Sciences, June 1983
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) – Master Practitioner 1990 – Richard Bandler
Neuro-Linguistic Conditioning – Trainer 1989 – Anthony Robbins
OTHER FACTS
Ryu Kyu Kempo – 2nd Degree Black Belt Rank
Tiger Commando Karate – 1st Degree Black Belt Rank
National Ski Patrol – Sr. Patroller (1986-1992) – Jack Frost Mountain – Pennsylvania, USA
National Outdoor Leadership School – 2 wilderness survival programs
Extensive motivational & Self Improvement Library
J.C. Cole Welcomes Dignitaries
SWOT Analysis Flow Chart