Teira Cole was raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. Upon graduating from MacArthur High School, she joined the U.S. Army as a Combat Army Medic. As a non-traditional college student, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education Magna Cum Laude and continued to Grad School where she obtained a Master of Education-Adult and Career Education Summa Cum Laude, from Valdosta State University. After college, Ms. Cole began her career in economic development as a Workforce Development Coordinator and Project Manager. Near the end of 2018, her family moved to Oklahoma where she transitioned into the role of Project Manager at the Lawton Economic Development Corporation where she oversaw the FISTA project. In January 2021, Ms. Cole accepted the offer to continue working with the FISTA Development Trust Authority as the Strategic Operations Manager.
As the Strategic Operations Manager, she is responsible for managing the contractor’s database and meeting with company business developers regularly to negotiate agreements with contractors to locate in FISTA.
Ms. Cole currently serves as the FISTA Recording Secretary, Fires Patriot Government Relations Committee member, AUSA FIRES Chapter Secretary, Lawton Business Women Government Affairs Committee Chair and serves on the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Emerging Aviation Technology Sub-Committee. In 2021, she was nominated for 12:10 To the Top. Ms. Cole was also accepted into Leadership Oklahoma Class 35 in 2022.
Teira spends her free time traveling and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Jeremy, live in Elgin, and have two adult children and three delightful grandchildren.