Kimra Cole serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Columbia Gas of Kentucky, a NiSource subsidiary. She has profit and loss responsibility, as well as oversight of risk management, regulatory, legislative, and external affairs, focusing on delivering safe, reliable and efficient natural gas service to customers across the company’s Kentucky service area.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
During her 23 years with Columbia Gas of Kentucky and NiSource, Cole has served in various leadership roles in marketing, engineering, and operations. Before taking the helm as the first female president at Columbia Gas in 2019, she served as Vice President of Distribution Operations, a role in which she managed more than 700 employees and contractors and a $385 million budget for multiple departments across NiSource’s footprint. Earlier in her career, Cole served as Director of Engineering for the Kentucky Public Service Commission and Commissioner of General Services for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. In 2020, she was named in The Lane Report’s “Top Women in Business” listing.

BOARD AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
Cole currently serves on the boards of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Lexington Partnership. She also sits on the executive council of the Southern Gas Association, the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, and is a member of the Shriners Corporate Council.

EDUCATION
Cole has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky. She has completed multiple business and leadership programs with prominent organizations, including the Wharton School of Business, The Kentucky Institute of Economic Development, and the American Gas Association.

COMMUNITY/FAMILY
Cole is a native of Richmond, Kentucky, and now resides in Lexington. She is married to Bob Cole, president of The Coleman Group, a commercial real estate and property management firm. The couple has two children, Alec and Ashton.