William "Bill" Cote - Trustee of the Trust Funds

WILLIAM (BILL) COTE - Trustee of the Trust Funds
21 Littlehale Road

Education:  BA, UNH; BS, SUNY

Occupation:  Retired

Years as Durham Resident:  43 years

Previous Service on Governmental/Community/Civic Boards: 
From 2010 to 2013, I was an elected Durham Town Councilor and was ultimately appointed to serve as the Council representative to the Durham Planning Board.  During my tenure, significant, large-scale (mostly residential) construction took place necessitating extensive regulatory research and resulting in significant public input.  Prior to my service on the Council, I was an elected member of the Durham Planning Board from 1996 to 2002.  During that time, the board was responsible for the final draft of the 2000 Master Plan, the development of Durham’s first telecommunications ordinance and the approvals of the Sprucewood complex.

I served the Durham Fire Department first as a call firefighter and later as a permanent firefighter, captain and deputy chief where I was responsible for code enforcement, public education and fire investigation.  I left the fire service 12 years to explore the corporate and municipal sectors.  I was also member of the Durham Ambulance Corps (now McGregor Memorial EMS) from 1973 to 1992 and served in several capacities including training officer and am an Honorary Member.  From June 2013, until my retirement in December 2018, I served as the first Executive Director of McGregor Memorial EMS, heading an organization of some 80 volunteers and limited paid staff.

Reason for Interest in Running for Elected Office:
My interests lie in being fiduciarily responsible for funds under the Trustees’ control, in honoring the letter of the trusts, and in the care of and proper reverence to our numerous cemeteries and graveyards.  Working collaboratively with various committees and groups allows for prudent disbursement of funds.

Additional Background Information:
For over 20 years, I was involved with municipal governments around the state and assisted many municipalities with political and operational issues.  I have developed and piloted courses on leadership for municipal departments and served on several statewide committees addressing, in particular, public works and highway department issues.

As Executive Director of McGregor Memorial EMS (a nonprofit organization), I was and remain acutely aware of limited finances and the need for maximizing our investments.  I believe this has served me well as a trustee.

I also completed the coaching program through UNH Continuing Education and have taken numerous courses on behavioral management and consensus building.