A native East Texan, Cole Hefner lives in Mount Pleasant, Texas. He was elected state representative for House District 5 in May 2016. Prior to being elected to the Texas House of Representatives, Cole served as county commissioner for Upshur County and, while in office, was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation because of his service to veterans. He is a board member of the East Texas Council Regional Review Committee, a position he was appointed to by Governor Rick Perry. He is active in his community, where he is a member of the Lindale Chamber of Commerce, the Hide-A-Way Lake Kiwanis Club, and an active member at South Jefferson Baptist Church. Cole spent 16 years in the construction industry, where he owned his own business, and eventually took over the management of his family's commercial construction company. Currently, he is a small business owner in the insurance industry, and he understands the importance of hard work and conservative values. He has been married to his wife Kerri since 2002, and they have seven wonderful children. As a private pilot, he enjoys flying in his free time.