Kenneth Hammel Cole

Kenneth Hammel Cole

Kenneth (Ken) Hammel Cole was born on September 22, 1938, in Los Angeles, CA and passed away on May 2, 2022 in Albuquerque, NM following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Jane Nakayama Cole, and daughter Suzanna Cole. Ken was raised in Los Angeles and earned a B.A. degree from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA, and a J.D. degree from University of California Berkeley Law School.

In the 1960s, he served two years in the Peace Corps in Guayaquil, Ecuador in a program to support a startup system of credit unions. Up to the present day, the credit union system continues to provide financial services to local population groups. Following the Peace Corps, his interest in international economic development continued throughout his career. He spent 28 years at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) in Washington, D.C. At IADB, his projects included coordinating a program to combat family poverty through micro-finance and micro-enterprise throughout Latin America. He served as president of the Esquel Group Foundation from 1995-2001, promoting the strengthening of civil society and conservation of arid lands in Latin American countries.

In 2004, Ken and Jane moved to Albuquerque, NM. He became a Board Member and six year Chairperson of the Board of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWild). He also pursued his long time interest in birdwatching, taking many international trips to expand his list of birds to 8100 separate species. Other volunteer activities were in diverse areas including politics, college alumni organizations, and the International Folk Art Market. Throughout his life, he was committed to economic development in Latin America, conservation of natural resources, world travel and appreciation of the arts, crafts, and birds of various regions of the world. Ken would advise others to "understand excellence, strive for excellence, and do not be fooled into thinking that mediocre is good enough".

A Celebration of Ken's Life will be held on Sunday, September 18, 2022. Gifts in Ken's memory can be made to New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, (nmwild.org), PO Box 25464, Albuquerque, NM 87125, or to a charity of your choice.