Special to the Ledger

Steven Cole

Steven Cole, founding member of the New York Region’s Next Generation Philanthropy (NGP), served as the inaugural honoree of the seventh annual Imagine Gala, held on Nov. 6 in New York City. Imagine is the NGP capstone event of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) centennial celebration. Cole was noted for his passion, commitment and dedication to ADL’s mission to create a “world without hate.”

A native of Manchester, Cole is director of legal solutions for Pangea3. He served as co-chair of Imagine in 2008, leading a team that raised more than $90,000 for ADL. He was a member of the New York Regional Board and served on the inaugural ArtWorks ADL: Justice, Advocacy & Art host committee.

Founded in 2007, the Imagine Gala has brought together more than 1,600 emerging leaders and professionals and raised more than $300,000 to support ADL’s work in New York State.

“I’m thrilled to be honored by an organization that worked tirelessly over the past 100 years protecting people, religious freedoms and democratic ideals,” said Cole. “ADL’s mission is, unfortunately, still very relevant to our times and I’m proud to be able to play a role in helping it continue its vital mission.”

Cole is a graduate of Kingswood Oxford in West Hartford. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Union College and his law degree from Albany Law School. Growing up, he was a member of Beth Sholom B’nai Israel, where he attended religious school.

Cole is the son of Florence and Daniel Cole of Manchester.