Jason L. Cole, vice president of federal government relations at MetLife in Washington, D.C., has been named Cornell’s associate vice president for university relations, Vice President Joel Malina announced Dec. 2. Cole will begin his new position Jan. 1, 2017.

Cole has more than 16 years of experience in government and government relations, with a broad background in organizational leadership, public policy development and advocacy, media relations, and political, issue and brand campaigns.

In his new role, Cole will serve as the senior adviser and principal deputy to Malina, and provide day-to-day operational guidance and support to the division. The new position was created to lead implementation efforts for division priorities and initiatives, and to enhance integration among the units within University Relations: federal, state and community relations, strategic communications, media relations and news, marketing, visitor relations and the assemblies.

“Jason brings to Cornell a strong background in collaboration, relationship-building and strategic communications,” Malina said. “His broad organizational experience will be key as we more tightly align and integrate across the division on the many strategic initiatives that advance the university’s mission, as well as on the immediate efforts to support our new president, Martha Pollack, when she arrives in April.”

In addition to serving as a de facto chief of staff for the division, Cole will assist the Office of Federal Relations to advance Washington, D.C., thought-leadership opportunities for Cornell faculty. He also will oversee the Office of Visitor Relations and the public affairs activities of the Office of Federal Relations.

“My career has been predicated on helping people collaborate, build on best practices and move toward a common set of goals,” Cole said. “So when the opportunity to come to Cornell arose, I felt I could make a career change, leveraging my skill set of advocacy and strategic communications to advance the good work that Cornell is doing in Ithaca, New York City, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere nationwide and globally.”

Prior to his current position on the senior leadership team for MetLife’s Corporate Affairs and Global Government Relations, Cole served as chief of staff for Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., and as legislative director for former Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan. In both roles, he successfully developed relationships with a wide range of public officials; led coalitions of national and local businesses, trade associations and nonprofit organizations; and developed and executed legislative and communications strategies.

Cole also spent more than five years as executive director for the U.S. Office of Public Policy at UBS Americas, where he worked with legislators, executive branch officials, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, think tanks and the media, as well as government affairs professionals in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

He earned an M.P.A. from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 1998, and a bachelor’s in philosophy and political science from Kansas State University in 1997.

Cole said his wife, Sheila, and their three children will move to Ithaca when the school year ends in June.