New Board Chair Named at Edison and Ford Winter Estates

New Board of Trustees Chairman Named at Edison and Ford Winter Estates

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 21, 2022) — Edison and Ford Winter Estates has named Cole Peacock as its new Board of Trustees Chairman, commencing in the new fiscal year, which started October 1. In this role, Peacock will maintain an active membership, select all committee chairpersons, assist in the selection of committee personnel, support the mission of Edison and Ford Winter Estates, and actively help to secure additional business memberships for the organization. Peacock has been on the Board since 2006, and previously served as the Vice Chair.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve as the Chair of the Board of Trustees,” said Cole Peacock. “As one of Southwest Florida’s largest tourist attractions and a place for local children to attend summer camp, the Estates have touched many lives in the last 75 years. To follow in the footsteps of past Board Chairs and icons like Edison, Ford, and Firestone is a task not taken lightly. It’s also a great opportunity to work with the entire Estates’ team to help ensure that Edison and Ford Winter Estates remains our community’s crown jewel.”

Peacock owns RC Peacock Consulting and Manufacturing and has more than 25 years of corporate executive experience in retail, operations, strategy, governmental relations, corporate branding, charitable giving, community development, investor relations, crisis management, and social responsibility. He has held corporate executive positions at Chico’s FAS, Exeter Finance (a subsidiary of Blackstone Capital), Babcock Ranch Foundation, and Hope Health Care Services. Peacock also has experience in the Florida legislature and has administered several political campaigns. In addition, he is the founder and partner of Seed and Bean Market in Downtown Fort Myers.

Peacock has received multiple awards in his career, including the National Congressional Leadership Award in 2007, he is an alumni of Leadership Florida, he was named in the top 40 Under 40 Business Leaders in Southwest Florida in 2006, named in Gulfshore Business as one of the Top 50 Power Players in 2008, received the Governor’s Front Porch Community Award in 2004, the National Congressional Leadership Award in 2003, and was a recipient of Who’s Who in Business Leadership in 2003.

He is credited for creating Chico’s Charities, Inc., where he served as the chief executive and led corporate social responsibility initiatives locally and nationwide for the betterment of many communities. He also has held board positions with many other area organizations.

A graduate of Cumberland University, Peacock is a fifth-generation Floridian and has been a resident of Fort Myers since 1983. He is married with three children.

Edison and Ford Winter Estates
Edison and Ford Winter Estates is the internationally known winter home site of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. More than 220,000 visitors walk through the location each year from all around the globe. The organization has received many awards, including the National Stewardship Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Garden Clubs’ Historic Preservation Award. The property is an official project of “Save America’s Treasures,” a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site. The Edison Botanic Laboratory is a National Historic Chemical Landmark. The site is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and until 9 p.m. during the month of December for Holiday Nights.