Daughter Emily Searle, who lives in Welcome Bay, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2016.
"As a family, we had a difficult couple of years but that strength I found helping my family deal with the difficult circumstance is the strength I will draw on to have the confidence to serve the community here."
Cole was a magistrate in the United Kingdom for seven years before moving to Tauranga in 2012.
The community magistrate also holds roles on the Benefits Review Committee and District Licensing Committee.
As Community Magistrate, she will be dealing with matters including bail applications, name suppression orders and driving offences.
"What drives me is that one day you might make a difference to one person's life that sets them on the right track in life and takes them off a road of criminality.
"If you help one person, it is one person less into the criminal justice system."
Since moving to Tauranga, Cole has been involved in community groups including the Papamoa Sunset Women's Institute and the Anglican Parish of Mount Maunganui.
Cole has also helped to collect resources for the Tauranga Women's Refuge and Papamoa Family Services, as well as children's reading at Tahatai Coast School.
She was looking forward to her new role and said the existing community magistrates had been a great support.
"I feel a big challenge is before me, one that I am ready to have a go at," she said.
Five things about Shaun Cole:
- She is great at making novelty birthday cakes. Her four grandchildren - aged 4, 5, 8, and 11 - plan their birthday cakes months in advance.
- She enjoys keeping fit. Her exercise of choice is walking up Papamoa Hills or being in her vegetable garden.
- She is a very creative person. Her husband Mike calls her a "craftaholic".
- She likes to keep a clean and tidy home. She calls herself "a bit of a cleaning freak".
- Her favourite food is fresh summer berries. Her favourite day out is picking fresh raspberries from a berry farm.
