Cofran was the first Executive Director of Kansas City Consensus, a metropolitan-wide citizens' organization devoted to identifying and solving issues of major importance to the Kansas City area. Active in local politics, he served on the Kansas City, Missouri City Council for two terms from 1987 – 1995 where he chaired the Finance Committee and the Economic Development Committee. He served on the Mid-America Regional Council Board of Directors from 1991 through 1995 where he was the Missouri Co-Chair of the Missouri Total Transportation Committee. Cofran also served as MARC’s Missouri Co-Chair of the Metropolitan Performing and Visual Arts Task Force. Most recently, he served as Chairman of the Citizens Association of Kansas City, Inc.