Cece Cox is recognized for her longtime effective leadership and advocacy in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) civil rights movement. She serves as CEO of Resource Center, which operates one of the largest LGBTQ community centers in the United States, and provides health services and programs to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. The Center serves more than 60,000 people annually with a staff of over 50 employees and 1,100 volunteers.
Cox has advocated on behalf of the LGBTQ and HIV communities for around 30 years. She was instrumental in the passage of the City of Dallas’ sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy, the Dallas Independent School District’s first anti-harassment policy and its subsequent anti-bullying policy. Since June 2010, over 50,000 public sector employees and 250,000 students in the Dallas area have new or expanded LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections thanks to the Center’s advocacy.
In 2007, Cox joined the Center as associate executive director and became CEO in July 2010. Previously, she practiced commercial law and provided probono legal services to individuals with HIV. Cox is a member of SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development executive committee, board co-chair of the national organization CenterLink, and a former board member of the Dallas Women’s Foundation. In 2016, Cox was recognized as a distinguished alumna of SMU’s Dedman School of Law, and was named the LGBTQ Texan of the Year by the Dallas Voice. In 2017, she was selected as a winner of the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards.
