Cece Cox
Chief Executive Officer
Resource Center
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 nearly 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 a quarter-million 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 pro bono legal services to individuals with HIV. Cox is a member of the executive committee for SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development; the Dallas Assembly; and Dallas Summit. She is 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 an outstanding alumna of SMU’s Dedman School of Law, and she was named the LGBTQ Texan of the Year by the Dallas Voice. In June 2017, Cox was selected as a winner of the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards.
Cox is also a former president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance (DGLA), a former co-chair of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/Dallas and a former officer of the LGBT Section of the State Bar of Texas. She is an alumna of Leadership Dallas and Leadership Lambda & was recognized with the Kuchling Humanitarian Award from Black Tie Dinner in 1999.
Cox is a former professional photographer who co-authored a book chronicling the 1993 March on Washington for gay and lesbian rights. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and is a proud alumna of SMU’s Dedman School of Law. Cox is a member of the State Bar of Texas. She lives in Dallas with her partner and son.