McCormack + Kristel Selected to Lead Resource Center CEO Search
VISIONARY LEADER SAYS, “TIME IS RIGHT” TO
PASS THE TORCH AT DALLAS’ RESOURCE CENTER
The future is bright as Board of Directors launches national search for new CEO of one of the top LGBTQIA+ centers in the U.S.
DALLAS (February 25, 2026) — After more than four decades influencing legal change and shaping Dallas’ civic community — including 16 years as Chief Executive Officer of Resource Center — Cece Cox has announced she will retire in early 2027.
The Resource Center Board of Directors has retained executive search firm McCormack + Kristel to conduct a national search for her successor, marking a carefully planned, thoughtful leadership transition for one of the nation’s largest LGBTQIA+ community centers, which now serves more than 60,000 North Texans each year.
“For more than 40 years, Dallas has been my home, and equity for the LGBTQIA+ community has been my pursuit,” Cox said. “Caring for friends during the early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and witnessing the community response to government indifference motivated me to build upon that foundation of advocacy and perseverance and to help create institutions and services for future generations.”
A former commercial litigator and photographer, Cox brought legal precision, creativity and civic resolve to her advocacy. Even before she earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University, she played a pivotal role in securing nondiscrimination protections for approximately 300,000 Dallas residents and students. Such work helped reshape the civic framework of the city.
When she joined Resource Center in 2007 as Associate Executive Director before assuming the role of CEO in 2010, the organization was a respected community-based service provider and advocacy group. Under her leadership, Resource Center has evolved into a sophisticated, multi-million-dollar institution with an integrated model of health care, housing, youth services, advocacy and community programming.
“Cece Cox is a once-in-a-generation leader – visionary, courageous, and unwavering in her belief that dignity must be protected in principle and built in practice,” said Christopher LaGrone, chair of Resource Center’s Board of Directors. “She has led with uncommon strength and uncommon heart, always guided by what is right, and always grounded in the people our mission serves. With resolve and clarity, she transformed Resource Center into a model of excellence – expanding care, strengthening services, and building spaces where people are safe, seen, and supported; shaping and institution that will serve generations to come.”
Significant milestones that reflect Cox’s long-term vision include:
The 2025 launch of the comprehensive Resource Center Health facility, expanding integrated, affirming medical and behavioral health care.
The 2024 opening of Oak Lawn Place, one of Texas’ first affordable LGBTQIA+-affirming senior housing communities.
The 2016 opening of the Community Center, a haven for community and Resource Center offices, programs and activities.
Significant expansion of HIV prevention and treatment services, behavioral health care and youth and family programming.
Growth in annual operating revenue and long-term financial sustainability, enabling the organization to serve more than 60,000 individuals each year.
Under Cox’s tenure, Resource Center strengthened its position as a regional leader in HIV testing, treatment and PrEP navigation; expanded mental health services tailored to LGBTQIA+ clients; and broadened youth and family programs supporting those facing rejection or housing instability.
“Cece’s retirement marks the close of an extraordinary chapter, but it’s not an ending,” LaGrone said. “It is a legacy – written into the very fabric of Dallas; into the programs she expanded, the campuses she helped build, the rights she vigilantly protected, and the countless lives made safer and stronger because she led. Resource Center will carry that legacy forward with pride.”
For Cox, the decision is grounded in confidence.
“This is the right time,” she said. “Resource Center is strong. The leadership team is exceptional, and the mission – empowering LGBTQIA+ people and communities to live healthy, fulfilling lives – remains urgent and enduring. I look forward to watching the next generation lead with courage.”
About Resource Center®. Founded in Dallas in 1983, Resource Center (originally named the Foundation for Human Understanding) is the nation’s second largest center providing a wide range of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and more (LGBTQIA+) community members and critical assistance to people living with HIV and AIDS and for their families. More than 60,000 people each year benefit from services including medical, dental, nutritional, legal, mental health, housing and financial support through multiple clinics and facilities throughout the Dallas area. For more information, go to myresourcecenter.org.
About McCormack + Kristel. McCormack + Kristel is a nationally respected executive search firm with deep expertise in discovering transformational leadership talent for mission-driven organizations. Grounded in the belief that visionary leaders fuel innovation, nurture creativity, and inspire action, the firm is passionate about connecting nonprofit and philanthropic clients with top-tier executives who ignite impact. For more than three decades, McCormack + Kristel has been distinguished by a record of success in placing exceptional leaders in social impact organizations across the country. For more information, go to www.mccormackkristel.com. To find the CEO job description, click here.
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Contact: Monica Cordova
214-434-0030 m.