Retirement Celebration for Gary Cox

Please join us as we celebrate Gary Cox's retirement from public health practice after more than 50 years of service! Help us show Gary how much he means to us by recording a video message at https://getmontage.co/s/XLK53

Gary Cox served as former Interim Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health; Director of the Tulsa Health Department; and Director of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department; and served as an Associate Professor for 20 years and Professor and Associate Dean of Public Health Practice at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Hudson College of Public Health since 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gary worked with the CDC Foundation on a grant to make vaccines and educational materials available to underserved communities. Gary served as Chair of the Governor’s Joint Commission on Public Health. He was a founding member of the Tulsa Community Health Foundation; current member of the American Public Health Association and Oklahoma Public Health Association; and serves on the State and Territorial Health Official’s Alumni Society.

Gary served as President of the Indian Nations Council of Governments General Assembly and had previously served as a member of the Indian Nations Council of Governments Board of Directors and testified before the United States Senate Committee on appropriations regarding Homeland Security and Bioterrorism.

Gary is the recipient of two Governor’s Commendation Awards, the Oklahoma Champion of Health Award, and the Oklahoma Public Health Association President’s Award.

Gary Cox works to achieve collective goals of public health education, health workforce development, and partnerships with governmental public health and community organizations. He has served on the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for more than 10 years, serving as President from 2008-2009.