Lori A. Cox is vice president of programs at The California Wellness Foundation. She has 30 years of notable success working on behalf of communities, individuals, families and at-risk children. Her career, which has spanned the non-profit and government sectors from direct service to state and federal policy development and implementation, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to forging productive working relationships that engage residents as active partners in creating healthy, thriving communities.
Previously, Cox served as the Director of the Alameda County Social Services Agency, leading the County’s largest agency serving nearly 400,000 residents per month. Her agency oversaw critical safety-net programs such as Child Welfare, Adult Protection, Cal Fresh (formerly food stamps), In Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Medi-Cal eligibility, and other cash aid programs. She was appointed to this role by the Board of Supervisors in July 2011. In her 25+ years with the Alameda County Social Services Agency, Cox has led the design and implementation of several highly successful programs and innovative approaches including contracting approximately $100 million per year to community serving organizations.
She has been involved in volunteer or appointed leadership roles with organizations including the Bay Area Social Services Consortium/Mack Center on Nonprofit and Public Sector Management at UC Berkeley, the County Welfare Directors Association of California, First 5 Alameda County, and the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority, among others.
Cox holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master of science degree in counseling psychology from California State University, Hayward.