Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Cox is originally from Northwest Ohio. He attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and served in the Marine Corps for 20 years as a Naval Aviator flying attack helicopters. Jamie’s operational career included deployments for Operations Desert Storm (Kuwait), Restore Hope (Somalia), Uphold Democracy (Haiti), and Iraqi Freedom (Iraq). He flew 117 combat missions and was recognized for valor and courage in combat multiple times. Additionally, he received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action in Fallujah, Iraq, in April 2004. His non-operational tours included serving as an instructor pilot at the prestigious Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, two tours in the Pentagon, and a highly competitive US Department of Agriculture Congressional Fellowship. During the fellowship, he was assigned to the United States House of Representatives for eighteen months and coauthored 13 federal appropriations bills and other legislation.

After serving in the Marine Corps, Jamie was sought after and hired for several high-profile jobs. This included working as a VP with Cassidy & Associates, the oldest lobbying firm in Washington, DC, as well as working as a VP in L3Harris Technologies (formerly L3 Communications) (ranked Fortune #474). Jamie also served as the Chief Business Architect for a Textron (Fortune #229) special CEO-directed program. This program achieved great success by defining, designing, manufacturing, assembling, testing, and flying a new class of aircraft in less than 24 months.

In 2014, Jamie and his wife established JLC Squared LLC, a boutique consulting firm offering professional training, leadership, and management services. In 2015, Jamie began his career leading community impact and human service organizations. His first significant CEO role led to a complete turnaround of a struggling human service organization. This increased consumers from 800 to over 1,750 per month, while achieving a compound annual growth rate of 33%.

After completing his Master’s in Business Administration program at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2019, Jamie took on the role of President and CEO of United Way of Northern New York (UWNNY) in June 2019. During his time at United Way, Jamie led a successful transformation of the organization into a dynamic and advanced business that has significantly impacted the way communities address social challenges. Under Jamie’s leadership, UWNNY diversified and established new revenue streams established the North STAR Center for Professional Development and implemented a program to rapidly address the needs of individuals and families in crisis across the organization’s 6,600 square mile region.

Jamie took on the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of St. Joseph County (UWSJC) in South Bend, Indiana, in January 2024. He is married to Jacquelyn Cox (formerly Carter) and is the dad to three adult children: Jake, Danica, and Jessica. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys spending time with his family and their three dogs, as well as restoring vehicles, fitness and attending various faith and service-focused retreats.

Contact Jamie at jcox@uwsjc.org