In 1981, Jim Cox began his Boys & Girls Clubs career in his hometown of Milwaukee, WI as the Club Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee's Hillside Club, located in one of the community's public housing developments.  In 1989, Jim joined Boys & Girls Clubs of America as Vice President of Urban Services, and then later served as Senior Strategist.  In these roles, Jim pioneered and uniquely championed Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s efforts in gang prevention, diversity, family strengthening, healthy lifestyles, rites of passage for adolescent males and the National Fatherhood Initiative.  He was nationally recognized for these efforts and served as an advisor and media expert on these topics.

An important role for Jim was mentoring Boys & Girls Club professionals. In addition to training thousands of Club staff in key topics such as conflict resolution, violence prevention and crisis management, Jim always found time to provide a personal touch to enlighten them with important career advice. Using his vantage as a national staff member, Jim was able to bring professionals together across regional, geographical and emotional boundaries.

To this end, Jim co-founded the Society of African American Professionals (SOAAP) whose mission is to actively promote and advocate for the equitable and sustained participation and development of African Americans as senior level managers and executives in the Boys & Girls Club Movement. He was instrumental in creating their vision of providing counsel, advice and support for the advancement of African American professionals. Created in 2001, Jim played a major role in developing this group’s aggressive agenda to nurture and elevate African American professionals working in the Boys & Girls Clubs Movement.

As a founding member of the Society of African American Professionals, Jim had a very special passion and determination for addressing the plight of the African American male.  Jim served as a catalyst for many of SOAAP’s programs including the African American Male Teen Summit and Professional Development Seminars. He understood their struggles intimately and fervently searched for ways to level the playing field of equality.  As a result, he created the hugely popular program, “Passport to Manhood”.

The James D. Cox Memorial Scholarship was established in honor and recognition of Jim Cox’s accomplishments and contributions to the Boys & Girls Movement, and to African American professionals.  Click here to read more and donate to the Scholarship Fund.