Gregory Pierre Cox has been named executive director of development for the School of Humanities, starting on August 15, 2023.
Gregory joins the school from the Pacific Symphony, where he’s served as the vice president of development and external relations for the last 10 years. There he was responsible for strategic planning and management of all advancement programs, leading a large team to beat the previous year’s fundraising goals for five years in a row. In addition to raising over $11 million this fiscal year to support the Symphony’s programs, Gregory secured funding for many new Pacific Symphony “firsts”: first Youth Orchestra (as well as regular symphony) tour of China, first Carnegie Hall performance and first national PBS broadcast. During his tenure at the Pacific Symphony, Gregory has raised over $100 million for the organization.
Gregory’s professional career is one that has spanned two primary intellectual commitments: education and the performing arts. As the former vice president of advancement at Claremont Graduate University, Gregory grew the endowment for the university by over $40 million and significantly expanded alumni relations. Prior to that, he served as executive director of major gifts for CSU Long Beach. In the world of the performing arts, Gregory led a successful $27 million campaign at Southern California Public Radio (89.3 KPCC and 90.3 KVLA) and served in leadership roles for the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra X in Houston, TX.
Gregory has a reputation for leadership that creates an environment of inclusivity among staff and volunteers all the while producing programs that value diversity, engagement and high-yield results. For Gregory, the humanities are essential for understanding human expression, and are especially relevant during times of uncertainty and technological innovation. As executive director, Gregory will lead all development activities within the School of Humanities and support fundraising efforts for IMCA, UCI’s new institute and museum of California art.
Fun fact: Upon moving to Orange County over 12 years ago, Gregory discovered a passion for collecting early Californian women painters, and was particularly inspired by the work and story of Anna Althea Hills, who founded the Laguna Beach Art Museum.