Deborah Cox is the new vice president for the Castell Project, a not-for-profit that promotes women in the hospitality industry. Previously she was principal of Interacting Dynamics, a full-service consultancy focused on marketing, corporate communication and merger integration.
Previously, Cox was co-founder and principal of CoMass Group, an organization aimed at preventing incivility and lateral violence in the healthcare community. She also was on the development committee and secretary of TAG FinTech, a Technology Association of Georgia industry group that promotes Georgia as a center for financial technology.
She holds a master’s degree in conflict management from Kennesaw State University, a master’s degree in business administration in finance from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from College of Charleston. She also is a Chartered Financial Analyst and certified Civil Mediator. Cox is an active member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta.
“Deb has been instrumental in helping Castell expand to where it is today, and we realize she is pivotal to continued growth as we work towards our goal of seeing at least one in three women at the C-Suite level within the hospitality industry,” said Peggy Berg, founder and chair of the Castell Project. “Her background in strategic planning, equality issues and conflict resolution have made her an invaluable part of our organization. As we have scaled programs and increased our outreach, her behind-the-scenes work has taken us from a start-up mentality to a well-organized machine. The board and I are confident Deb will play a critical role in realizing Castell Project’s goal of a more gender-neutral workplace.”
“The Castell Project has a noble mission I’ve spent much of my personal career working to accomplish,” Cox said. “I look forward to utilizing my skillset as the organization continues to grow and impact gender diversity in the hospitality workplace. Peggy and her team have done fantastic work bringing numerous equality issues to the forefront of conversations, and many hospitality companies are starting to follow her lead. I am humbled to help more women reach their rightful place in the upper echelons of power in the hospitality industry.”
In June, the Castell Project released a report that found African Americans are underrepresented in the executive ranks of the U.S. hotel industry.
