The Leon Institute Welcomes Aimee Cox as Executive Director
For Immediate Release
[Santa Ana, CA] – [May 8, 2024] – The Leon Institute (TLI) is delighted to announce the appointment of Aimee Cox as its new Executive Director. With a robust background in community development, systems of care, and addressing social determinants of health, Aimee brings a wealth of experience and an unwavering commitment to fostering transformational change through collaboration.
Aimee Cox joins TLI from National Healthcare and Housing Advisors, where she served as a Senior Advisor. In this role, she provided technical assistance to providers implementing CalAIM Community Supports and Enhanced Care Management. Her extensive career also includes her tenure as Chief Impact and Strategy Officer for the San Diego Continuum of Care, where she engaged with youth and youth providers to build a youth-driven ecosystem of housing and care and guided Managed Health Care Plans in addressing housing insecurity for Medi-Cal Members.
A native of Colorado’s Pikes Peak region, Aimee’s public service career is distinguished by her leadership in high-profile projects spanning parks and recreation, housing, economic development, and community health. As an appointed director of Colorado Springs’ HUD-funded programs, she led homelessness initiatives, advocating for the region’s first low barrier shelter, day center, and permanent supportive housing complex. Understanding that homelessness is a health crisis, she transitioned to lead a community health nonprofit focused on improving care for 170,000 Medicaid Members and achieving health equity.
Aimee's journey also includes serving as Mayor Pro Tem in her hometown of Manitou Springs, CO, where she helped guide downtown revitalization efforts during the Great Recession. Currently, Aimee is furthering her passion for lifelong learning by training to sail historic tall ships with the San Diego Maritime Museum.
Reflecting on her career and commitment to community development, Aimee shares, “The saying is, the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution... I've always tried to carry the ideas of the people I was working with, my neighbors.”
Aimee’s personal experiences have also shaped her professional journey. Growing up in a low-income household, she overcame significant obstacles to pursue higher education and a career dedicated to public service. She recalls that attending a sociology class with a friend at the University of Colorado Springs set her on a path to enroll in college, graduate with honors and initiate several impactful programs, further changing the trajectory of her life and opening doors she never thought possible.
Aimee’s vision for The Leon Institute is clear: to transform the health of people and the places of our lives. The Leon Institute is confident that under Aimee’s leadership, the organization will continue to innovate and advocate for the well-being of the communities it serves. Please join us in welcoming Aimee Cox to The Leon Institute.
About The Leon Institute: The Leon Institute exists to transform the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations and under-resourced communities by equipping them with knowledge and skills to create meaningful and lasting change. We do this by providing quality, evidence-based and community-defined training, connecting diverse groups of people to address urgent health challenges, and conducting and disseminating research to improve care delivery.