The United Way of St. Joseph County has postponed their annual breakfast that had been set for this morning, as they start a search for a new leader.
They’ve named Chief Operating Officer Mark Herriman as interim CEO while they search for a permanent replacement for Cox. Herriman declined to say whether Cox had quit or been fired by the board of directors.
"I'm not at liberty to talk about circumstances because of privacy issues," Herriman said, "not only Jamie's privacy but that of the United Way itself."
Herriman said the leadership shakeup should not affect the United Way’s biggest recent project, its OneRoof Southeast Neighborhood Center in South Bend, which Herriman oversees anyway. Nor should it slow a pilot program aimed at helping families on the edge of needing social services.
"The differences that I would expect is that I'm going to need to get out there and make maybe different relationships than I have maintained in the past. I likely need to spend a lot more time with donors and companies that have supported United Way throughout the years."
The board hired the 59-year-old Cox in January 2024 to replace Laura Jensen, who had the job for five years.
Cox declined WVPE's interview request Thursday. He said a non-disclosure agreement with United Way prohibited him from saying whether he was fired.
Cox had apparently deleted his LinkedIn profile as of Wednesday. The United Way website says he was previously CEO of the United Way of Northern New York for five years. It says Cox had been an attack helicopter pilot in the Marines for 20 years, earning a Purple Heart in Iraq and rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
