Gary T. McCollum, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Cox Communications, was appointed to oversee all Cox operations in Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia & Roanoke in February 2010. Cox Virginia’s network reaches approximately 615,000 homes through the Commonwealth and has approximately 2,800 employees.
Gary joined Cox Communications in 1989 as a manager trainee in Hartford, Connecticut, and was later promoted to a variety of management roles, including Plant Operations Manager, Director of Network Development, and Vice President of Customer Care. Gary went on to serve as Vice President and General Manager for Cox’s Roanoke, Virginia cable system. In that role, he spearheaded an effort to bring the Information Superhighway to all segments of the community, to include low income households. In 2000, Gary was promoted to Vice President and General Manager of Cox’s newly acquired Northern Virginia system. In 2006, Gary moved to Hampton Roads to become the Region Manager and then in May 2009, added the Roanoke operations to his responsibilities.
Gary has received the following high level recognitions:
2002 Corporate Trail Blazer award (Fairfax County NAACP)
2003 Vanguard Award for Cable Operations Management (National Cable Telecommunications Association)
2003 “System of the Year” – Cox Northern Virginia (Cable World Magazine)
2005 Community Leadership Award (Northern Virginia Community Foundation)
2008 “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” (CableFAX)
2009 “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” (CableFAX)
2010 “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” (CableFAX)
2010 Inducted, VA Cable Hall of Fame (Virginia Cable and Telecommunications Association)
2011 Inducted, VA Communications Cable Hall of Fame (Virginia Commonwealth University)
Prior to joining Cox, Gary served eight years on active duty as a military intelligence officer for the U.S. Army and is currently a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. During his active duty military career, he served with the elite U.S. Army Rangers.
Gary is active in community and industry-related projects. He currently is a member of or serves on the board of the following organizations: Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association (VCTA); Vice Rector – Norfolk State University Board of Visitors; Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce (HRCC); Hampton Roads Partnership (HRP); VA Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance (HREDA); Boys and Girls’ Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula; SmartBeginnings; and ACCESS College Foundation among others.
Gary’s previous community involvement includes the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees, Joe Gibb’s Youth for Tomorrow Advisory Council, the Urban League’s Black Executive Exchange Program and he is a life member of the NAACP.
Born in a housing project in Richmond, VA, Gary was the first member of his family to graduate from college. He graduated from James Madison University with a BA in Russian Studies and Political Science, and from the University of Connecticut with an MBA, where he concentrated on telecommunications. He is also a licensed Christian minister.
Gary and his wife, Cookie, reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia and they have one daughter.
