Cookie Gregory Ruiz, C.F.R.E has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of strategic planning, organizational development, and non-profit fund-raising/management, which includes work with the United Way and the American Red Cross. Since 2002 she has held the professional designation of Certified Fund Raising Executive (C.F.R.E.) by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Her community honors include Austin Business Journal’s “Profiles in Power” Award, Austin Community Foundation’s Beverly S. Sheffield Award for Excellence as a Nonprofit Executive, The American Red Cross “Clara Barton Medal of Honor,” Volunteer of the Year for the Austin Independent School District, The Junior League of Austin Volunteer Extraordinaire Award, the Lone Star Girl Scout Council “Women of Distinction” Award, and is a former President of The Junior League of Austin. Ruiz is a member of the Mayor’s Citizen Cabinet in Austin, Texas, and has served as the city-wide Chair of CreateAustin, as a City Council appointee to The Citizen’s Advisory Council of ImagineAustin, and is a graduate of Austin’s City Works Academy.
Ruiz is a past chair of the Board of Trustees of Dance/USA, a member of the national Board of Directors of the Performing Arts Alliance (Washington, DC), a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), a member the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Texans for the Arts, a member of the Board of Directors of Con Mi Madre (past president), a member of National Arts Strategies International Chief Executive Program, a member of the Board of Directors of Austin Housing Works (Affordable Housing), a community advisor to the Young Women’s Alliance (YWA), and the Community Advisory Board of KMFA.
As a graduate of Leadership Austin, Ruiz co-founded the diversity/principle-based curriculum for the Teen Leadership Austin program, served as a member of the Leadership Austin Board of Directors and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. Additionally, Ruiz provided the research and development for the nationally recognized Hispanic Mother/Daughter Program (Con Mi Madre), as well as three other nationally replicated social service programs.
Ruiz has served as a speaker, facilitator, and presenter for a variety of leadership conferences, including the National Conference on Community Leadership, the National Performing Arts Conference, American for the Arts Annual Convention, The Governor’s Women’s Business Leadership Forum, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. In 1996 Ruiz joined the staff of Ballet Austin as development director, became general manager in 1997, and executive director in 1999.
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