ATLANTA, August 17, 2020—Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, today announced that Deborah L. Cox has been promoted to vice president.

“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, chair , Castell Project, Inc.  “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.

Prior to joining the Castell Project, Cox was principal of Interacting Dynamics, a full-service consultancy focused on strategic and influencer marketing, corporate communication and merger integration.    Previously, she was co-founder and principal of CoMass Group, an organization that designed and delivered programs to address issues of incivility and lateral violence within the healthcare community.  She also was on the development committee and secretary of TAG FinTech, a Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) industry group focused on promoting Georgia as a center for financial technology. For over 15 years earlier in her career, Cox led investor relations, industry analyst relations and public relations at numerous multi-national software companies including XcelleNet and Infor.

Cox received a Master of Science in conflict management from Kennesaw State University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from College of Charleston.  She also is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and certified Civil Mediator.  Cox is an active member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta.

“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.”