John Kim Cook

Director, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Photo of John Kim Cook

Dr. John Kim Cook was named Director of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) in August 2007.

CFBCI was established by Executive Order 13397, signed by President George W. Bush in March 2006. The Center's role is to coordinate the Department's efforts in eliminating regulatory, contracting and other programmatic obstacles to the participation of faith-based and community organizations in the Department's social and community service programs.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Cook served as Senior Advisor to the DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.  He also served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). First appointed to the Bush Administration in February 2001, he also served as Senior Intergovernmental Officer at DOL and as Special Assistant in the U.S. Department of Health of Human Services' Administration for Children and Families.

In his native state of Texas, Dr. Cook spent more than a decade in both public and private Texas higher education institutions, a number of years in radio broadcasting, served two members of the Texas House of Representatives, and in 2000 was appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush to be Austin Director of the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations.

Dr. Cook holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration and public policy from Texas A&M University, a Master's in education administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Baylor University. He currently resides with his wife and two young sons in Vienna, VA.

Last Modified: Thursday, 19-Jun-2008 16:12:15 EDT