Katie Cobb

Katie Cobb, named one of Arizona’s top 50 women in business and one of 48 of Arizona’s Most Intriguing Women through the Arizona Centennial Legacy Initiative for her impact in her community, excels at connecting organizations and leaders with stakeholders to drive engagement, profitability and growth. With over 20 years of experience in fundraising, media, marketing, public affairs and community relations, Katie is an innovative change agent capable of making significant impact through work.

Since joining BNF as its President, Katie led a comprehensive transformation of the Barrow Neurological Foundation resulting in the organization becoming the leading fundraiser in the entire CommonSpirit/DignityHealth system and Common Spirit’s 2020 Foundation of the Year besting over 80 other foundations within the philanthropic organization. She closed the largest philanthropic gift ($25 million) to a neuroscience/brain tumor center in the country and the largest gift for the Dignity Health system in its history. Katie consequently established a wholly-owned LLC under BNF governance with the goal of curing brain cancer within 10 years. This was followed with an additional $38 million gift in 2020 to contract a new worldwide research headquarters for the center. Also, Katie cultivated a $21 million gift establishing a groundbreaking educational endowment for international education and outreach and undergraduate research programs. In addition, she managed an effective capital raise for the new $43 million Barrow Neuroplex building.

Prior to Barrow Neurological Foundation, Katie was the Senior Vice President for Advancement for Great Hearts Academies and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for The Phoenix Symphony.

Katie began her career as Deputy Press Secretary for Arizona Governor Fife Symington, then moved on to join the New York launch team of “America’s Talking,” the cable network that would ultimately evolve into MSNBC as a senior producer.   Katie then accepted a position to open the Los Angeles bureau of Fox News Channel and then moved back to Arizona as a managing partner with Actual Media, a strategic communications, media and marketing political consulting firm.

Recognized throughout the Phoenix community as a change agent capable of making significant impact through her work, Katie currently is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Xavier College Preparatory, was honored by being named a Virginia G. Piper Fellow, was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to the Governor’s Tourism Advisory Council, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Phoenix Symphony and is a Rocky Mountain Emmy Award winner.

A graduate of Loyola Marymount University and a mother of three, Katie devotes her talents to numerous charitable and educational endeavors and is a passionate advocate for military veterans, healthcare, education and the arts in Arizona.