Kelly Cox

Kelly Cox is an environmental attorney and advocate. As director of everglades policy, Cox oversees Audubon’s Everglades work by coordinating efforts in public policy, advocacy, and science in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. In 2022, Cox was elected to serve as Co-Chair of the Everglades Coalition—an alliance of nearly 60 non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing Everglades restoration. Based in South Florida, Cox is heavily involved in restoration efforts that benefit Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and Everglades National Park

Cox also serves on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council as a voting member in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Seat. She is a member of the FKNMS Connectivity Team and assists in coordinating efforts for the Florida Keys Restoration Partnership—a coalition of environmental non-profit organizations working to advance protections for natural resources of the Florida Keys.

Since 2017, Cox has been a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, where she teaches in Environmental Law and Policy, Fisheries and Wildlife Law and Policy, and other courses to graduate-level students. She has published in academic literature on topics such as mangrove protections, invasive species, and threatened and endangered species. Cox holds a JD/ MPS from the University of Miami and completed her undergraduate studies in Natural Resources and Political Science at North Carolina State University. A South Florida native, Cox enjoys fishing, kayaking, and exploring the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park in her spare time.