Executive Staff

Vice President for UCO Foundation and Alumni Engagement
President of the UCO Foundation

Art Cotton

Art Cotton has served as the vice president for Foundation and Alumni Engagement at the University of Central Oklahoma and the president of the UCO Foundation since 2021.

Cotton brings an impressive record of success in fundraising and administrative management both in and outside of higher education to the vice president role. His 30 years of experience includes serving as senior director of development at the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, vice president for university advancement and external relations at Oklahoma City University, vice president for development at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, senior director of major gifts for the Oklahoma State University Foundation, chief of staff for the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, manager of business development and marketing for The Benham Group and associate director for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

He also served as president of Cotton Consulting a comprehensive fundraising and campaign management firm that provided services to nonprofit organizations and those who support them.

He is also committed to serving the community. He currently serves as board chair for Pivot and current or past involvement with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Oklahoma Arts Institute Foundation, Teach for America, State of Oklahoma Board of Legislative Compensation and deadCenter Film Festival. He is a member of Leadership Oklahoma, Class II.

He holds a master’s degree in public administration/environmental sciences and a bachelor’s in political science (public affairs) from Oklahoma State University.