Long-tenured Cox leader, Steve Rizley, announces retirement

Cox Communications Photo

PHOENIX – Cox Communications Senior Vice President and General Manager, Steve Rizley will retire at the end of the year. During his 34-year career at Cox in Phoenix, Rizley motivated and galvanized those around him, and created unique relationships with his employees, customers and the Southwest community through his many years of service to area non-profits. Rizley announced his retirement to employees last month.

In announcing Rizley’s decision to retire, Paul Cronin, Sr. Vice President of Operations, Cox Communications said “It’s never easy to say good-bye to a friend and colleague, especially one that has been a part of the Cox Family and the cable industry for more than 30 years.  As general manager, Steve worked tirelessly on his employees’ behalf each day, and made sure Arizona was at the forefront of new product launches for our customers, including brining the company’s first gigabit residential product offering to the Valley and the latest Internet speed increases to customers statewide.”

Rizley has long been a community advocate for organizations including the American Red Cross, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Arizona Historical Advisory Commission, and Cox Charities to name a few, and is a past-chair of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and campaign cabinet co-chair for the Banner/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center capital campaign.  He has also received several prestigious business and industry awards and honors including the National Cable & Telecommunications Vanguard Award and the “Man of the Year” from the American Cancer Society, as well as the Cable Television Advertising Bureau’s President’s Award. 

 “Steve’s well-deserved reputation was built on much more than his professional excellence serving Cox’s Southwest Region. During his time as Chairman of our Board of Directors, he left his mark on our Chamber and the business community with strong, visionary servant leadership that has helped shape our organization and our state. We are all indebted to Steve for his dedication and service, and I, personally, am proud to call him my friend.”  said Todd Sanders,president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

”It has been a great pleasure and inspiration having a leader like Steve at the helm for Cox for so many years.  While the company has enjoyed great success in Arizona and Nevada under Steve’s leadership, he has also made our communities stronger with his commitment to local service and business leadership,” said Susan Anable, Vice President of Public Affairs, Cox Communications Southwest Region. 

The company said it plans to announce Rizley’s replacement in the coming weeks.