Youndy C. Cook has served as Vice-President and General Counsel at the University of Central Florida since December 2021, where she leads the Office of the General Counsel in providing legal services to the entire university and its DSOs. Ms. Cook joined the Office of the General Counsel in April 2002, where she served as Associate General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and Associate Vice President and Senior Deputy General Counsel, before being appointed Interim Vice President and General Counsel in December of 2020. Prior to joining the university, she practiced labor and employment litigation at law firms in Tampa, Florida. Ms. Cook works with departments and units across the university on a wide variety of issues, including general advice, employment issues, litigation, student affairs, policies and procedures, regulations, and contracts.
A Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, Ms. Cook received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law. Ms. Cook is active in the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the Florida Bar. She is certified by the Florida Bar as an education law specialist. In addition to providing training around campus, she has spoken various times at education law conferences. Ms. Cook has served on various university committees and work groups over the years, most recently the Expanded EICRT for Coronavirus Response.