Community and public service is something that Cory grew up around at an early age. In high school, Cory was a member of Troop 35, Boy Scouts of American Aloha Chapter, and obtained the rank of Eagle Scout. After moving home to Hawai’i, Cory began his career at the Hawaii Disability Rights Center advocating and protecting the rights of people with disabilities from discrimination in employment, education, housing, and public access.

After leaving the Center, Cory began a career serving in the Hawaii State Legislature serving as a Legislative Aide to the House Majority Leader, Research Attorney for the Legislative Reference Bureau, and Staff Attorney to the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. In these roles, Cory drafted bills and advised legislators on policy matters before the members. In 2010, Cory co-authored a Legislative Study on the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board.

He then moved on to serve 9 years as the Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. In this role, Cory worked to pass legislation at the state and federal level to benefit cancer patients and their families. Some notable policies are ensuring oral chemotherapy medication remains in parity with intravenous medications, requiring health insurers to be more transparent with the drug formulary costs, securing funding for liver cancer research, and making the University of Hawaii tobacco free.

Cory currently works with the Honolulu City Council as a Senior Advisor. In this role, he provides analysis and recommendations on legislation before the Council. Through his experience with state and county issues, Cory is able to understand issues that his neighbors face and provide assistance with navigating various government departments and functions. He has also worked on both the state and city budgets, understanding government financing and the cost of providing government services.