Cannon enjoyed a long career with Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), one of Fortune Magazine's most admired companies, and Forbes Magazine's list of "America's Best Employers". Cannon served in a leadership capacity of domestic and international corporate finance. His assignments were in various parts of the world, including Japan, The Philippines, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, and Singapore. With corporate citizenship a significant driving influence in the culture of Texas Instruments, after retiring from TI, Cannon moved to the non-profit sector where he served the next 10 years as Chief Executive Officer of a successful human rights organization based in the United States.
Simultaneously while leading in the non-profit sector, Cannon was also a founding partner in a social enterprise venture. This was a coffee shop in Dallas, TX, addressing employment barriers for people attempting to rebuild their lives and re-enter the workplace for those with non-violent criminal past, plus applying a “living wage” concept, and committing profits from the venture back into the non-profit sector in Dallas.
Cannon is widely known for his leadership practice of “management by fact” through establishing performance metrics in each area of an organization’s board and staff to drive constant performance improvement. These improvements lead to greater board and staff contributions, personal satisfaction, plus, provides credible operating data used in funding development to support the program successes of the organization. He applies a "for-profit" business model to the non-profit, care based/community based organization (CBO), with management through performance metrics. In 2007 Cannon received his certification in “Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations” at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Annual revenue (cash or non-in-kind) grew 200% over a 4-year period ($300K to $600K), while maintaining strict cost control, and even with core program expansion.
​Cannon has been involved in research and understanding the needs of the aging LGBT members of North Texas since 2011. Much of the census and data research is contained in the website (www.cfa.lgbt). In February of 2015 Cannon was invited to The White House for a National Summit on Elder LGBT Housing. At this White House Summit, it was clear the need for program development to specifically serve aging members of the LGBT community in North Texas must make step-level improvements. Thus, the Coalition for Aging LGBT was formed in June 2015, and in that month the Coalition for Aging LGBT held its inaugural Summit on LGBT Aging in Dallas at The Senior Source. The Coalition for Aging LGBT was granted nonprofit 501 (c) (3) status in June 2016.
Cannon lives in Dallas, TX, married and shares a home and life of more than 22 years with Mr. RafiQ Salleh-Flowers and their wonderful sheltie pup, Roomba.