Governor Greg Abbott has announced the upcoming retirement of Cecile Erwin Young, Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services (HHS), effective January 2, 2026.
“Commissioner Young served Texas selflessly for almost four decades, and her lifelong dedication to improving the health and well-being of Texans is unmatched,” said Governor Abbott. “Throughout her leadership at Texas Health and Human Services and her career as a public servant, she demonstrated her commitment to excellence and integrity, and remained focused on caring for Texans and helping them thrive. She leaves a remarkable legacy. I thank her for her exceptional service to the State of Texas and to generations of Texans.”
Commissioner Young also commented on her retirement: “I’m grateful to Governor Abbott for entrusting me to serve in this important role. It has truly been the highlight of my career. This agency impacts every Texan, and I have been honored to serve the people of this state alongside our dedicated staff.”
During Young’s tenure, she played a key role in stabilizing operations at HHS, increasing transparency, reforming regulatory frameworks, securing a decade-long federal Medicaid 1115 Transformation Waiver extension, redesigning payment programs for health care safety nets, overhauling Medicaid managed care procurement processes, implementing maternal health improvements, developing an artificial intelligence policy for the agency, and overseeing expansion projects at state psychiatric hospitals.
A successor will be named at a later date.
