Houston Daily

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.

In a statement, Governor Abbott said: “Commissioner Young served Texas selflessly for almost four decades, and her lifelong dedication to improving the health and well-being of Texans is unmatched. 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, and leading workforce improvements. She was involved in securing a decade-long extension for the federal Medicaid 1115 Transformation Waiver. The agency under her leadership also redesigned payment programs aimed at strengthening the state's health care safety net.

Young oversaw changes in Medicaid managed care procurement processes, initiated maternal health reforms, directed the creation of HHS’s first artificial intelligence policy, and supervised work on expanding or renovating 11 state psychiatric hospitals.

The state will announce plans for filling the executive commissioner vacancy at a later date.