Kevin Dillon, Senior Executive VP and COO, shares retirement plans

(Photo by UTHealth Houston)

I write to share that Kevin Dillon, MBA, CPA, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of UTHealth Houston, has announced his plans to retire on June 30, 2026. After stepping down from his current role, Kevin has agreed to serve as a Special Advisor to the President through the end of the fiscal year to ensure a seamless transition of his many duties and responsibilities.

For three decades, Kevin has been a steady, trusted presence at the center of our operations. He joined UTHealth Houston in 1996 and, over the years, led or oversaw virtually every operational function that keeps a complex academic health institution moving, including finance and budgeting; facilities planning; auxiliary enterprises; information technology; environmental health and safety; technology management; and the numerous business operations that support our clinical and academic missions. His portfolio has included direct partnerships with the chief administrative officers across our seven schools and our major clinical and research affiliates, including Memorial Hermann Health System, Harris Health, and our sister institutions across the UT System. Nearly every building that UTHealth Houston has constructed or acquired in this century, Kevin and his teams have planned, financed, and completed.

The story of UTHealth Houston during Kevin’s tenure is one of sustained growth, prudent stewardship, and disciplined financial management. Under his leadership, the university has achieved 29 consecutive years of positive financial margins, a remarkable record in today’s higher education and health care environment. From revenues of just over $600 million in the mid-1990s to a nearly $3 billion enterprise today, the university has expanded in size, scope, and impact. As we look ahead to next year’s projections, Kevin’s legacy is evident: strategic investments made over time, paired with a careful eye on the bottom line, have positioned UTHealth Houston to thrive in the decades to come.

That growth is reflected in the major strategic initiatives he helped shape—from acquiring the Jesse Jones Library Building and modernizing The TMC Library, to partnering with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center, to expanding our footprint within the region’s innovation ecosystem at TMC Helix Park and the TMC³ Collaborative Building, to restoring the Hermann Eye Fund to its rightful beneficiaries, and leading the institution-wide transition to the Epic electronic health record and revenue cycle system, a complex modernization effort recognized with multiple Epic “Outstanding Achievement” designations. Together, these milestones illustrate the breadth of Kevin’s contributions and the steady, forward-looking leadership he has brought to UTHealth Houston.

On a personal note, I am deeply grateful for the historical insight and institutional stewardship that Kevin has shared during my own leadership transition. His perspective has been invaluable as I’ve stepped into this role, and I know our community joins me in thanking him for his remarkable service and congratulating him on his well-earned retirement.

We will share more in the coming weeks and months regarding future plans for the many areas Kevin oversaw. For now, I hope you will once again join me in expressing our appreciation for his many years of dedicated service and in congratulating him as he and his family begin this next chapter.

With gratitude,

Melina R. Kibbe, MD

President and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair