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Development Board

The UTHealth Houston Development Board consists of community leaders who have committed to advancing the mission and vision of the institution by increasing public awareness and philanthropic support.

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Message from the Chair

Our Development Board allows us the unique opportunity to provide important guidance for the university. In doing so, we create deeper connections between UTHealth Houston and the communities we serve. Our collective strength empowers UTHealth Houston to uphold our shared mission to educate health science professionals, discover and translate advances in the biomedical and social sciences, and model the best practices in clinical care and public health.

The advocacy and support of leaders like you go a long way toward enhancing initiatives at our schools and inspiring others to participate. Together, we will make a powerful impact as we promote programs that save and improve lives across the region and beyond.

Maria C. Pappas

  • Chair, UTHealth Houston Development Board
  • 2024-2026

Board member spotlight

  • Pappas Scholarship

    A new scholarship given by Pappas family

    Military service and philanthropy are family values for Maria C. Pappas and Christopher J. Pappas. Former Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ernesto Treviño, a student with Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, recently benefited on both counts.

    Maria and Chris Pappas met with Treviño to celebrate him as the first-time recipient of the Maria C. and Christopher J. Pappas VBSN Scholarship award. Their family’s intent for the scholarship is to help those who have served our country successfully transition into meaningful civilian work, succeed in their jobs, and fulfill their dreams.

  • LBJ Tour

    Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital tour

    Members of the Development Board recently toured Harris Health LBJ Hospital, highlighting the partnership with UTHealth Houston to train the next generation of health professionals.

    In the November 7 election, voters approved a $2.5 billion bond to renovate and expand LBJ Hospital and other Harris Health clinics.

  • CLI

    Children's Learning Institute

    On April 29, 2023, the Children's Learning Institute at UTHealth Houston hosted Friends and Family Volunteer Day in partnership with Generation Serve. Over 75 participants, including Development Board members and their families, volunteered their time to assemble more than 200 kits.

    The kits will be distributed to local schools that participate in the Accelerated Early Reading Outcomes (AERO) program, which helps struggling children learn to read and accelerate their early reading outcomes.

  • Jeff Firestone

    Jeff Firestone

    UTHealth Houston Development Board

    Long time Board Member Jeff Firestone, who oversees the Pierce Runnels Foundation, is partnering with Aanand D. Naik, MD, Executive Director of UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging, to develop an app to help health care providers better understand patients’ priorities and enhance age-friendly care.

    The app will assist older adults in identifying their health preferences, produce a structured report of individual health priorities, and integrate that report into the UT Physicians electronic health records and patient portal. Support to fund this project will help clinicians deliver a higher level of age-friendly care and treat patients with multiple chronic conditions.


  • Maria C. Pappas, Chair
  • Carolyn Frost Keenan, Chair-Elect
  • Ransom C. Lummis, Immediate Past Chair
  • Cynthia J. Adkins
  • Rita M. Cammarata, DDS '96
  • John P. Gaylord
  • Brett W. Hogan
  • Umesh K. (Mike) Jain
  • Richard J. (Dick) Trabulsi, Jr
  • Carolyn Frost Keenan, Membership Chair
  • Maria C. Pappas
  • Ransom C. Lummis
  • John J. Cangelosi, MD '05
  • Cyrus B. Irani
  • Umesh K. (Mike) Jain
  • Duncan L. Lamme
  • Walter G. (Tad) Mayfield
  • Cydonii V. Fairfax Miles
  • Raeanne H. Walker
  • Jay S. Zeidman
  • Jane W. (Janie) Zilkha
  • Cynthia J. Adkins
  • Richard E. (Dick) Agee
  • Anthony F. Bahr
  • Lorne D. Bain
  • Margaret A. (Peggy) Barnett
  • Amit Bhandari
  • Faiyaz A. Bhojani, MD, DrPH '99, FACP
  • Patrick J. Breen
  • Joe M. Bridges, DHI '22
  • Catherine (Cathy) Brock
  • Sue J. Brown, PhD
  • Rita M. Cammarata, DDS '96
  • William J. (Bill) Campbell
  • John J. Cangelosi, MD '05
  • Phil D. Conway
  • Collin J. Cox
  • Michael Cox
  • Elizabeth B. (Beth) Cozby
  • Catherine P. Crain
  • Roddy K. (Rod) Cutsinger
  • June Deadrick
  • Ryan L. Dearborn
  • Charles W. (Carlos) Duncan, III
  • Mary M. Dyer
  • Mary Virginia (Jenny) Elkins
  • Anthony L. Faillace
  • George R. Farris
  • J. Philip (Phil) Ferguson
  • Jeffrey B. (Jeff) Firestone
  • John P. Gaylord
  • Harry Gee, Jr.
  • Barbara Jenkins Gibbs, MD
  • Irma Gigli, MD
  • Alfred C. Glassell, III
  • Julius Glickman
  • Refugio G. (Rey) Gonzales
  • Steven L. (Steve) Gordon
  • Laurel W. (Annie) Graham
  • Robert H. (Bob) Graham
  • Ronald C. Green
  • Janice F. Griffin
  • Jenard M. Gross
  • Albert J. Grobmyer, IV
  • Nancy P. Guinee
  • Anne L. Hamman
  • Sally Hartman Harvin
  • Diana Mayor Hawkins
  • Jesse B. Heath, Jr.
  • Sheri C. Henriksen
  • H. W. (Buddy) Hightower, Jr.
  • Alex (Lex) Hochner, III
  • Brett W. Hogan
  • Bradley N. (Brad) Howell
  • Cyrus B. Irani
  • Umesh K. (Mike) Jain
  • Jill F. Jewett
  • Walter E. Johnson
  • Helena P. Johnson
  • Jesse H. (Jay) Jones, II
  • Lenoir M. Josey, II
  • Andrew D. (Drew) Kanaly
  • Evan H. Katz
  • Carolyn Frost Keenan
  • Roger S. Khetan, MD '94, FACP
  • Heamo L. (Steve) Koo, DDS '99
  • David B. Krieger
  • Terri Lacy
  • Georgiana B. Ladd
  • Duncan L. Lamme
  • Max S. Levit
  • Barry M. Lewis
  • Kenneth J. Lewis
  • Cornelia C. Long
  • Ransom C. Lummis
  • Paul M. Mann, II, MD '99
  • Rodney H. Margolis
  • Scott D. Martin
  • Walter G. (Tad) Mayfield
  • Christopher M. K. (Chris) McCord
  • John E. McDonald
  • Mary Hale Lovett McLean
  • D. Bradley (Brad) McWilliams
  • Cydonii V. Fairfax Miles
  • Carrie C. Miller
  • David M. Mincberg
  • Leila W. Mischer
  • Paula Mischer
  • Richard W. Mithoff
  • Virginia L. (Ginni) Mithoff
  • Christine Robertson Morenz
  • Sallie C. Morian
  • Mark Musemeche
  • Mark E. Nini
  • D. (Dudley) Oldham
  • Katharine (Kathy) Orton
  • Dee S. Osborne
  • Maria C. Pappas
  • Charles R. (Charlie) Parker
  • Marsha A. Parker
  • John R. Pitts
  • Susanne B. Pritchard
  • Nancy E. Pustka
  • Edward (Ed) Randall, IV
  • Wilhelmina E. (Beth) Robertson
  • Barbara R. Riley
  • Alexander C. (Chase) Robison
  • Dick Rogers
  • Michael Sachs
  • Julie P. Samson
  • Christopher B. (Chris) Sarofim
  • Lisa A. Sarvadi
  • Britt O. Schmidt
  • William C. (Bill) Shrader
  • Thomas R. (Tom) Standish
  • Kevin Stanley
  • Karl S. Stern
  • Ellen S. Susman
  • Ralph B. Thomas
  • Richard J. (Dick) Trabulsi, Jr.
  • David M. Underwood, Jr.
  • Raeanne H. Walker
  • Linda M. Wells
  • William M. (Bill) Wheless, III
  • Margaret Alkek Williams
  • Lora J. (Jeanie) Kilroy Wilson
  • Patricia H. (Patty) Woods
  • Fred S. Zeidman
  • Jay S. Zeidman
  • Jane W. (Janie) Zilkha
  • Ransom C. Lummis
  • Virginia L. (Ginni) Mithoff
  • Diana Mayor Hawkins
  • J. Philip (Phil) Ferguson
  • Robert H. (Bob) Graham
  • Julius Glickman
  • Fred S. Zeidman
  • David M. Grimes
  • Phil D. Conway
  • Bradley N. (Brad) Howell
  • Max S. Levit
  • William J. (Bill) Campbell
  • Lorne D. Bain
  • Dee S. Osborne
  • Margaret A. (Peggy) Barnett
  • Rodney H. Margolis
  • Ralph B. Thomas
  • Jenard M. Gross
  • William M. (Bill) Wheless, III
  • Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD
    President, UTHealth Houston
  • Kyle Griffin
    President, Houston Texas Exes
  • Elizabeth (Liz) Hunsaker, DDS '85
    President, School of Dentistry Alumni Association
  • Nina S. Leifeste, DDS '88
    Advisor to the Dean, School of Dentistry
  • Vivian Porche, MD '85
    President, McGovern Medical School Alumni Association
  • Margaret A. (Peggy) Barnett
  • H. W. (Buddy) Hightower, Jr.
  • Rodney H. Margolis
  • Wilhelmina E. (Beth) Robertson

Contact us

For more information regarding the UTHealth Houston Development Board, please email [email protected].