Colleagues Celebrate Jimenez

Mike Jimenez greets guests at a retirement reception. For the last four years he was chief human resources officer at the UT Health Science Center at Houston.

Photo by Nancy Hudgins

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige joined a crowd of University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston faculty and staff to "Celebrate Mike!" at the April retirement reception for Mike Jimenez, who served as chief human resources offi- cer for the last four years. Jimenez previously worked for the Houston Independent School District (HISD) while Paige was superintendent.

Paige congratulated Jimenez on his service to HISD as well as his 17 years of service in the U.S. Army before that. Health Science Center President James T. Willerson, M.D., and Chief Operating Officer Mike McKinney, M.D., also spoke of Jimenez's leadership and his many contributions to the UT Health Science Center.

"I really don't know how we're going to replace you," Willerson said. "You have taught us a lot, and you have brought caring and kindness to everything you do."

Both Willerson and McKinney credited Jimenez with providing the leadership necessary to develop the university's compact with the UT System, which began a process of setting institutional priorities and allocating resources accordingly. McKinney also noted the strides made by Jimenez to encourage communication across the campus and among classified staff, administrative and professional employees, and faculty.

"You did so much more than run Human Resources," McKinney said.

Jimenez expressed his pride in the Human Resources staff and his excitement with many new initiatives under way to benefit the university as a whole. He also expressed regret that he will not be on the job to watch progress continue at the health science center. "With so many things coming together and moving forward," he said, "I am really proud to have been a part of it."

By Jane Brust, Public Affairs