Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
University of Texas Medical Branch
Dawn Zell Wright, JD, MBA, FACHE, SPHR, has a proven track record of aligning operations strategy with business goals, developing leaders, and driving significant, sustainable organizational improvements. She is a transformative leader who brings together complex, growing healthcare systems through strategic partnerships. Her extensive experience includes designing, creating, building, and implementing high-functioning, consistent, centralized, agile human resources services and teams. Dawn leverages best practices and standardizations to deliver best-in-class solutions, positioning organizations to create incredible employee experiences, lead the market as a best place to work, and realize sustainable growth with financial excellence.
Dawn is the Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer for the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Prior to joining UTMB, she held executive roles with LCMC Health, CHRISTUS Health, UPMC, and CommonSpirit Health’s Catholic Health Initiatives. Dawn's Human Resources expertise is complemented by her background as an attorney, where she received numerous accolades for her work as a litigator and defense attorney. As a passionate advocate for workplace culture tied to operational success, Dawn is focused on removing artificial barriers and building a sustainable pipeline of diverse and inclusive healthcare leaders reflective of the communities served. Her legal and HR background equips her with a unique perspective enabling her to foster highly reliable organizations for patient outcomes, employee experience, and community impact.
Dawn earned her undergraduate degree in Behavioral Science from Concordia University Texas, an MBA from West Texas A&M, and a Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.
Board of Governors Exam Review Boot Camp
Sunday, March 1, 2026
9:00am - 4:00pm CT