Dozens of longtime employees who are celebrating career milestones at UT Southwestern will be honored during Employee Recognition Week for dedicated work that has contributed to the institution’s growth and success.   

In all, 97 honorees are invited to an Aug. 12 virtual celebration where they will be recognized for achieving 45, 40, 35, 30, or 25 years of service. This includes 46 new members of the Quarter Century Club, meaning these employees achieved the 25-year mark for UT System service. Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern, will host the event and Angelica Marin Hill, Vice President for Government Affairs and Policy, will be the keynote speaker. 

A native of Dallas, Ms. Hill said she grew up hearing about UT Southwestern but did not fully appreciate its stature as a global research powerhouse until she returned to the city to join the institution after working in Austin.  

“Coming to UT Southwestern and seeing the commitment and variety and breadth of roles – from education to clinical care, research to administration and daily operations – the complexity of it all is so impressive and so astounding,” she said.  

Ms. Hill joined UT Southwestern in 2004, serving initially as Director of Government Relations and then as Assistant Vice President for Legislative Budget and Policy. After serving as interim Vice President for Government Affairs and Policy, she was named to her current position in 2014. She holds an undergraduate degree in history from Harvard College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. Prior to joining UT Southwestern, she worked as a Senior analyst with the Texas Senate Committee on Finance. 

In her role, Ms. Hill represents UT Southwestern with congressional and state legislators, educating them about issues of importance to the institution and working to secure their support. Her office also works with federal agencies and other stakeholders to advocate for policies and regulations that are conducive to the mission at UT Southwestern.  

“I truly enjoy engaging with our legislators to win tangible and intangible support for UT Southwestern and advance what we do. It is meaningful to be part of an excellent institution,” she said. 

Last year, Ms. Hill led efforts to secure a performance-based research funding formula for UT Southwestern in the Texas Legislature that provides a more stable source of state funds to support the institution’s long-term research infrastructure needs. The formula recognizes performance and provides an incentive by delivering state-matching funding for every additional external research grant received. This rewards the institution for continued growth and lessens the threat of discretionary budget cuts when the Legislature meets every two years. UT Southwestern receives almost $200 million in appropriated state support each year. 

“Often legislative work is a long-term proposition,” Ms. Hill said, noting that UT Southwestern had been working on the performance-based funding formula initiative for the past decade. “The vision and strategy for this was set by Dr. Podolsky, and we have been chipping away at it in each session. The performance research formula will help propel UT Southwestern to bigger and better heights.” 

Meeting with Texas legislators and members of Congress is always interesting, Ms. Hill said. Some have experience in the health care industry and are able to delve into details. Others are new to the issues affecting academic medical centers and need to be informed.   

Overall, there is a growing knowledge and recognition among elected officials of what UT Southwestern delivers for the state and the nation, she said, thanks to the work of the Government Affairs staff and many other dedicated employees.  

“It is gratifying to hear legislators who are longtime supporters or even newer ones express how appreciative they are of UT Southwestern and our contributions to the community,” she said.