Cheers, tears, and UTSW core values take center stage at Pinnacle Awards
Just after receiving the 2026 Spirit of UT Southwestern Award, Darren Fleming approached the podium to share a few thoughts. But before he did, the Senior Regulatory Associate paused, held up his prize, and let out a brief but gratifying growl: “Yeahhhhhhh!”
It was just one of many memorable moments at the second annual UT Southwestern Pinnacle Awards, held June 17 in the Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium. The afternoon ceremony was filled with rousing cheers and a few tears, laughter, and an overwhelming sense of pride in the five individuals and one nine-member team recognized for their significant contributions to UTSW.
The Pinnacle Awards were created in 2025 to shine a light on employees who do meaningful work, often behind the scenes in vital support roles. This year’s winners have made an impact by keeping our campus cool and running smoothly, creating digital apps that make life easier for patients and providers, and helping our students navigate their academic and financial futures.
“There are no unimportant jobs at UT Southwestern. Each one – and we have several hundred different job categories – plays a distinctive role contributing to our ability to deliver on our mission,” said UTSW President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., who hosted the event, which was followed by a festive reception on McDermott Plaza. “The colleagues we celebrate today exemplify excellence, innovation, teamwork, compassion, and how it all comes together. And that is how we deliver as an institution.”
Recipients of the six Pinnacle Awards were selected from hundreds of nominations submitted by colleagues across the institution. Each represents a core value that brings UT Southwestern to life.
Spirit of UT Southwestern Award
Darren Fleming
Senior Regulatory Associate
Clinical Research Office – Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Academic Affairs
Before Darren arrived onstage to a standing ovation from colleagues, he appeared in a profile video explaining his job in a nutshell: “I take chaos and I turn it into order as best as I can.”
As a Senior Regulatory Associate and nearly 24-year employee, he works with the cancer clinical trials team and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drafting informed consent forms for patients considering participating in potentially lifesaving research studies. His work requires precision, consistency, and expertise.
But it was Darren’s role as a founding member of the Employee Engagement Planning Committee in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Clinical Research Office during the early months of the pandemic – and the team’s ongoing, unofficial Director of Fun – that inspired his co-workers to nominate him for the Spirit Award.
“At a time when many colleagues felt isolated and disconnected, Darren found ways to bring people together,” Jason Fleming, M.D., Deputy Director for Clinical Affairs in the Simmons Cancer Center and Professor of Surgery, told attendees. “He created opportunities for colleagues to laugh, connect, and support one another.”
With his clever quips and costumes – as the inimitable host of a trivia game show he helped create called “Say What?!” – Darren never failed to boost morale and inspire laughter from colleagues at their weekly Friday meetups. Darren “is a ball of energy” who “always brings some joy to our day,” colleague Angelia Riley, M.S.H.S., said during the video.
Darren said the Pinnacle Award is a beautiful reminder “that if I can put a smile on someone’s face or if I can make someone laugh … I made someone’s day better. And that’s what it’s really all about.”
Pinnacle Award for Excellence
Hugo Lopez
Automation Integration Specialist
Central Data Acquisition System (CDAS) and Controls – Utilities, Business Affairs
Hugo Lopez, an Automation Integration Specialist in Central Data Acquisition System and Controls, is known for many great qualities: expertise, judgment, initiative, reliability, dedication, attention to detail, outstanding communication skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement – the list goes on. Taken all together, they add up to one thing: excellence, his colleagues said.
Nicknamed “Hugo Boss” by some of his co-workers, he installs, maintains, and repairs the heating and cooling systems in the Thermal Energy Plants serving UTSW’s South and North Campuses and William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. He also troubleshoots and enhances systems that support critical functions throughout UTSW’s clinical facilities, including instrument sterilization, CT scans, MRIs, and labs.
“Although most people never see the systems he maintains, they benefit from them every day,” said Marc Nivet, Ed.D., M.B.A., Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Interim Executive Vice President for Business Affairs, who helped introduce the award.
Hugo, who has been at UTSW for 24 years, arrived onstage to rousing applause and a wave of blue pompoms from the cheering section of his friends and family.
“He considers this a second home and has a passion for what he does,” said Juan Guerra Jr., M.B.A., M.Eng., Vice President for Facilities Management, who noted that Hugo’s wife has also worked at UTSW for 25 years.
For Hugo, the honor is a shared one.
“This award is not just a reflection of my work but also of the support, guidance, and encouragement of my leaders and co-workers,” he said. “I’ve learned so much from the talented people around me, and I share this recognition with all of them. Most importantly, I want to thank my family for their endless support, encouragement, and understanding. They are my motivation every single day.”
Pinnacle Award for Teamwork
Office of Student Financial Aid
The Office of Student Financial Aid is integral to helping students navigate a complicated landscape. But the team’s work goes well beyond dollars and cents.
“What stands out most, reflected in the nominations, is how deeply they care about students,” said presenter Cameron Slocum, M.B.A., Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Academic Affairs and the UT Southwestern Medical Group. “They understand that financial aid is not one-size-fits-all. They take time to listen, explain options clearly, and help students navigate complex processes with confidence.”
When federal policies change, which can be often, the team works closely with faculty, administrators, and other institutional leaders to develop strategies that ultimately will benefit students.
As Director Melet Leafgreen, M.L.A., FAAC, and her dedicated colleagues – Danchees “D.” Ingram, M.B.A., FAAC; Elisha Cruz; Lindsay Partridge; Latarsha Evans, M.S.; Do’Nisa Hooks; Deanne Pickney, Ph.D.; Cyndi Truong; and Liz Rubi, CLSSGB – gathered onstage to receive the team’s award, Melet professed: “I am immeasurably proud of this team. They show up every day ready to help students. And the impact of what they do stretches much further into the future than we can see. Student services offices like mine don’t just take care of students while they’re here. We work hard to set them up for success in life.”
Pinnacle Award for Innovation
Chelsea Landon, M.H.A.
Director of Health System Emerging Strategies
Health System Strategy and Business Development, Health System Affairs
When Jonathan Efron, M.D., Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs, began introducing Chelsea Landon, M.H.A., recipient of the Pinnacle Award for Innovation, he started with a question.
“How many of the people in the audience have used the UTSWMyCare app? Let’s see a show of hands,” he said, pausing for the predictable response and some laughter. “That’s pretty much everybody.”
Since its launch in 2022, UTSWMyCare has been downloaded more than 1 million times and has become the top-rated health system app in the country.
For Chelsea, Director of Health System Emerging Strategies, her vision and leadership have helped put digital tools such as UTSWMyCare and the UTSWRefer app at patients’ and referring providers’ fingertips. Remote patient monitoring, e-visits, and e-consults have also expanded access, improved convenience, and strengthened patient engagement.
Marcia Schneider, M.B.A., Vice President for Health System Strategy and Business Development and Chief Strategy Officer, said one of Chelsea’s superpowers is making UTSW “better prepared for what comes next.”
“She has helped move innovation from concept to implementation in ways that support clinicians and improve the patient experience,” she said. “Chelsea represents innovation at its best – thoughtful, strategic, and focused on improving how care is delivered and experienced.”
Chelsea, who has worked at UTSW for more than five years, said innovation is never about one person’s effort.
“It’s all made possible by nurses, providers, operational teams, and countless other partners across UT Southwestern,” she said. “What is most rewarding about this work is the opportunity to directly impact patient care and to collaborate with so many leaders across the organization who are willing to challenge assumptions and to think differently about how we can offer care.”
Pinnacle Award for Compassion
Priscilla Olivares
Clinic Staff Assistant III
Ambulatory Clinic – Bariatrics, Texas Health Dallas (THD), Health System Affairs
Priscilla Olivares, a Clinic Staff Assistant III, is often the first person patients encounter when they arrive for appointments in the UT Southwestern Bariatric Surgery and Weight Wellness clinic at Texas Health Dallas. Her smile says it all.
“From the moment they meet her, they know they are in caring hands,” Dr. Efron told attendees. “Her warmth, positivity, and genuine concern for others help create an environment where patients and colleagues feel welcomed, valued, and supported.”
Toni Eby, M.B.A., RN, Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Ambulatory Services, said Priscilla “has a remarkable ability to put people at ease.” She also is often the first person to step forward when a co-worker needs help.
“I just want to make a difference,” Priscilla said in her video. And through tears during her acceptance speech, she added: “I would like to thank God for just blessing me to be here and for putting me in a place where I could thrive and share God’s love to others.”
Distinguished Service Award
Jose “Joe” Flores
Automotive Mechanic
Fleet Maintenance Operations – Facilities, Business Affairs
Dr. Podolsky returned to the stage to present the ceremony’s final award for Distinguished Service to Jose “Joe” Flores, an Automotive Mechanic in Fleet Maintenance Operations – and fellow early riser.
Joe arrives on campus at 4 a.m. each day, which prompted Dr. Podolsky to share that he had considered adding a new award to the Pinnacles.
“I was going to call it the Early Bird Award. I thought that as somebody who usually arrives on campus before the sun is up, it might be the one award I would have a running shot at until I learned about Joe,” he said, drawing loud laughter.
For more than 15 years, Joe has been inspecting and preparing the UTSW shuttle fleet before drivers begin their daily routes at 5 a.m. He supports vehicles and equipment used by departments across campus, including Police, Information Resources, Parking, Pharmacy, and Hospital Courier services. His sustained dedication, reliability, and commitment to keeping UT Southwestern running smoothly is “felt across the institution every day,” Dr. Podolsky said.
Joe started tinkering with lawn mower engines when he was 12, and more than 50 years later he still brings his humble, can-do enthusiasm to any project – whether that’s taking care of one of the 279 vehicles in the UTSW fleet or fixing a snowplow in the midst of a winter storm. “If there’s something to be fixed, he can fix it,” Transportation Supervisor Kerry Bryant said in the video.
Accepting his award, Joe proved himself to be, as one nominator put it, “the quiet force behind the scenes who makes everything work.”
“It’s an honor and a privilege to accept this award,” Joe said. “I just want to thank everybody for supporting me. (UT Southwestern) has been a wonderful, wonderful place to work.”
Endowed Titles
Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Charles Cameron Sprague Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science.