Board of Directors

David Lakey, M.D.

Dr. David Lakey is the Chief Medical Officer and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at The University of Texas System. Dr. Lakey previously served as the Founding Dean of the School of Community and Rural Health and Isadore Roosth Distinguished Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler. Dr. Lakey received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and his postdoctoral clinical training from Vanderbilt University Medical Center specializing in internal medicine, pediatrics and infectious disease. He earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind.

Dr. Lakey served as the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, where his responsibilities included the state’s public health regulatory programs, emergency medical services and trauma services, WIC services, family planning, vital statistics and health data, infectious disease control, chronic disease prevention, public health laboratory services, substance abuse services, the mental health system and the health components to disaster response. Accomplishments during his tenure include responding to emergencies such as H1N1, West Nile, Ebola, West Fertilizer Company explosion, and multiple hurricanes. Dr. Lakey led efforts to decrease infant mortality and prematurity, expand and improve the Texas Newborn Screening program and Texas Mental Health System, and improve agency infrastructures. Dr. Lakey was instrumental in implementing an eliminate tobacco use policy on all health and human services campuses and encouraged other state agencies to implement eliminate tobacco use policies of their own.

Dr. Lakey served as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) in 2011-2012, and received several national awards including the AMCHP President’s Award, the March of Dimes President’s Public Health Leadership Award, and the Arthur T. McCormack Award.