Wayne Young, Houston

Wayne Young is the Chief Executive Officer of The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority for Harris County, Texas. As the CEO of one of the largest behavioral health organizations in the nation, Mr. Young is passionate about the planning and delivery of large-scale behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities services to a population who rely upon safety net systems of care. Mr. Young recently served as the chair of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Behavioral Health Advisory Council and has served in governance and leadership roles in various professional organizations such as the American Hospital Association and the Texas Hospital Association. In 2019, Mr. Young was honored to have been named to Modern Healthcare’s list of Top 25 Innovators and to have received the 2019 Charley H. Shannon Advocate for Justice Award from NAMI Texas.