Timothy J. Morgan ’86

Approaching 40 years since he graduated from University of Portland, Timothy J. Morgan ’86 would love to impart wisdom on the more reserved, early 20s version of the Tim Morgan who walked across the Chiles Center Commencement stage fixed on becoming a certified public accountant. “I’d go back and tell myself, ‘It is going to be awesome.’ In 1986, I had a completely different vision,” he says. “If I were told back then I’d be leading an organization as a CEO for 10-plus years, I would have laughed at ‘future Tim.’” Present day Tim can only smile as he reflects on the intentional moves he made to venture beyond his comfort zone in accounting and finance. Morgan earned the support of the board of directors at AAA Oregon/Idaho and has served as President and CEO of the region’s premier motor club and travel service since 2014. Bolder steps into servant leadership included Morgan’s appointment as Chair of the University’s Board of Regents in 2024. Looking back, Morgan credits many mentors from his time as a UP student through his years as a UP regent, “who helped me see beyond the person I saw in myself.” After starting his career at Deloitte & Touche, Morgan served in finance leadership roles at Northwest Pump and Equipment Co. and Portland Bottling Company before joining AAA Oregon/Idaho in 2002 as EVP of Business Operations and Finance. In addition to his work guiding the University’s Board, Morgan serves on the boards of Cambia Health Solutions and American Commerce Insurance Co. With gratitude, he ties so many threads of a successful career back to his undergraduate days on The Bluff. “I think about—what if I hadn’t gone to University of Portland, how would my life be different? I can’t imagine it,” Morgan says. “It was the right place for me that became a lifelong opportunity to gain enrichment, fulfillment, and knowledge. It has been life changing.” Morgan and his wife, Missi, have two sons, Zachary and Grant, both in their mid-20s, not much older than their father was when he picked up that UP accounting degree along with the growth mindset he would rely on to evolve as a CEO and Board Chair. The demands may be larger now, but values he formed from his earliest days as a “devoted Portland Pilot” remain steadfast: “Do the right thing—and make a positive difference every day in the lives of the people you lead and the members you serve,” he says. “It’s just that simple.”