Lisa Morgan of Gulf Stream loves meeting students as scholarship committee chair of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Even the most well-intentioned people tend not to know a lot about the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Lisa Morgan was one of them when she was nominated by a friend to serve on its board of directors six years ago.
“We jokingly say it’s the best-kept secret in town, but that’s not a good thing,” Morgan said. “You can only do good if people know about you and support you.”
Morgan, whose broad spectrum of philanthropic endeavors includes being a founding board member of Impact 100, soon learned that the Community Foundation, founded in 1972 by Winsome and Michael McIntosh, has awarded more than $200 million in scholarships and grants on behalf of more than 9,000 donors and nonprofits.
Morgan, 62, became chairwoman of the scholarship committee five years ago, an appointment she said has “just grabbed my heart.”
“I felt this is where I need to be,” said Morgan, who has “come into contact with the most amazing young people.”
Fellow board member Tim Burke, the former publisher of The Palm Beach Post who serves as marketing director for the foundation, said Morgan is a huge asset in her work with scholarships.
“She’s a real champion of students in our area,” Burke said. “She’s amazingly passionate.”
The Glades is one area that has long been underserved by philanthropic efforts. The foundation has addressed that with the recent addition of Tammy Jackson-Moore — a community organizer, leader and founder of Guardians of the Glades — to the scholarship committee. Students are more typically identified with the help of high school guidance counselors throughout the region.
“People are often under the assumption that you can only be a philanthropist or establish a scholarship fund if you are a millionaire, but that is not true,” Morgan said. “The Community Foundation donors come from a wide variety of economic levels. It serves as a hub for our community aligning donors with the needs of our community.”
A resident of Gulf Stream since 1994, Morgan is married to Scott, the mayor of Gulf Stream. They have three children: Ashley, who resides in San Francisco; Charley, who is in Dallas; and Bennett, who is in Los Angeles.
In her free time, Morgan enjoys tennis, bridge, cooking, and walking A1A in the early morning to catch the sunrise.
— Brian Biggane
Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has affected you?
A: I grew up in Pennsylvania, but from an early age, I spent four months of the year in South Florida, usually attending school in a multigrade classroom with other seasonal students like myself where we each worked independently. I then attended Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale for high school, then Vanderbilt University where I earned a B.S. in molecular biology. After college I earned a JD by attending the Dickinson School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. I also earned additional certification as a licensed patent and trademark attorney.
Growing up in central Pennsylvania had great impact on my approach to life and my core values. The people there are generally salt of the earth — patriotic, hardworking, kind and loyal. You could do business on a handshake. I have a great respect for many of the people I employed and did business with, and I still love doing business there.
Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I began as an attorney with the firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius practicing litigation and patent law, and subsequently my husband and I opened our own firm. I left the practice of law to run a midsize raw materials company producing and selling aggregate, concrete, asphalt and building materials. I actually had a pink monogrammed hard hat that the employees gave me. Little did I know that in addition to being a nice gesture, it was also a way they had a heads up when I was on site because no one else had a pink hard hat! They only told me that years later. I left that industry when I moved to Florida in 1993, and have since been president of a commercial and industrial investment and development company.
In my professional career what I am most proud of is having succeeded in two industries that were at the time — and actually to some extent still are — male dominated. In my time in the construction industry, probably 99% of my employees and business contemporaries were male. In almost all of my interactions, I was the only woman. The same thing remains true in my commercial and industrial development dealings where nearly every principal of the development groups I have dealt with over the years has been male. I was just on a Zoom call this afternoon — six men and me. It has been a challenging road at times to stand confident in the room and garner respect, but I definitely learned how to hold my own.
Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: To understand that a career and success are not given to you — you earn them through hard work and perseverance. You need to have a strong work ethic. Also, young people should not feel that they are locked into the career they first choose. Life is full of opportunities and you can always pivot! Look at me: I went from science to law to business, and each one of those experiences gave me broader knowledge and shaped me as a person. When I graduated law school, my dad ended a note to me by saying “Go for it!” and I take his words to heart every day.
Q: How did you choose to make your home in Gulf Stream?
A: Gulf Stream School was the initial lure. What a unique and wonderful place to educate your children. But the feel of the neighborhood has kept us there. Understated, peaceful and a true sense of community among its residents. My husband and I always say that we are so lucky to have found and live in this place.
Q: What is your favorite part about living in Gulf Stream?
A: The camaraderie and sense of community among the residents. The Gulf Stream Civic Association hosts a meet-and-greet event every year, and there is always a great turnout and a very convivial atmosphere that I think exemplifies the neighborhood. It also helps that I can walk to the beach and that groceries and Atlantic Avenue are only five minutes away.
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I am reading two. One is for my book group — Horse by Geraldine Brooks — and the other one I have been wanting to read, An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson. I recently finished The Code Breaker about the woman who first figured out how to use CRISPR to alter genes which was the basis for the ultimate development of the mRNA vaccines. Amazing stuff. My nightstand has a pile of books in a queue.
Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: My taste in music is actually quite eclectic. I am a country music fan and that is what is invariably playing in my car. For relaxation, however, I listen to James Morrison, Al Green or the Amos Lee station, and Kenny Loggins’ House at Pooh Corner is still a family favorite from when our kids were young. For inspiration, anything with a great beat, which can range from Motown to disco to the Rolling Stones.
Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: My father was my biggest mentor and inspiration in my life decisions. He taught me the importance of education, to be independent, and the responsibility to actively give back to your community. He also emphasized to me that every person on this Earth has value and you can learn something from everyone. As a result, I would say my friends are as eclectic as my music.
Q: If your life story were made into a movie, who would play you?
A: I actually asked my college girlfriends about this one and some of the answers were very funny. But, the consensus was Reese Witherspoon because she is a strong woman who has a playful and fun side. I definitely have a playful side, as my friends will tell you!
Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: My husband makes me laugh every day. And my girlfriends.
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