Tracy Morgan has always been curious about his surroundings. It’s a trait he inherited from his grandfather.
“He taught me you will never stop learning, and you cannot learn without listening,” says Morgan the director of facilities and security at Galveston College in Texas and a 2025 Facility Champion.
Morgan is the first of the eight 2025 Facility Champions who will be profiled on FacilitiesNet leading up to the webcast, “FM Innovation and Evolution: A Facility Champions Discussion” that will honor the recipients. The webcast will air on November 6 at 1 p.m. ET on FacilitiesNet. You can register to view the webcast here.
Leadership comes in many forms, and in Morgan’s case, listening to others – whether it’s a colleague, student or a vendor – has been a key aspect of a 25-year career in facilities management, the last three-plus years at Galveston College.
“Leadership is about listening, and taking the time to hear people out builds trust and leads to better solutions,” he says. “In facilities management, problems are rarely solved alone, so communication and collaboration are key.”
Morgan started his facilities career as a maintenance specialist in the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1999. He made stops in other industries, including the airline industry, before landing at Galveston in June 2022.
He has made a significant impact during his short time at Galveston. Despite budget challenges, Morgan has guided the school through an HVAC system modernization and a lighting retrofit that generated 15 percent reduction in energy costs while improving indoor air quality. He also established proactive asset management and preventive maintenance programs that have enhanced the campus setting.
The work order management system that Morgan has streamlined maintenance requests and cut response times by over 30 percent and improved accountability among the staff members.
Those kinds of tasks often go unnoticed by the people who spend their days and working weeks inside the building, but they are the kinds of tasks that motivate Morgan to keep learning on the job and listening to what occupants are seeing, hearing and feeling inside the campus buildings.
“What motivates me most is knowing that my work directly affects people,” he says. “When a facility runs smoothly, people don’t think about it – and that’s the goal. Creating that seamless experience where students can learn or employees can work without disruption keeps me inspired.”
While keeping conditions comfortable is a goal of every facility manager, the chance to work on high profile projects that can positively influence the community also keeps managers motivated in their positions.
Morgan had the opportunity to spearhead one of these projects in 2024, when Galveston College resorted its Beacon Square Lighthouse on campus. The lighthouse was first lit in 1918, and after falling into disrepair, Morgan’s team helped revive it with a fresh coat of paint and other repairs.
But it’s still the behind-the-scenes acts that successful managers – or Facility Champions – excel at that show Morgan’s true passion for his job. As proud as Morgan is to have played a role in restoring an iconic space on the college campus, he is just as excited to see a colleague exceed and emerge as a star facility manager.
“Being named a Facility Champion is an honor that represents recognition not just of my work, but of the dedication of the entire team I work with,” he says. “It means that our efforts to maintain safe, functional, and welcoming environments are valued. For me personally, it’s a reminder that passion and persistence in this industry can truly make a difference.”
Dave Lubach is the executive editor of the facility market.
