Fred Morgan announced today that he will depart the State Chamber of Oklahoma after serving as its President and CEO for over 10 years.
Morgan will be pursuing other opportunities and will continue to be actively involved in Oklahoma’s business community. Morgan will continue to lead the State Chamber through June 2020 to ensure a smooth and successful transition for his successor.
“Serving as President and CEO has been one of the most rewarding jobs of my life,” Morgan said. “I have truly enjoyed getting to know so many members of the business community over the years as we worked together to improve the business climate and economic competitiveness of our great state.”
“For more than a decade, Fred’s leadership and service to the State Chamber have been paramount,” said Steve Hahn, Chairman of the State Chamber’s Board of Directors. “I am thankful for his service and glad to know that he will remain actively involved in promoting the policies and agendas that are key to the success of the Oklahoma business community.”
In his time at the State Chamber, Morgan’s leadership helped accomplish numerous major policy victories at the state Capitol, including the landmark workers’ compensation reform that replaces the adversarial court-based system with an administrative system. Since the 2013 reform to the workers’ compensation system, businesses across the state have saved close to $330 million.
In addition, Morgan led the State Chamber championing reforms to Oklahoma’s unsustainable state pensions and E-Fairness legislation to level the playing field for online retailers and Main Street businesses. In 2014, when the state Supreme Court struck down a major lawsuit reform bill passed in 2009, the State Chamber under Morgan’s guidance developed the coalition that lobbied for and led the charge to achieve broad-based, significant lawsuit reform, improving Oklahoma’s legal climate in national rankings.
Morgan’s tenure at the State Chamber also saw incredible growth for the organization. During his time as President and CEO, the State Chamber of Oklahoma won seven awards for membership and revenue growth from the Association of State Chamber Professionals (ASCP). In addition, Morgan brought national attention to the State Chamber of Oklahoma in 2019 when he was selected as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Council of State Chambers (COSC). In 2017, Morgan’s visionary leadership led to the development of the successful OK2030 strategic plan to improve Oklahoma’s economy, workforce, business climate, and overall quality of life.
Prior to joining the State Chamber, Morgan served 12 years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, rising to the rank of Minority Leader. In 2006, Morgan helped broker a historic power-sharing agreement between the Republicans and Democrats. He subsequently served as General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor to the first Republican-led Senate in state history in 2008. Morgan is a graduate of St. Louis University and received his J.D. from Oklahoma City University School of Law.
The State Chamber has engaged Schnake Turnbo Frank to facilitate the search for its next President and CEO. A job announcement will be released in the coming weeks. For further information, as well as to provide recommendations on the search, please contact the State Chamber’s executive search consultant, Erika Huffman, Vice President at Schnake Turnbo Frank via email at erika@schnake.com or 405-602-2000.