Tim Haag | University of West Florida

During his last semester in the Master of Public Administration program, Haag interned with the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority. Thirty-two years later, he still calls Pensacola home and has enjoyed a long and progressive career at ECUA. Tim currently serves on the UWF Foundation Board, and is a past president of the UWF Alumni Association.

I hope the University continues to be a place where young people, who, like me, might’ve known they wanted to go somewhere but weren’t sure exactly where, can receive the foundation necessary to be successful in their career and anything they choose to do in life.

How did you decide on UWF for your master’s degree?

I was an undergraduate student at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, and I saw a flyer on a bulletin board posting about a master’s degree program in public administration at UWF with a focus on coastal zone studies. It was pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I kept in touch with staff in the MPA program at the University on and off for a few years until finally a financial aid package became available that covered the out-of-state portion of my tuition. That aid package was what made it possible for me to attend UWF.

You and your wife, Donna ’91, have supported the University since you graduated. Why has that been important to you?

UWF has given me a storybook ending. My career path was laid out in front of me. When we started giving back, it wasn’t a dollar amount but supporting the University is about building the habit, and every dollar goes to support a legitimate program.

What programs have you supported?

We’ve focused our contributions on supporting the MPA and education programs, the Bill Healey Leadership Award, first generation students and athletics. Most recently, Donna and I have created a scholarship endowment to help non-Florida residents with their out-of-state tuition, which is my tribute to the financial aid package that enabled me to attend UWF as a graduate student.