Mr. Richard Morales, ’79

Rick joined Woodway Financial Advisors (WFA) in 1991.  Woodway Financial was a Houston-based independent Texas State chartered Trust Company established in 1984. WFA provided financial and estate planning services to high-net-worth individuals and investment management services to both individuals and institutional clients. Before Woodway, he spent seven years in portfolio management with an independent bank trust department in the Houston Medical Center.

 

After 25 years with WFA, growing assets under management from $150 million to $1.6 billion, Rick and his partners sold WFA to Westwood Management (WHG). Following a one-year employment contract, Rick retired from professional service in 2016.

 

Rick is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Houston. He is past President of the Board of Directors of the University of Houston Bauer College of Business Administration Alumni Association and served on the Dean’s Advisory Board. Rick also previously served on the Audit Committee of the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD and currently serves on the Foundation Board of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and the Board of Trustees of St. Agnes Academy Foundation.  Rick also spends time volunteering with Boy Scouts of America (BSA). 

 

He has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston with a concentration in Finance.  Rick is a 1979 graduate of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory.

 

Rick and his wife, Amanda S. Vavilala, have three children - Ashwin ‘20, Ariana, and Anand ‘25.

Committee:  Chair, Finance / Executive