AAA Arizona Appoints Mike Tully as President

Phoenix, Ariz. March 17, 2008 – Today, chief executive officer (CEO) Jim McDowell of AAA Arizona, the state’s largest membership organization and advocate for motorists and travelers, announced that the board of directors has appointed Michael Tully the new president of the auto club.

“Since I hired him as CFO, Mike has demonstrated strong leadership and has contributed significantly to AAA’s success over the past decade,” said McDowell. “The club and its members can look forward to a bright future under his direction.”

With Tully’s promotion to president, he will assume greater responsibility for the strategic direction of the club in addition to his former duties as chief operating officer, a position he has held since 2005. 

“I see my role as building on the momentum that Jim McDowell has established in his ten years as CEO,” Tully said.  “Under his guidance, we have grown our membership by 80 percent, increased our property and casualty insurance business by 300 percent, and doubled the size of our travel agency services.  We have also added five branch offices, a state-of-the art contact center, and several new member services, including auto repair, on-site battery service and an automotive purchase program. Our members have clearly benefited from Jim’s leadership here in Arizona.”

Tully, 43, joined AAA Arizona in 1998 as chief financial officer. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and holds a master’s degree in business administration from his alma mater.  He recently completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Tully resides in Scottsdale with his wife, Heidi, and two daughters McKayla and Courteney.

McDowell, who formerly held the title of president, will remain the CEO of the auto club. As Tully assumes the role of president, McDowell will focus more of his time on community and board matters, as well as expanding his role with ACA Holdings, a partnership of five AAA Motor Clubs who share services and develop new offerings for six million AAA members.

AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 800,000 Arizona members.  Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists.  Since its founding in 1902, AAA has been a leading advocate for the safety, security, and peace of mind of all travelers.