PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP

Nerissa Morris: Doing Her Best and Getting Better

On February 20 at the YWCA’s Career Women of Achievement reveal celebration, Nerissa Morris was upbeat, visibly humbled by the honor and very aware of those who have supported her through the process. The senior vice president and Chief Human Resources and Diversity Officer is one of eight Greater Cincinnati women who will be honored during the 43rd annual YWCA Career Women of Achievement awards on May 26.

“My goals have always been to do my best, make a difference, help others, honor my family and work in a way that is pleasing to God. It has never been for public honors,” she says. “When I look at the amazing women who have received this recognition in the past and who stand alongside me this year, I am truly humbled that my work and contributions were not only valued by the leaders in my organization, but that others find it worthy of recognition. It also means that the imperative of doing more to lift others and to bring about change is raised to another level. It is a catalyst for thinking more deeply about the places I can still have impact and fuel to energize me for the road ahead.”

As exciting as the road ahead might be, it is only a part of her story. In getting to know Morris, it’s important to look at where she’s been, who has inspired her, and why.

Morris was born in Reedville, VA, to Eleanor and Rev. T.W. Morris, Sr. After her father attended seminary in Philadelphia, the family moved to Cincinnati where he pastored a church in Walnut Hills. Attending Hoffman and Kennedy Heights Elementary Schools, she called Cincinnati home from the 2nd grade until their return to Virginia after a few years. Raised as a middle child, and the only girl, Morris is the quintessential preacher’s kid.

“My parents stressed service as I was growing up, and that meant taking responsibility and taking the lead in many things—mostly within the church,” she recalls. “Despite my internal hesitance, they pushed me to take on spokesperson roles.”

She remembers the time she had to speak in front of a church congregation. “I know the dress I was wearing. I was petrified, but I stood up there doing my part. My body was rigid, my dress was shaking, and there was my father sitting behind me in the pulpit smiling the whole time.”

Frightened as she was, the experience helped her get over her fear of public speaking.

Her leadership skills also have their roots in the church, where she was often asked to lead groups.

“I had the wonderful example of my father, who was not only a pastor but also a leader in the community,” she says. “My earliest books and lessons on leadership came from him. My mother has been a role model as she raised us, supported Dad, and returned to college as an adult determined to achieve her bachelor’s degree by the time my older brother graduated from high school. At 87, she is an amazing woman.”

Morris keeps a plaque on her desk that her father gave her when she was about 12 years old. It reads:

“Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest, till your good is your better and your better is your best.”

It’s a quote she lives by that has served her well.

“I learned early on that I was here for a purpose. I believe that purpose is to help others grow into their potential,” she says. “Our individual gifts and blessings are to be shared with others. I have benefitted from so many women who lived this in their mentoring and support of me, that it became natural to be a ready resource for other women. As a Black woman, especially as I have risen to more senior levels, I have even more to share in terms of life and work lessons, networks, and resources to help others in their journey.”

Forging a Path

Morris’ career journey began at Kenner Products, in Cincinnati and has come full circle since returning in 2018 to serve as senior vice president of Human Resources at Cincinnati Children’s. She is the first African American to hold a C-suite role at the medical center.

With experiences in multiple industries, Morris has demonstrated business proficiency at many levels, including in positions with the University of Miami, the Ford Motor Company in the U.S and Brazil, and Volvo Car Corporation in Sweden.

At Cincinnati Children’s, Morris has taken the lead in transforming human resources systems and policies. Her knowledge and expertise has enabled Cincinnati Children’s to increase its minimum wage to $15 an hour, helping more than 3,000 employees and their families thrive. It’s something of which Morris is particularly proud.

“The HR function is positioned and is delivering better in terms of service and focus for the organization. Strengthening the relationship of the HR function with the organization and operation leaders and front-line staff has been and continues to be a top priority,” she says.

Another point of pride is her work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

“We have solidly reestablished the DEI function by putting in place a strategic plan that will take us where we need to go,” she says. “With the hiring of Vice President Bobby Rodriguez, we have laid the foundation to be able to make change happen here. As a result of that work, we are investing in a more inclusive organization in many ways. We have dedicated conversations around race, we’re addressing LGBTQ concerns in healthcare, and our Better Together diversity training is top notch. All of this is setting us up for even greater work in the future.”

A Source of Inspiration

Morris is inspired by her younger brother, George, who is a regional director with the Fellowship of Christian athletes. He’s based out of the University of Virginia where he also serves as the chaplain to a football and basketball team.

“George is doing something with real impact,” she beams. “He is so dedicated to his faith but also to those student athletes and the coaches. I really admire the investment he makes in so many people—across religions, across races, across sports. He’s not just teaching the Bible, he’s teaching values. What happens when you lose and how do you handle it when you miss what would have been the winning shot? I’m really inspired by the way he’s pouring into others, developing them, and watching them grow. I can watch NBA basketball and say, ‘Hey that was one of George’s kids.’ His first words when I call him, when anyone calls him, are, “How can I serve you today”? And he means that.”

Morris hopes she can be an inspiration to others, as well.

“I hope I can give people the opportunity to step out and do things that matter, to have the courage to try without fear of failing, to take on challenges where they are going to learn,” she says. “You won’t get experience if you don’t put yourself in a position to get it. Take what you know, use it to the best of your ability, use the problem-solving skills from one thing and apply them to the next thing. The fundamentals of how to solve problems are the same. Figure out what your core skills are and use them over and over again. Use what you’re good at and keep refining it.

“There is so much potential in others waiting to be discovered, cultivated, and advanced, especially for people of color and women. So many times in my career, I have been the ‘only,’ especially in leadership roles. Being a role model shows others it’s possible.”

Morris believes that when asked to serve, often the answer should be yes because you never know where that service might lead and what you can learn along the way.

“I got exposed to things that, had I not been willing to say yes, I either wouldn’t have been exposed or wouldn’t have gotten the next exposure. You never know what could be your stepping stone,” she says. “Some people are excited about every opportunity to do something new or different that comes their way, while others are afraid. I want to be with the former group. I want to be one of those people all day long.”

Fun Facts about Nerissa Morris

Whenever she has downtime, Morris enjoys:

• Mr. Jefferson – her beloved cat
• Time with her four young adult godchildren
• Counted cross-stitch projects
• Broadway plays and musicals
• Cooking (Chicken and dumplings are her specialty)
• Fly fishing (very much a novice)

Proud of her family, Morris notes that her eldest brother, Tom Morris, Jr., is an accomplished television crime journalist with experience from leading roles on America’s Most Wanted; Live PD; Live PD Wanted, and other on-air programs.

Mr. Jefferson