Biography

James H. Morris, III has served as the Assistant Director, Environmental and Energy Management, Virginia Beach City Public Schools for the last seven years. Prior to that, he was the Industrial Hygienist for the City of Virginia Beach. He has been in Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health for 17 years.

Morris’s background includes a BS (Biology) from the College of William and Mary and an MS (Community Health) from Old Dominion University (ODU). Morris also taught undergraduate and graduate level classes in Occupational Health at ODU as an Adjunct Professor.

Morris has served as Region VI Vice President (RVP) since 2004. Prior to that, he was Deputy RVP and President of the Greater Tidewater Chapter. Mr. Morris currently also serves on the Society’s PR Committee and is chairing a subcommittee to help structure the efforts of the Society with members outside of the U.S. He has also worked with the Region VI PDC Committee to coordinate the student poster competition for their annual conference. He received a Culberson Award in 2007 for his work with the Society.

Morris is also a member of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Energy Procurement Governmental Association (VEPGA). He has a very supportive family, which includes two sons, James and Sean, and his wife, Colleen. Morris also coaches little league baseball and serves on the board of Hospice Angel Flight (as Vice-President), a branch of the Angel Flight charities in Virginia.

Platform Statement

Our profession is at an interesting point. Our place in the corporate realm shifts back and forth as business’ view of our craft changes. As the workforce evolves and ages, we see new needs in the profession while we struggle to fill the voids left by those who retire from it. There is a need for a strong network of professionals who have the expertise, education, and experience to provide information and leadership. This is the role of ASSE to its members, and to the communities we serve.

I see two levels of value that ASSE has to its members. At the global level, we have a large network of resources available to members. This includes the sharing of diverse expert knowledge in the form of publications, training opportunities/conferences, and access to industry leaders. The pooling from more than 31,000 members alone makes the value of membership well worth the cost.

The second level of value is at the local/Chapter level. This is where individuals network in their community, share knowledge, find consultants, and develop future leaders. Too often, local and global levels of the Society are seen separately, when in fact, they should be cohesive elements to providing ASSE members our “bang for the buck.”

All levels of leadership within ASSE must make this cohesiveness an organized and seamless effort. Much of my mission is to close gaps and share information between the levels. We also have the technology to bring more people together, in our Chapters, Regions and even throughout the world, and owe it to our members to use that to their advantage. As Regional Vice President, I have learned much about how these levels work and interact, and I’m eager to continue in this role and facilitate this effort, with all the tools we have available.