In the December 2021 Executive Committee Meeting, Joseph Allison, Iowa-Missouri Conference education superintendent, announced he would be retiring from his role on June 30. Since that announcement, the conference has been actively looking to fill this position and interviewed several candidates.
During the June 14, 2022, Executive Committee Meeting, the committee unanimously voted to extend an invitation to Melissa Morris to fill the role of Iowa-Missouri Conference Education Superintendent starting July 1.
Following the meeting, Morris was officially offered the job and officially accepted the position the same day.
“I have been praying about where the Lord has been leading me for the last few years — feeling that He’s leading me in a new direction, specifically towards administration.,” Morris said. “I prayed His leading would be clear, and it has been.”
Morris has taught in the Adventist education system for 10 years, all of which were in the Iowa-Missouri Conference at Hillcrest School. At Hillcrest, Morris served as teacher and principal simultaneously.
“During her time at Hillcrest, Melissa was able to grow the school from a one teacher school to a three-teacher school for about 40 students. I have great confidence that she will support teachers in their classrooms,” Allison said.
In addition to her teaching and principal background, Morris has also served on several boards and committees. She currently serves on the NAD Summer Math Committee, the Mid-American Union Curriculum Committee and the Sunnydale Adventist Academy School Board.
“Melissa has done great things in our conference, and I know she will continue to do so as education superintendent,” said Dean Coridan, Iowa-Missouri Conference President.
Morris said what she is looking forward to most in her new role is recruiting for Adventist education and supporting teachers.
“I look forward to helping schools recruit new students and grow their programs, helping the conference recruit new teachers … and also recruiting for Adventist education in areas where schools don’t exist,” Morris said.
Morris and her husband Kevin have two children, Luke, student at Andrews University, and Lily, student at Sunnydale Adventist Academy. The family will be moving to the West Des Moines area, where the conference office is located, in the near future.