Norfolk (Virginia - USA)
CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER
![]() Christine Morris is Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Norfolk. She began working for the City in March of 2013 as assistant to the City Manager. Prior to joining Team Norfolk, she served as Vice President of Initiatives for the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, which is the region’s premier provider of philanthropic services including community impact through grants and scholarships , regional leadership through its focus on community needs and initiatives and personal philanthropy.
Ms. Morris also served as Vice President of Training and Technical Assistance for EDTEC, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in organizational and community development projects. Her projects included assisting boards in public housing developments organize and develop impactful programs. In all Ms. Morris has more than 25 years of experience helping nonprofits improve their management, board leadership, strategic planning and community relations. She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. Related Articles![]() The Rockefeller Foundation named Norfolk Tuesday to the 100 Resilient Cities Network. Norfolk was one of nearly 400 cities across six continents to apply for the inaugural 100 Resilient Cities Challenge, which the New York-based foundation holds in partnership with the Financial Times.
“Along with 32 other cities across six continents, your city will be able to better prepare for, withstand, and bounce back more effectively in the face of shocks, stresses and other vulnerabilities,” Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin said in a statement. The designation makes Norfolk part of a global network of urban areas focused on building resilience. A panel of leaders from around the world selected the 33 cities based on how a city planned to approach and build greater resilience; how a city would incorporate a range of constituents (civil society, local businesses, and academia) in its resilience planning; and how the needs of the poor or vulnerable would be addressed. “As you explained so clearly in your application, building resilience requires partners from every sector … My team and I look forward to working with you, starting with an agenda-shaping workshop in early 2014,” said Michael Berkowitz, managing director for 100 Resilient Cities at The Rockefeller Foundation. As part of the network, Norfolk will receive support to hire a chief resilience officer, create a resilience strategy, and receive access to tools, technical support, and resources for implementing a comprehensive resilience plan. Initial partners for these services include the World Bank, the American Institute of Architects and Architecture for Humanity. "Norfolk is honored to join this prestigious, global initiative,” Mayor Paul D. Fraim said in a statement. “We see the opportunity to extend our innovative sea level rise approach to critical issues of urban resiliency through this cutting-edge program. Norfolk also seeks the opportunity to learn from the global community how to better address the shocks and stresses of the 21st century.” For nearly a decade, The Rockefeller Foundation has been a leader in the growing field of resilience planning. It funded comprehensive planning work in post-Katrina New Orleans, and most recently, by leading New York Governor Cuomo's post-Sandy Commission. In May of this year, it launched the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge to help cities around the world. Additional cities will be named to join the network in subsequent years. ![]() Norfolk hires chief officer for "catastrophic events" If you haven't heard the word "resilience" in the context of government, brace yourself. Like sea level rise, it's coming to a coastal city near you. On Friday, Norfolk announced the hiring of its first chief resilience officer. Christine Morris, an assistant to City Manager Marcus Jones since last year, is a former executive at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. The position - directly reporting to Jones - was created "to help Norfolk prepare for, withstand and bounce back from catastrophic events and chronic stresses," a city news release said. Example of stresses could include poverty, violence, unemployment and transportation problems. Broadly speaking, "resiliency" is the new "sustainability," but with a focus on adapting to vagaries of climate change, which in Norfolk largely means flooding and sea level rise. In an interview Friday, Morris said part of her job would be to help the city figure out how to "react to the issue of water coming into places where we'd rather it not be." Part of resiliency, she said, is interdisciplinary thinking, and that could mean having city departments work together better. Conceiving of a flood protection project that also doubles as a recreation area could be an example of resiliency planning. A $4.6 million federal grant the city recently received to prepare for sea level rise, restore wetlands and create a "green infrastructure" plan will lead to projects that fall under the umbrella of resiliency, city officials said. Morris' position is an outgrowth of Norfolk's selection last year for a Rockefeller Foundation program called 100 Resilient Cities, which the foundation describes as aimed at "cities who have demonstrated a dedicated commitment to building their own capacities to prepare for, withstand, and bounce back rapidly from shocks and stresses." The foundation is paying for the first two years of Morris' $140,000 annual salary. Norfolk is the third city in the world to hire a chief resiliency officer, according to foundation officials. The others are San Francisco and a city in Colombia. In addition to coastal protection, Jones said, the city will also focus on "neighborhood and economic resiliency." Morris will lead the city's effort to develop a resiliency plan. Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122a [email protected] Bio
Background
Details
|
Norfolk Is Now A Rockefeller "Resilient City"
Norfolk Flooding - Comprehensive Update
|