Sherysse R Morris

I am a phenomenal talent who is strategic, visionary and collaborative. I worked closely with City Wide Leaders on many initiatives and issues at the City of Seattle, and with immense skill and problem solving under pressure. I have been a level-headed, strategic force as we have dealt with both the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a nationwide racial injustice, and I always met each challenge with tenacity, grace, and heartfelt concern for the people in our workforce and community. I am a strong thought partner and fantastic at creating new, improved ways to conduct our business, brainstorming ways to make our work more efficient, and working with teams and colleagues to bring them along on the culture change journey needed to implement needed updates to our work. I am integral player in a citywide effort to reimagine human resources practices at the City of Seattle post-pandemic. I have deep HR knowledge and experience that I bring to the table, and my team has told me I am an extraordinary leader who is highly skilled at building and managing my team to optimize their performance. 

The Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) is responsible for developing and executing strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization, specifically in the areas of health and safety, logistics, diversity and inclusion, innovation, HR analytics, succession planning, talent management, change management, organizational and performance management, training and development, and compensation. The CPCO provides strategic leadership by articulating People and Culture needs and plans to Sr. Leadership Team and the Executive Leadership Team.

As leader of the People and Culture team, I am responsible for developing, overseeing, and operationalizing all things people related at your organization ultimately stewarding staff through the full employee lifecycle. This includes leading the internal team to build the necessary infrastructure to attract, hire, evaluate, nurture, and reward staff, and ensuring that they actively cultivate the culture they need to retain, develop, and leverage the tremendous talent that already exists at your organization. The HR/Talent functions at your organization continue to evolve and you will have the unique opportunity to implement key systems and policies.

The Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) will develop innovative and comprehensive programs to support a dynamic workforce that has grown in the last three years, including organizational and talent development, culture, performance management, retention strategies, recruitment, policy and compliance, and benefits administration. Because of the rapid growth of the organization, and its reliance on a mission-driven, millennial workforce, the development of performance management and career development programs is a top priority. Of particular importance will be to strengthen their internal environment of equal employment opportunity, diversity, and inclusiveness.

The Chief People and Culture Officer supports activities related to establishing a social and physical environment wherein people on campus may be free from fear and, thereby, contribute to the quality and excellence at your organization.  This includes: the protection of life and property, preservation of peace and good order in the community, enforcement of laws and regulations, emergency management, planning, facility and data security, personnel clearances, and community outreach.

The Chief People and Culture Officer will assist your organization with reassessing how they hold themselves accountable for racial equity and inclusion and what meaningful actions they can take. The CPCO will play a key role in these efforts and work closely with the leadership team, employee resource groups and the equity and inclusion team. Similarly, as they grow, they seek to leverage their core values effectively while developing a culture of learning, operational excellence, accountability, and effectiveness. Inspired by a deep  passion for making the world better, they seek to “walk the talk” and create a world-class environment for their employees. 

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