Margaret Sellers Walker Morris was a former IPMA-HR president. She also received the Warner W. Stockberger Achievement Award and an honorary lifetime membership in recognition of he decades of service as a public sector HR professional and as a leader at the chapter and region levels of IPMA-HR.
Born in Pendleton, S.C., to Daniel and Annie Regular, Sellers Walker Morris was the oldest of seven children. In 1945, after the family moved to Detroit, she graduated from Northeastern High School. She went on to earn a B.S. in humanistic studies from Wayne State University and an M.S. in public administration from Western Michigan University.
Sellers Walker Morris was married to Thomas James Sellers, Jr. (deceased) with whom she had two daughters. She later married James G. Walker and Alford Morris, both of whom also predeceased her.
Throughout her career, Sellers Walker Morris met challenges with courage and competence. She began her career at the Detroit Public Library, where she advanced from library page to personnel director. She then served as personnel director for the newly formed Wayne County Community College.
A position with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources led to Sellers Walker Morris becoming the first woman and the first African American to head a division within the agency. As the head of personnel, she served employees working in a wide range of complex jobs across the state of Michigan during a period when the department was preparing for considerable downsizing. It was a tough job, and Sellers Walker Morris faced a number of critics who thought conservation was work for a man.
She succeeded in modernizing and updating the department while directing personnel activities and overseeing training, affirmative action and labor relations. Her definitive actions resulted in state workers recognizing her as a strong ally.
Sellers Walker Morris then became chief examiner and director of human resources for the City of Grand Rapids. She was later promoted to assistant city manager for administrative and cultural services, in which position she helped plan and evaluate all city services.
During this time, Sellers Walker Morris launched a second career teaching at Grand Valley State University, where she became a tenured associate professor in what was then the School of Public Administration. She also served as the associate director for the Johnson Center for Philanthropy.
Sellers Walker Morris was a leader in professional associations, a frequent lecturer and a tireless community volunteer. She served on many boards, including those for The Dwelling Place; Blodgett Hospital; Delta Strategies; Hope Network, Inc.; Clark Retirement Community; Friends of Grand Rapids Community College; Grand Rapids Community Foundation; and Fifth Third Bank of Michigan.
Sellers Walker Morris lived in Detroit (1945-1980), Lansing, Mich. (1980-1986), Grand Rapids (1986-2007), Durham, N.C. (2007-2016) and Jacksonville, Fla. (2016-2020). She consistently practiced her faith as a contributing member of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit and, later, White Rock Baptist Church and Mt. Olive AME Zion Church in Durham.
In Durham, she committed to reactivating the Friends of James E. Shepard Memorial Library at North Carolina Central University and served as a board member of the Durham Boys & Girls Club. In Florida, she volunteered at the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center in St, Augustine. She was also a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
In her free time, Sellers Walker Morris loved to read and travel. Most of all, she treasured annual trips with her four sisters. Her professional and civic achievements contributed to bringing about enormous improvements in services to the communities in which she lived. Because of her commitment to making the world a better place, she was awarded many honors beyond those conferred by IPMA-HR, including being named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan and being elected to the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
To cherish her memory, Sellers Walker Morris leaves a special friend, Willie West; daughters Loren Sellers Darden (Alton) and Sharon Sellers-Clark (Derek); grandchildren Leah Jackson, Justin Jackson, Derek Clark, Dylan Clark; five great-grandchildren; sisters Blondean McDonald, Mary Howard, Vivian Jackson (Jeff), and Patricia Smith; as well as a host of nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces, cousins and friends. —N
01 November 2020
Category
HR News Article