1.
John Joseph Morris
3250 Pennington Avenue South, Afton, Minnesota 55001-9727
651.470-7751
revmorris@comcast.net
External Relations/Government Relations/Community Relations
Overview Over 10 years of national and state leadership experience as the Staff Chaplain for the Army
National Guard, creator and director of the Minnesota Beyond the Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration program for combat veterans, military families and communities.
 Created a successful program that became the Federal model and Federal law for all
returning combat veterans. Over 500,000 service personnel and families have been
customers of the program.
 Successfully led a staff of 20 uniformed personnel and 12 civilian contractors, while
managing $4 million dollars in Federal funding.
 Testified before Congress, National Governor’s Association, MN State House and MN
Congressional delegation.
 Personally provided professional presentations to over 1,000 civic, military, religious and
fraternal groups consisting of over 25,000 attendees.
Professional Experience
United States Army, 1984 - present
COLONEL –
2013-present-Serving as the Staff Chaplain for the Army National Guard. Manage the $8
million Army Strongbonds marriage and family program. Supervise a staff of 12 chaplains,
assistants and contractors. Formulate policy, train, mobilize and deploy the 685 chaplains
and chaplain assistants of the Army National Guard.
Serving as the principal advisor to the Director of the Army National Guard on all matters
related to religious accommodation, freedom of religion, morale, morals and welfare of the
354,000 soldiers of the Army National Guard.
2005-2013-Served as a senior leader of the Minnesota National Guard and the senior
chaplain for 14,000 service members, and their families. Served as the principal liaison to the
key religious leaders of the state. Provided training to faith-based leaders in Minnesota in
the 152 Beyond the Yellow Communities and organizations in the state.
Served as the senior officer in charge of preparing unemployed Minnesota Guard combat
veterans for employment and higher education.
Principal advisor to the Adjutant General of Minnesota on matters affecting the families of
the Minnesota National Guard and the welfare of the military personnel of the organization.
Management: Responsible for training, supervising and deploying the 29 chaplains of the Minnesota
National Guard and 30 chaplain assistants. Responsible for recruiting chaplains from
underrepresented populations to serve with the Minnesota National Guard.

2.
Community
Relations:
Provide briefings and training to key religious, civic and business groups throughout
Minnesota, an average of three times per week, to audiences of 25 to 2,000 attendees.
During two combat tours in Iraq served as the key religious liaison to Iraqi religious leaders.
Personally recognized by General Odierno, Commander of Forces in Iraq, for exemplary and
ground breaking work done with the Christian, Muslim and Mandean religious leaders of
southern Iraq.
Government
Relations:
Personally brief members of the Minnesota Congressional delegation, the Governor of
Minnesota, the Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota and the Commissioners of the State of
Minnesota on matters related to the welfare, employment, reintegration and families of
returning combat veterans.
Education University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE, 1978
Education
Bethel Theological Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota
Masters of Divinity
United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
Masters of Science
Strategic Studies
 Combined Armed Services Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas
 Psychological Operations Officers’ A dvanced Course, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
 Civil A ffairs Officers’ A dvanced Course, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
Clearance:
Interests
Top Secret
International t ravel, skydiving, distance running/biking, wilderness adventure
References and Supporting Documentation Furnished Upon Request