New HR head for FUESD identifies best hires

Rick Monroe

Special to the Village News

Brian Morris began working in July for the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District as assistant superintendent of human resources. He replaced Bill Billingsley who retired after working for the district for 17 years, beginning as a fourth-grade teacher.

Morris had a similar path but with more side steps and districts. He started as a teacher in the Grossmont Union High School district in 1991 and went on to be an assistant principal and principal, as well as other positions in Southern California. The past three years, he was director of human resources for the Poway Unified School District.

"The Poway experience was awesome," he said during the interview in his Fallbrook office. "Being director of human resources, I worked in a district of 36,000 students, compared to 4,700 here, so I don't expect too many surprises. It was great training."

He handled teacher and classified contract negotiations in Poway, as well as personnel litigation and hiring. Contract discussion is just beginning for the next school year in the FUESD and Morris said he didn't expect contracts to be approved until the fall.

"We're just beginning to talk," he explained, saying the first meeting was more of a social gathering.

His human resources team consists of six "great employees," he said.

Morris said he applied for the Fallbrook opening because the district has a great reputation.

"I'm very picky," he said. "I had other opportunities, but I had the needed experience for the opening and the set of skills to be successful."

"I also appreciate the value of community," he added. "I like small towns and their values. There are all-American people and I just have respect for the community."

Morris said when he discovered the district had adopted the "Leader in Me" program of Dr. Stephen Covey, that sealed his interest.

"I'm all for a district that values the whole child versus test scores," he said.

Morris has many responsibilities in the district including team building, all recruiting and hiring, investigations, compliance training, and making sure all district requirements are met.

He had a great response to what he looks for in an employee: "Someone who is passionate to work with kids," he began. "They have to have a heart for kids and to be on fire with energy. That's what we're about. We don't need dull; bring me the energy."

Morris said he wanted to be known as an encourager and gave the example of taking his staff to lunch recently to "stop and smell the roses." He said celebrations were important to show appreciation.

Morris and his extended family have strong ties to East County, but he lives in Murrieta with his wife and three children. While he was working in the Grossmont district as a teacher, he said he was honored to be invited by administrators to pursue a career in school administration.

His steps included a stint as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Community College, dean of students and then assistant principal at El Capitan High School, and assistant principal at Torrey Pines High School and Chaparral High School.

In 2007-2013, he was principal at Paloma Valley High in Perris, and then in the same district as director of special education. Since 2014, he has also served as adjunct professor at both Concordia University and California Baptist University.

Morris worked in 2017 and 2018 as director of human resources-certificated in the Santa Paula Unified School district in Ventura before working the past three years for the Poway district.