Provided by the Center for Independent Living of Bucks County:
Mahria Morris
The Center for Independent Living of Bucks County is pleased to announce that Mahria Morris has joined the Bristol-based nonprofit organization as its executive director.
Morris, of New Hope, graduated this spring with a master’s degree in social work from Bryn Mawr College. Her studies centered on macro-level social work, which focuses on the analysis, development and implementation of public policy supporting individuals served by social work, in this case the Center’s consumers.
“I like systems,” said the married mother of four. “There’s no other agency that I’m aware of that touches as many systems as the Center for Independent Living.”
Board President Frank Keating said Morris had interned at the Center two summers ago. When outgoing executive director Josh Pittinger resigned, he recommended Morris for the job.
Keating and the rest of the organization have known Morris for many more years through her involvement with the disabled community. She is the daughter of Anne Mauro, who helped to start, and has run Handicapped Crusaders since 1966.
“Mahria is very familiar with Bucks County. She’s lived here all her life,” Keating said. “More than anything else, we know her.”
Through her mother, Morris literally grew up serving people with disabilities. Morris said she will use her background, education and passion for helping the disabled community guide her role at the Center.
Recently, the Center added a program coordinator, as well as an independent living specialist with expertise in ADA programs. Morris hopes to bridge the center’s mainly a la carte services to program-based services, while incorporating adaptive technology to ensure that services are not duplicated.
“At first you don’t succeed,” Morris said. “Sometimes our systems aren’t equipped to let people try, try again.”
