Kristina Morris (she/her/hers) of Abingdon, Virginia, has been the Unit Coordinator for the Southwest Virginia Medical Reserve Corps since its inception in 2004. She received her B.A. from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and M.A. in Community and Organizational Leadership from Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia.

 

As Unit Coordinator for the Southwest Virginia Medical Reserve Corps, Kristina has been actively involved with the design and development of the local, state and national Medical Reserve Corps programs. Kristina and the SWVA MRC have received statewide and national awards for work related to emergency responses and Drug Take Back activities. In April 2011, Kristina was tapped to lead the Volunteer Coordination efforts for Washington County, Virginia, after multiple tornadoes struck the region. In this role, Kristina also was an active member of the Washington County Long Term Recovery Committee.

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kristina oversaw the largest volunteer effort in the history of the Unit. Since March 2020 until May of 2022, there was essentially a volunteer supporting some type of public health activity on a daily basis. During the initial community vaccination campaign in 2021, Kristina coordinated a support-team of 6 paid and volunteer staff to manage the workload. In 2019, Kristina led the Advisory Board of the SWVA MRC to establish a 501c3 organization to support the volunteers and their work. The Friends of Southwest Virginia MRC is the first of its kind in Virginia and it is believed in the national MRC network.

 

Kristina is a Board member for One-Care of Southwest Virginia and Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition. She also participates in the Washington County Prevention Coalition & Care About Our Community Coalition. Kristina is passionate about public health, volunteering, quilting, community support, her King Charles Cavalier “Oskar”, and her family.