Morris tapped for U.N. job

A Hoosier is about to become part of the U.N.\nIU board of trustees President James T. Morris shared a piece of the international spotlight Tuesday as the United Nations announced its plan to make him executive director of the World Food Program.\nThe announcement came after recent speculation that Morris would be ousted from the position by Australian Bruce Davis. \nReports indicated a selection of Davis over Morris would have slighted a major loss for the U.S., which lost its seat on both the Human Rights Commission last year and was voted off the International Narcotics Control Board.\nMorris' selection on the global food program allows the U.S. to maintain a major spot in a UN agency.\nAmerican Catherine Bertini was named WFP executive director in 1992. Her term will end in March, when Morris will take over.\nMorris, head of the parent company to the Indianapolis Water Company and board of trustees member since 1996, received a nomination from President George W. Bush in October to serve as a U.S. ambassador for the program, but the Bush administration instead opted to appoint him to the hands-on operations of the U.N.'s Food and Agricultural Organizations.\nMorris has also served as U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar's (R-Ind.) chief of staff from 1967 to 1973, when Lugar served as mayor of Indianapolis. Morris is former president of the Lilly Foundation, as well.\nIU President Myles Brand praised Morris for his efforts after his nomination in October.\n"Jim Morris has an outstanding record of public service and of getting things done," Brand said in a statement. "We have been most pleased that he has brought those attributes to our board of trustees, and I am certain he will have a similarly positive impact in this new role."\nIn an article published Monday in The Indianapolis Star, a spokesperson said U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, along with the U.N.'s director general for the FAO, had appointed Morris.\nA U.N. executive board met in Rome Tuesday to review and consider the nomination but is not expected to reject Annan's recommendation. The appointment must also be confirmed by the Senate and announced by General Annan before it is official.\nKirsten Gronbjerg, IU professor of public and environmental affairs and Efroymson chair in philanthropy, said activities within the realm of U.N. agencies vary among organizations.\n"Multi-national organizations play major roles in international aid relief problems as they develop," Gronbjerg said. "Natural disasters, refugee demands…those kinds of activities usually involve a combination of international organizations and non-profit organizations."\nWhile Gronbjerg said different non-government multinational activities take place under the U.N. World Food Program, she was not sure how their roles were allocated or coordinated among relief agencies.\nMorris' initial task could be shouldering the pressure of raising more than $280 million in food and aid packages to help Afghan refugees recover from the war. \nMorris did not return phone calls to his home Tuesday.\nUniversity media relations spokesperson James Tinney said the University had not released a statement regarding Morris' nomination.\nThe Associated Press contributed to this article.