Leader Spotlight: Kenneth Morris, Aviation Community Foundation

Mr. Kenneth Morris

As a pilot, I am always quite attuned to the weather, so I would be remiss if I did not speak to the dark cloud that has settled over this country and our business community. We live in incredibly turbulent times. We as a nation are experiencing loss resulting from Covid-19, and we are also experiencing great racial turmoil. At PFD, we are most certainly grieving the losses of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, who are some of the most recent victims in a long list of men, women, and children to wrongly suffer terrible deaths. Much like a dark cloud, these events are obscuring a way forward, and they cast a shadow over the landscape of America. Given the circumstances, each of us are wondering how we can help create positive, lasting change. In the midst of this dark cloud, we would like to celebrate a leader that works tirelessly every day to create this change: Mr. Kenneth Morris.

What is important to remember is that the tragedies and acts of violence we witnessed this week don’t exist in silos, they exist within complex social and economic systems of which we are all a part. One dimension of this social system that I will highlight is poverty, which disproportionately affects people of color. In 2017, 25.4% of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, 21.2% of African Americans, 18.3% of Latinxs, and 10% of Asians experienced poverty compared with 8.7% non-Hispanic Whites. This sort of hardship was exacerbated among women of color, as in 2017, women were 38% more likely to experience poverty than men, with Black, Native American and Alaska Native, and Latinx women experiencing double the rates of poverty as non-Hispanic White women. Further, studies in the United States have found that employers respond more favorably to white candidates than their African American and Latinx counterparts. In recent months, this situation has gotten worse, as the economic and health impacts of Covid-19 also disproportionately affect communities of color. Further, as another result of Covid-19, nonprofits that aim to provide services and resources to these underserved communities have seen their revenue streams dry up, which means less support is being delivered at a time when these communities need it most.

It is easy to get discouraged when we look at these complex social systems, as so many factors that exist are out of our control. Even if we have relatively little control over the acts of violence, Covid-19, and large-scale poverty, as leaders, we must ask ourselves, “what can we influence? What is something we can do to make a positive impact in our communities?” We all have spheres of influence and areas of passion, and we must leverage our opportunities to the people within our communities that we can support.

At PFD, we are passionate about using our business to contribute upward mobility, aviation, and helping great leaders to make an exceptional impact on their communities. Inspired by General Stanley McChrystal’s Team of Teams model, we have decided to identify and support strong leaders to collaborate and support the greater good. We are dealing with increasingly complex situations, and because of this no one person can do it alone - we have to collaborate. We are better together.

In keeping with these passions, we are highlighting a great leader who has dedicated his life to making an exceptional impact on his community: Kenneth Morris.

Kenneth is using his passion for aviation to create incredible opportunities for upward mobility for diverse students.

Kenneth Morris speaking after receiving the Educate Our Educators Grant

Kenneth Morris grew up in Houston’s fifth ward, which, during the time of his childhood, was notorious for being one of the poorest and most dangerous places to live in Texas. Three weeks after high school, Kenneth enrolled in the Navy, where he joined the aviation field as a Naval Aircrewman. He viewed aviation as a challenge, working diligently to better himself, and quickly rising to the top of his class. Kenneth made rank in three years, an accomplishment that normally takes seven years to complete. As a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kenneth is a recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, NATO Medal, Kosovo Air Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Sea Service Deployment Medal and more. Further, Kenneth has a degree in Computer Information Systems from Seward County College. In 2018, Kenneth was selected as one of 11 U.S. military veterans and the only African American selected by the Department of Transportation to fly in the Forces to Flyers initiative. Upon completion, Kenneth will be a Certified Flight Instructor.

Kenneth’s impressive accomplishments don’t fully capture what an incredible human being he is. He is a humble leader who has the incredible gift to truly connect and mentor students from underserved communities to transform their lives. He has an empowering vision for a much better future – one of diversity, inclusion, and upward mobility - and he inspires students to see the same future for themselves.  These students can see themselves in him, and they are inspired by being exposed to opportunities that they never thought were possible.

Jet Blue & ACF 2017 New York Student Aviation Expedition Video, Featuring Kenneth Morris and the impact aviation education can have on students.

Within the next twenty years, there is expected to be large workforce shortages for pilots, maintainers, and cabin crew. While this is undoubtedly worrying to industry leaders, Kenneth’s love for and experience in the aviation industry has led him to see incredible opportunity. He knows how aviation has transformed his own life – and he engages students with little opportunity elsewhere to pursue careers in an industry where there is incredible opportunity for growth. Kenneth knows that many of his students don’t even realize that these opportunities are available to them, and he connects with them, mentors them, and provides additional means of support to them so that they can pursue these careers and break the cycle of poverty themselves. In fact, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology was recognized as the #1 College for upward mobility in the nation, demonstrating how these careers in aviation can be transformational in the lives of students from underserved communities. He also connects with leaders of other great aviation programs, so they can share best practices and scale their impact. It is quite rare for a leader to be able to both have an incredible and futuristic vision that takes into account nation-wide trends but also be able to connect on an authentic and personal level with the students he is serving

Kenneth is making a real, tangible, and incredible difference in the lives of the students that he serves. In a world where poverty and lack of opportunity disproportionately affect people of color, leaders like Kenneth are making incredible strides to make lasting, structural changes that bring real, meaningful opportunities to students in underserved communities. Not only that, but Kenneth can truly connect with and mentor these students authentically and genuinely. To make lasting change and to provide opportunities to students and communities who need it most, we need to support and collaborate with amazing leaders like Kenneth Morris. We are incredibly humbled to be serving such an incredible leader.

If you want to support Kenneth in his mission of serving students, donate here:

Recommended Reading List: May 2020

Great leaders are capable of leading their teams through both the good and the bad times. These three recommended books below share best practices regarding how to make the most of the current challenges and opportunities, all while being a servant leader.

1.) The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

The Splendid and the Vile is a captivating read that we found nearly impossible to put down. Erik Larson tells the story of Churchill’s family life and leadership. Churchill’s story during his prime is a great example of how an individual can effectively inspire teams. This narrative shows how important great leadership is at all levels of an organization.

2.) Shackelton’s Way by Margot Morrell

By including anecdotes from Shackleton’s journey in the Antarctic, Margot Morrell shows the incredible leadership style of Shackleton and addresses how it can be used today. This novel demonstrates how to build a diverse and highly functioning team in any circumstance while navigating through uncertainty.

3.) Right Away and All at Once by Greg Brenneman

Written by one of the top turnaround leaders in the world, Right Away and All at Once provides a framework for what is important to keep in mind during uncertain times. Greg Brenneman is able to show how creating an effective life plan can translate into a successful business. This book gives a 5 step roadmap to help create their own plan that will better both their business and themselves.