Familiar Face Thanked for Service to City

Wayzata city officials spent Tuesday night bidding a fond farewell to a lifelong civil servant.

Christine Morrison is retiring after serving the city in a variety of capacities over the last two decades—most recently on the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. In recognition of her contributions to what he called the “ambiance, livability and positive small town character” of the city, Mayor Ken Willcox proclaimed July 5, 2011, “Christine Morrison Day.”

“I’m deeply honored and humbled by all of this,” Morrison said. “This is something I’m not accustomed to at all. I like to put things like this on for other people. I really prefer that.”

Morrison, who plans to stay in Wayzata, said she leaves local government with a “little twinge of regret.”

“I find it hard disconnecting from things I find really stimulating,” she said. “I’ve honestly loved everything I’ve done with the city.”

Morrison says she’s anxious to spend time with her six grandchildren and said she will have plenty on her plate to occupy her time, including chairing the Lakewood Cemetery and the Allina Health System boards.

“I’m a cradle-to-grave volunteer,” she said.

Willcox has known Morrison since high school, when she was a cheerleader for a winning football team. 

“Since that time, Chris has been cheering people and leading people on to do great things,” the mayor said. “Her contributions have been not only been enormous for Wayzata, but also for the greater Twin Cities area and even the entire state.”

Several friends and colleagues also reflected about their time working with Morrison and of her drive to put her community first.

“I learned early on working with Chris that we could disagree, but we would be agreeable about disagreeing,” long-time Wayzata resident Casey Rosen said. “It’s been a privilege to work with Chris over these many years.”

Robyn Cook has known Morrison for many years and recalled sitting atop a fire truck in the pouring rain during a National Night Out.

“I got to know first hand how devoted Chris is,” Cook said. “She is a first-rate leader.”

Morrison's service in the community dates nearly 30 years. She spent 16 years on the board of Blake Schools, and she has also served on the boards of Abbot Northwestern Hospital, Allina Health System, the United Way of Minneapolis Minnesota Women’s Campaign Foundation, the Camp Ripley Memorial Foundation, Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and the Guthrie Theatre. She served four years on the Wayzata Planning Commission, four more on the city council and recently ended a 16-year run on the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

“This remarkable history of selfless leadership in Wayzata and the greater Twin Cities community is just extraordinary,” Willcox said.

Calling the political climate at the state and national level “tempestuous,” Morrison pointed to Wayzata as an example of how government should work and said she leaves confident the voices of all are considered equally before decisions are made.

“We come together with civility and caring and responsibility and take lots of input and come to conclusions that, while we may not agree with at certain times, we all walk away and say ‘yes, we were considered,’” she said. “I implore you to continue that tradition because it is such an important example. We need to have it in at least one place in this world right now and hope we come back to our senses.”