Leslie Morris is a native of Long Branch, NJ. She grew up in the Seaview Manor public housing complex under the watchful eyes of powerful men and women of faith, integrity, and character. She is the daughter of the late Nathaniel and Christine Morris, granddaughter of the late Susie Newsom and Lester and Sarah Morris, and sibling of Randy Phillips, Carol and Rodney Morris, all of Long Branch.
Leslie has spent most of her career in community-based health care at the local, statewide and national levels. In 1987 she developed and implemented the first comprehensive school-based health center in the state of New Jersey. Under the auspices of the Jersey City Medical Center and Jersey City Family Health Center, Leslie served as director of the school-based health center for 12 years. While there she distinguished herself in several ways. She implemented one of the first school-based HIV testing programs in the nation, and founded a nationally recognized teen abstinence program that culminated in three appearances on CBS-TV. Under her direction, the program offered comprehensive programs and services to the student population, ranging from onsite pregnancy testing to the full range of mental health and reproductive health services. Visit womenofthedream.org.