The son of Billy and Frances Morris, Tom was born and raised on a farm outside of Bowling Green. His earliest memories involve farm life. The life of the Morris family revolved around hard work, Christian faith, and family. Tom and his older brother, Pete were both taught to work at an early age.
 Tom, Frances, Billy and Pete, 1967 |
Tom attended Rich Pond school, where he was introduced to science by his Junior High Science Teacher, Gary Boyd. This introduction to science led to his life-long involvement with technology and the belief in basing decisions on data. Tom and his family attended Greenwood Baptist Church, where Tom was baptized as a child. The family was very involved in the church, attending almost every time the doors were open, and the Bible stories he learned during his formative years continue to guide him to this day.
Tom’s dad made sure he learned about money, paying him, and expecting him to budget and manage his bank account from an early age. Tom also learned the concept of stewardship, that one should give from the blessings one receives. One vivid memory was of the way his dad taught him about the importance of giving (tithing). In those days, Band-Aids were sold in metal boxes, and his dad gave him some used bandaid boxes to use to set aside money. Some for spending, some for saving, some for giving.
Tom attended Warren Central High School (WCHS). Although Tom did not excel in sports, he was an avid basketball fan and spent many a night shooting hoops with his friends. He cheered the WCHS Dragons every chance he got and went to most of the ball games. In summers, Tom worked on the farm, doing almost every task there is to do on a farm. Tom was an above-average student but did not really apply himself, just coasting along and doing what he needed to get by. He did enjoy working on the staff of the yearbook and serving as a sports editor during his senior year. He also enjoyed acting in the junior play, “Teahouse of the August Moon.”
Upon graduation from High School, Tom decided to pursue engineering. Because of financial considerations, he went to WKU for a couple of years. In 1976, Tom began dating Stephanie Simpson. He also made plans to transfer to Georgia Tech. Because he could not be immediately enrolled, he took a semester off and worked at Kendall in Franklin. There Tom learned the life of a factory worker. On January 1, 1977, Tom packed his Plymouth Duster with most of his worldly possessions and headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to begin his studies in Electrical Engineering.
Atlanta was an awakening for Tom, who had never lived any place larger than Bowling Green. Georgia Tech also was a shock. Tom learned that only by dedication and discipline was he going to be able to survive the grueling classes of such a prestigious engineering school. To make ends meet, Tom enrolled in the Co-Op program and obtained a job with Armco Steel in Ashland KY. He would go to school for three months and then work for the next three. Armco was an education in its own right. Tom learned about the corporate environment and also learned how steel was manufactured, from the Coke plant to the blast furnace to the roller mill.
 Stephanie and Tom, wedding night, 1978 |
In December of 1978, He and Stephanie got married at Greenwood Baptist Church. After a one day honeymoon, they moved to Ashland, where Stephanie found work as a waitress, and Tom worked a six-month stint at Armco.
 Graduation day, 1980 |
From summer 1979 through June of 1980, they returned to Atlanta, where Tom completed his degree in June 1980. It was during his time at tech school that Tom began his lifelong
 Tom’s work badge, early 80’s |
fascination with computers.
Upon Graduation, Tom and Stephanie moved to Columbia, SC, where Tom began work as a computer engineer at NCR Corporation, and Stephanie started her studies at the University of South Carolina (USC). In addition to working full time, Tom also enrolled in a master’s program at USC. In 1987, Tom and Stephanie both received their master’s degrees, and they welcomed their first child Alexandra into the world. In 1990, their second child, Zachary, was born.
 Tom, Alex, Zach and Stephanie, on a visit to Bowling Green in the 90’s |
During the 90’s Tom continued his career with NCR and had the opportunity to travel to Malaysia, India, and Amsterdam as a support engineer.
 Tom visited Malaysia to address a crisis situation with Intel Corp in the 90s. Here is pointing out Malaysia on the map while in Malaysia! |
After 20 years with NCR, Tom left to take a chance on a small startup company that was establishing a location in Columbia. The startup was soon bought out by EMC corporation, and Tom stayed there until 2012. Tom’s EMC career provided him the opportunity to manage a team in Shanghai China and to travel there twice.
During his years in the IT industry, Tom was called on multiple times to manage crises. Much of his overseas travel was at a moment’s notice, where a critical customer had a business-threatening situation. Tom’s cool headed leadership and strong technical insights were often the difference-maker in resolving these crises. Tom hopes to bring these same skills to bear as mayor.
By 2012, with the children both on their own and Tom’s mother in declining health, Tom and Stephanie decided to move back to Bowling Green to help care for his mother. Tom “retired” from EMC and he and Stephanie bought a home in Hunting Creek. Tom, not ready for a life of ease, began a real estate investment company (Sustainnovators LLC) and began purchasing rental properties. He also owns the Tyler Adams House, a local boutique hotel. It was also during that time that Tom and Stephanie first became actively involved with the local Sierra Club, a group dedicated to environmental issues. In 2015, when Tom’s mother passed away, Tom and Stephanie took over family farm operations. .
Their two children, Alex and Zach, have taken adventurous routes in life. Alex now lives in Newcastle Australia, where she works at a museum and is pursuing a media career including writing for the Newcastle Herald. Zach splits his time between the US and Colombia South America, where he has a Spanish Youtube channel with over a million followers.
 Stephanie, Zach, Alex and Tom in 2019 while visiting Newcastle Australia. |
Tom and Stephanie are passionate travelers. Over the last few years, they have been able to visit Australia, New Zealand, South America, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Malaysia as well as several domestic cities. Recently, Tom had the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Kentucky Chapter of the Sierra Club, and Stephanie is teaching classes at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College. She also recently completed a term as the chair of the Landmark Association. Tom also is a member of the Executive Committee of the Warren County Democratic Party, and they are both members of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where they have been involved in the Meals Program and several other ministries of the church. Tom and Stephanie also have volunteered with the Citizens Climate lobby, twice going to Washington DC to meet with representatives to press for urgent action to address climate change.
In 2018, Tom and Stephanie decided to downsize and moved into a house closer to downtown Bowling Green. At the urging of friends, earlier this year, Tom filed as a write-in candidate for mayor. He believes that his life experience has prepared him to face this challenge, and asks that the voters give him the privilege of serving in this position for the next four years.
Tom hopes that supporters will DONATE TO Campaign Fund of Tom Morris.
