Diana Morris: Newsmaker

Occupation

Director of the Open Society Institute-Baltimore, a nonprofit organization founded by billionaire financier George Soros to find solutions for urban ills such as juvenile delinquency, drug addiction and recidivism among ex-offenders.

In the news

Morris announced that OSI-Baltimore had raised $5 million as part of challenge that Soros issued last year to city residents. Soros said he would give OSI-Baltimore $10 million if officials could raise $20 million from Baltimore-area groups and individuals.

Career highlights

She started her career as an attorney in the Office of the Legal Advisor at the U.S. Department of State. For eight years, she worked as a program officer at the Ford Foundation. From 1991 to 1997, she served as executive director of the Blaustein Philanthropic Group in Baltimore. She has been director of OSI-Baltimore since its inception in 1998.

Personal

Morris, 52, was born in Altoona, Pa., and is a graduate of Smith College and the law school at Boston University. She lives in Lutherville, is married to Peter Shiras, who works for the International Youth Foundation, and has two teenage daughters. She is a member of the Park School board of trustees and a board member of several other organizations.

Philosophy

"How we treat the most vulnerable amongst us reveals what kind of person or society we are. Life has meaning for me when I'm engaged in a continuous cycle of learning, taking action and learning from that experience with the ultimate goal of promoting justice so that individuals everywhere can realize their full potential."