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Mark Morris graduated from Southeast Community College’s Electrical Engineering Technology program in 1980. His original career trajectory was to become a commercial electrical contractor. Advice he received from his program chair to look at an opportunity with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning company changed all of that.

“My career goal was to become a commercial electrical contractor. I had worked summers in high school doing this work, and it was what I wanted to do,” Morris said. “During our final quarter, employers were conducting on-campus interviews, and I was encouraged by Reid Curtis, SCC’s electrical program chair, to interview as an HVAC controls contractor. I ended up having a 16-year career with a company providing HVAC controls. This led to the opportunity to return home and join Mechanical Sales. The education at SCC was my ‘path to possible’ and cornerstone of continuous technical learning.”

He joined Johnson Controls, Inc., in Omaha as an application engineer after graduating from SCC. During his tenure with the company, he had several roles, including project manager, senior sales engineer, branch manager, and area office sales manager at company plants in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota. In 1996, Morris became partner and co-owner of Mechanical Sales, Inc. – Nebraska in Omaha. He is currently president of the company, which employs several SCC graduates.

“Our business does not require a great number of people; we need a small number of great people,” he said. “People of high character, combined with a Southeast Community College education, are extremely valuable. Southeast Community College has proven to be a true partner with SCC graduates making up more than 20% of our team.”

Two of those SCC graduates on the Mechanical Sales team are Morris’ twin sons, Will and Andy. They both attended SCC after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Doane University, respectively. Having both interned in the summers with the company, the senior Morris advised them to enroll in the SCC Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology program if they wanted to join the family business.

“I am grateful for all Southeast Community College has done for my family and our business,” Mark Morris explained. “Will is a vice president at our Omaha location, and Andy is a partner in our Kansas City office. I am extremely proud of all they have accomplished.”

Will received the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Nebraska Community College Association during its annual award ceremony in North Platte. He is following in his father’s footsteps as Mark earned the honor in 2010.

“As a father, I am proud of all that Will has accomplished in life and within our industry, including the 2023 SCC Distinguished Alumni Award,” Mark said. “I know what it meant to me a number of years back, and I am thrilled that Will has received this recognition. With the heart and mind of a teacher, combined with SCC technical expertise, Will has found success in the industry serving some of the largest institutional projects in our area.”

Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu