Morris New President of Disease Detection

H. Thad Morris has joined Disease Detection International of Irvine as president and chief operating officer.

He replaces former Interior Secretary James G. Watt, who had been acting president since the resignation of Arden A. Kelton earlier this year. Watt is chairman both of DDI and its parent company, Environmental Diagnostics of Burlington, N.C.

Morris has more than 15 years’ experience in the diagnostics industry, including two years as vice president and CEO of Astral Medical Systems, Indianapolis, and five years as president and chief executive officer of Pacific Hemostasis, Ventura.

DDI, which makes test kits for detecting parasitic and infectious diseases, also named William A. Wilson to its board and to a new executive committee. Wilson is a financial consultant with Shearson Lehman / American Express in Beverly Hills and also is a director at Pennzoil and at Jorgensen Steel.