MORRIS – John Severson was unanimously appointed on Monday by Morris City Council as the city’s new police chief.

Severson fills the role after longtime Chief Brent Dite announced his retirement in February to begin teaching in August at the Grundy Area Vocational Center. Monday was Dite's last official day as chief.

Mayor Richard Kopczick appointed Severson to the position, which passed with 7-0 vote. Alderman Bill Martin was absent.

An audience full of Severson’s family and co-workers were in attendance, and gave him a round of applause after the appointment.

“It’s humbling, and kind of surreal to receive this much support,” Severson said to the crowd and council. “I truly am honored.”

Severson was hired as a part-time dispatcher with the Morris Police Department in November 1991 and became a full-time dispatcher by 1993. In 1995 he was a full-time patrol officer.

Severson’s career path took him from patrolman to detective, to corporal, back to patrolman before being named sergeant in 2005 and deputy chief in 2013.

But he never really planned on being a police chief. He explained Monday after the appointment that he was apprehensive initially to pursue the position because both he and his family know that when you advance in law enforcement, you generally have more duties, more stress and more responsibilities.

Kopczick said he told Severson to think about it, talk it over with the family and pray on it. Severson said his family reassured him they wanted him to “go for it.”

Dite said Severson has worked his way up the department ladder and is a man of integrity that he feels will do a great job in the position.

“John is a great family man who has come up through the ranks and held just about every job in the department there is,” Dite said. “His integrity and work ethic are second to none.”

Severson, who has been preparing for the transition by accepting more duties in recent months, said one of his first order of business is to keep the ship headed in the right direction.

“Chief Dite left me a wonderful department,” Severson said, adding he wants to maintain the positive attitude and provide the best tools for the department to do its job.