She led the establishment of a partnership between the County, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop ultramodern laboratories for R&D in biosciences:[10] the Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology (CARB).

[11] She recruited Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company to locate in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center, the first Japanese R&D lab to locate in the U.S.[12] In 1981, Morfessis helped to establish the Economic Advisory Council,[13] a private, blue chip organization of CEOs to advise the County Executive on economic, fiscal, and management issues.

[18] The strategy reduced the state's dependence on housing construction and population growth, and encouraged cluster-based industry work groups.

[23] Successful projects included the location or expansion of Sierra Military Health Systems, World Relief international headquarters, and Coca-Cola Enterprises as well as Bank One and the Toyota Financial Corporation.

[28] Morfessis created and hosted a cable television program, Business Beat, in Baltimore, Maryland, featuring interviews with the CEOs of major corporations.