Buckeye Hills Regional Council is pleased to welcome Sam Miller to its team as Development Director. In her new role, Miller will lead the Community & Economic Development team in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and projects within BHRC’s eight-county region. Miller will work with state, local and federal officials to ensure community and economic development initiatives are coordinated among Buckeye Hills’ partner agencies and stakeholders.
A native of the Village of Somerset, Miller attended Ohio University in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and graduated in May 2018 with a degree in Journalism – Strategic Communication. Armed with the desire to see southeast Ohio thrive and the motivation to use her skills for the greater good, Miller joined Rural Action as an AmeriCorps national service member in August 2018. She served as the Entrepreneurial Communities Outreach and Support Specialist in the then Entrepreneurial Communities program, which today operates as Resilient Communities. She spent her term of service empowering small communities across five Appalachian Ohio counties and served to connect their businesses with needed resources.
After her AmeriCorps term of service, Miller joined the staff of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown as the Appalachian Regional Representative. During her time with Brown’s office, Miller served as the primary point of contact and liaison between residents across 25 Appalachian Ohio counties and the Senator’s policy advisors. Miller created engagement events, such as round-table discussions and summer manufacturing camps, with the Senator’s stakeholders and strategic partners.
“After seeing the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbate the needs of Appalachian Ohio, I really wanted to become more hands-on with the necessary solutions, which led to my decision to join Buckeye Hills Regional Council as Development Director,” says Miller. “Born and raised in Appalachian Ohio, my roots run deep in southeast Ohio’s rural communities, and I have always felt a desire to be part of the solutions to help improve the quality of life in the region I call home.”
“We’re excited to have Sam join our leadership team at Buckeye Hills,” says Misty Crosby, Buckeye Hills Regional Council Executive Director. “To her role as Development Director, she brings a passion for southeast Ohio communities and small businesses, as well as experience finding common ground among diverse viewpoints on federal policy and local issues.”
Miller lives in Athens with her partner, Kyle, and their corgi, June.
To learn more about Buckeye Hills Regional Council, and for assistance and referral services, visit www.buckeyehills.org, call 740-374-9436 or 1-800-331-2644 (toll free), or email info@buckeyehills.org.