Ron Miller (Maryland politician)

Early life and family

Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Miller is the oldest of four children. His father, Lafayette Miller, Jr., was an airman in the U.S. Air Force who met and married his mother, Mary Jean Lubin, a Lake Charles native, while stationed at Chennault Air Force Base. Miller moved frequently in conjunction with his father's military assignments, living in Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, and in Japan and Spain overseas, before his 18th birthday.

After graduation from Abilene Cooper High School, Miller attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York and Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) before attending and graduating from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. It was at Texas Tech where he met his wife, Annik (ah-NEEK), a French student studying translation & simultaneous interpretation at the Dolmetscherschule Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland (now the School of Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences), and who was in the U.S. on a semester abroad. They were married on July 14, 1984 and have three children: daughters Amanda and Briana, and son Colin.

Military career

Miller received his commission in the U.S. Air Force upon graduation from Texas Tech University and served over nine years as an Air Intelligence Officer, with duty assignments at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado near Denver, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska near Omaha, the Tactical Fusion Center (TFC) near Boerfink, Germany and Patrick Air Force Base, Florida near Cocoa Beach. He attained the rank of Captain and received the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Commendation Medal. During his time of service, he attended the European branch of Troy State University, where he received a Master of Science degree in International Relations in 1989. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in July 1992.

Professional career

Miller was a senior operations analyst, project manager and division manager for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) from 1992 to 2000 in Melbourne, Florida, Stuttgart, Germany and Tampa, Florida. He was an information technology (IT) project manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers from 2000 to 2001. In 2001, he was appointed by the administration of President George W. Bush as the chief information officer (CIO) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

He served at FEMA from 2001 to 2002 and was subsequently assigned to the White House Homeland Security Transition Planning Office. After the Department of Homeland Security was officially launched, Miller moved to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as the Program Executive Officer for E-Government. He left the Bush Administration to return to the private sector in 2004.

During his time with the Bush Administration, he was recognized by Federal Computer Week in 2002 and 2003 as one of the "Federal 100" leaders in government information technology.

Miller was cited both years for his technology leadership in the homeland security arena. Since 2004, he has held senior management positions with the American Red Cross and in the private sector and is currently employed as a principal with ManTech International Corporation. He also has a private consulting practice, 5M Consulting Services, LLC.

Miller is the Online Associate Dean at Liberty University's Helms School of Government.

Political career

Miller's first political job was as a researcher and speechwriter in 1978 for Abilene attorney A.L. "Dusty" Rhodes, a conservative Democrat running for the U.S. Congress. Later that same year, Miller volunteered for Midland oilman George W. Bush in his campaign for the U.S. Congress. In 1980, Miller was the campus chairman for the George Bush for President campaign when George H.W. Bush sought the Republican nomination for President. Miller was elected as a precinct chairman for the Republican Party of Lubbock County, Texas and was the first black executive vice-chairman for the College Republicans of Texas. In 1981, Miller was named the editor for the Black Republicans of Texas.

On February 28, 2006, Miller announced that he was a candidate for the Republican nomination to face incumbent Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) in Maryland's 5th congressional district. Shortly before the filing deadline for candidates in Maryland, members of then-Governor Bob Ehrlich's staff and the Maryland GOP staff approached Miller about changing races to challenge state Senator Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, Jr. (D-Calvert), the president of the Maryland Senate since 1987 who has served in the Maryland General Assembly since 1971, first as a delegate from Prince George's County and then as a senator beginning in 1975. Their offer of full party backing and a phone call from Governor Ehrlich himself persuaded Miller to change races and he filed as a candidate for the District 27 Maryland Senate seat on July 3, 2006. Ron Miller stated, "If you've done this a long time, you're used to it. But I must admit, since I'm a newcomer, it's a bit strange."

Miller faced an uphill battle as a first-time challenger candidate with a formidable incumbent opponent and only four months to campaign, and he was defeated in the general election "tsunami" that affected Republicans nationwide. His vote total in Calvert County, however, exceeded that of many more experienced politicians on the Republican ticket and laid a foundation for another potential run for office in 2010. In 2007, Miller was named the Ed Hall Republican Man of the Year for 2006 by the Calvert County Republican Central Committee, where he serves as the communications director. Miller is currently in the early stages of preparation for another campaign for the Maryland Senate in 2010.

Miller is a prolific writer on conservative issues and is a regular contributor to RegularFolksUnited.com. His articles are frequently carried on Townhall.com and he has his own website, TeamRonMiller.com. He also writes for Pro-Life Unity, Red County and Southern Maryland Online, where he has a weekly column.

Political philosophy

Miller is an outspoken advocate for free enterprise, low taxes and reasonable regulation, limited and effective government focused on national security, public safety and administering justice, and traditional two-parent families. He also writes extensively about identity politics and the repercussions of placing race above values, particularly the harmful effects of liberal policies on the black community. He supports the right to bear arms. He supports the sanctity of human life, and says, "there is no such thing as an unwanted child." He is opposed to expansion of the government into more areas of peoples' lives and says, "Expanding health coverage to more people does no good if cost aren't first addressed." Speaking about the Maryland state budget, Miller says, "The budget is a mess - it's time to zero it out and start from scratch." He also says, "Higher corporate taxes and taxes on the wealthy, most of whom own businesses, keep new businesses away and force existing businesses to raise their prices, cut jobs, or move out of the state, all of which hurt the people, not the intended targets of the higher tax rates." On homosexuality, Ron Miller holds a view that homosexual relationships are controversial and inconsistent with the moral and spiritual values of many Americans and therefore should not be promoted in the public schools, nor should the subject matter be easily accessible to young children in public libraries in opposition to the parents' role in providing moral instruction to their children. He makes his stance clear when giving a short comment on the book "And Tango Makes Three," a true story of two homosexual penguins given an egg to hatch and nurture.