Though his educational reach is wide, his high school alma mater occupies a special place in his heart. Through participation, philanthropy and mentorship, Jeff has helped Ransom Everglades update and enlarge its campuses, improve its programs and live out its mission. 

For years Jeff has been fully engaged at RE all the while honoring his commitments to the larger Miami community. In recognition of his decades of service, Ransom Everglades has named him the 2021 commencement speaker and recipient of the Founders’ Alumni Award for Distinguished Service to the Community.

Jeff has been a source of inspiration and encouragement to me since I arrived to RE in 2014. He has also helped me understand the complexities of our amazing school and dynamic city. Few can match his generous spirit, keen sense of humor and delightful personality – and no one has a bigger heart. He has made a huge difference inside and outside of Ransom Everglades. It would be difficult to find a better model of Paul Ransom’s charge to each matriculating student to “put more into the world than you take from it,” and I am grateful to call him a friend.

Some of Jeff’s best memories of his time at Ransom Everglade include his great mentor Dan Leslie Bowden. Their friendship endured throughout Jeff’s adult life, and Jeff made certain that Dan was able to retire comfortably and surrounded by the things and people he loved. He considers Ransom Everglades a key community asset, a school that sends out graduates who have the capability and empathy to face the challenging problems of their time, and make their hometown a better place.

“Many thanks to Ransom Everglades for honoring me with the Founders’ Award,” Jeff shared in an email. “For almost five decades RE has been a huge part of my life. Many dear friendships emerged from my years as a student, as a parent and as a trustee to the RE community. I regard Ransom Everglades as a cornerstone to the South Florida community – not only for seeking educational excellence, but for emphasizing community outreach and selflessness.”

Jeff, who with his siblings received the United Way’s prestigious Tocqueville Award in 2014, has also served RE in every conceivable role. He has been a trustee and chair of the board. He co-chaired the REinventing Excellence capital campaign. He created the Dan Leslie Bowden Endowment in the Humanities and, this spring, RE will name its original quad the Miller Family Quad. With current trustee Melissa Krinzman ’87, he co-founded Krillion Ventures, a venture capital fund that provides seed funding to tech-enabled companies in Miami and other locales. As we watch the tech explosion in Miami, it is no surprise that Jeff was well ahead of the curve.

He also is a parent of Anthony Miller ’15 and Lenny Miller ’21, who is graduating this spring.

“The true mark of success is not how much one amasses in life,” Jeff said. “A better barometer might measure the many ways one can give back to a community that has supported a foundation for so many blessings.”