Miller honored as chamber’s Educator of the Year

Those who know Leah Miller understand what type of impact she has had on Holmes County.

A natural leader, she has excelled in her current role of educator for Leadership Holmes County, but her commitment to Holmes County extends well beyond that. She has been a commissioner and West Holmes School Board member and involved with planning commissions, farming institutes, the chamber and a handful of other institutes critical to the growth and betterment of Holmes County.

During the annual Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau award ceremony late last fall, Miller was honored as the inaugural recipient of the newly created Educator of the Year.

During a short video presentation, several different county leaders paid homage to Miller for her caring, passionate effort to enrich the lives of people around her, and each said Miller has had her hand in many aspects of the county, stating the county would not be where it is today without her leadership.

Shasta Mast, director of the Holmes County Education and Community Foundation, has worked closely with Miller over the years and said there is no better person to receive this honor in its inaugural year.

“There are few people who have impacted Holmes County as much as Leah,” Mast said. “It’s my pleasure to congratulate her as the first Educator of the Year.”

Mast said teaching itself presents many different challenges, and educators should be honored more than they are.

“The educators in our lives are usually underrated and taken for granted,” Mast said. “Educators do so much more than teach. They mentor. They lead. They shine as examples. They help those around them rise to the occasion and reach new heights. Tonight’s Educator of the Year recipient has done all that and more.”

Mast said Miller was a personal mentor to her when Mast started her career as the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce director and was in Miller’s second leadership class.

Many Holmes County leaders have taken her Leadership Holmes County class, and the many who stood during the banquet showed exactly the type of impact Miller has had on Holmes County.

Jan Fuchs, Miller’s longtime partner in the leadership class, said of Miller, “Leah has significantly contributed to adult education in Holmes County. In Leadership Holmes County, you excel due to your breadth of knowledge and experience in virtually every aspect of the community. You’ve served this county through the planning commission, the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council, West Holmes School Board, county commissioner and Small Farm Institute. You’ve done it all.”

Humbly as always, Miller accepted the honor and spoke briefly about her roles in the county. She spoke about the many business owners who have allowed their employees to participate in the Leadership Holmes County program over the years.

“I do really appreciate the number of you who have sent me people for the leadership classes,” Miller said. “It’s been a real joy getting to know all of the people in Holmes County as well as all of the employers and how they have embraced leadership and have really made a difference in who we are as a county.

“It’s been a very enjoyable journey, and I think that I’ve got some other plans I’m thinking about for the future.”

Most people strive to make an impact on their community in a single field. For Miller, there are many areas where she has helped the county prosper, making her an ideal choice for the new chamber award.