Richard P. Miller, Jr. Named Ninth President of Hartwick College
May 29, 2003
From Hartwick College Release
ONEONTA, NY – The vice chancellor and chief operating officer of the State University of New York received the unanimous endorsement from the Hartwick College Board of Trustees today to become Hartwick’s ninth president.
Richard P. Miller, Jr. will begin his presidency at the College on July 1.
As vice chancellor and COO of SUNY, Miller is responsible for the day-to-day administration of SUNY’s System Administration, including legal, finance, audit, hospital management, information management, personnel, safety and security, university life, enrollment management, and capital programs. The SUNY system comprises 64 campuses.
The announcement was made by Hartwick Board Chairman Robert S. Hanft of Ridgewood, NJ. “We are very pleased that Dick Miller has agreed to serve as Hartwick’s ninth president. His broad experience in higher education, at the most senior level of the state system, as well as at a respected private university, give him a breadth of knowledge that will allow him to immediately work with all of Hartwick’s constituents to assess what needs to be done to advance the College.”
Trustee Edward Mettelman of Pelham Manor was chairman of the presidential search committee. “Committee members agreed from the beginning that Dick Miller was an outstanding candidate for the Hartwick presidency,” Mettelman said, “and the strong impression he made during his campus visit confirmed our opinion.” Mettelman praised the search committee’s work “on a very tight timeline. The committee worked long hours to meet the deadline, and they managed to identify whom we feel is the best possible candidate for what Hartwick needs today in a leader.”
Prior to his current position, Miller held a variety of administrative positions at the University of Rochester, a distinguished, small, private research university. He joined Rochester in 1987, and during the next 14 years, was vice president for external affairs and senior counsel to the president and senior vice president and chief operating officer. At the University of Rochester, Miller oversaw administrative functions; solicited and managed relationships with major individual and corporate donors; improved the University relationships with the community of Rochester; and participated in the design and implementation of the Rochester Renaissance – which addressed undergraduate enrollment marketing strategies.
Miller’s other business experience includes 15 years in sales and marketing with Case-Hoyt. He joined the firm in 1967 as a sales representative and, by 1982, had risen to president and chief executive officer
Miller is a 1965 graduate of Middlebury College. He is a trustee of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. A Vietnam veteran, he was the recipient of a Bronze Star, Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor.