Jodi Miller to Join Garner Leadership Team as Assistant Town Manager

Jodi M. Miller will be joining the Town of Garner in early February as an assistant town manager, filling an important senior leadership role with the Town.

Miller has served as deputy/general manager for Durham County since 2016. Her areas of responsibility include emergency services (Fire Marshal, Emergency Management and EMS) and emergency communications (in partnership with the City of Durham), as well as Durham County’s Youth Home and Criminal Justice Resource Center. She also serves as liaison to the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Durham Detention Center, Durham County Courts and the N.C. Forest Service, a division with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Garner Town Manager Rodney Dickerson will make a final decision about Miller’s exact areas of responsibility for the Town in the next couple of weeks. John Hodges also serves in the role of assistant town manager for Garner.

Dickerson said that Miller's talents and broad range of experience will make her a valuable addition to the Town's municipal leadership team.

“Jodi Miller is an analytical thinker and problem solver who has a passion for local government,” Dickerson said. “She has an impressive background in a number of areas that will allow us to draw on her insights as Garner positions itself for continued growth.”

As a deputy/general manager with Durham County, Miller has helped lead implementation of a major organizational transformation that emphasizes a strategic governance approach using metrics and data as the principal drivers for decision-making. In addition, she has played a key leadership role in updating Durham County’s strategic plan and capital improvement plan.

Before joining Durham County, Miller served a deputy city manager for the City of Williamsburg, Va., for 16 years.

Over the course of her career, Miller has gained extensive local government experience in the areas of executive leadership, strategic planning, performance management, budget preparation and management, capital project development and management, economic and community development, emergency services, communications, human resources, civic engagement and innovation.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the talented and dedicated Garner team and feel fortunate to be given the opportunity,” Miller said. “Garner’s future is bright, and I look forward to using my skills and experience to help the Town achieve its strategic goals and objectives.”

Miller sits on numerous professional and community boards including the International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) Credentialing Advisory Board and the Museum of Life & Science Board of Directors. She has previously served on the North Carolina City and County Management Association Executive Committee and on the national League of Women in Government board.

Miller earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in public administration from Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy. She is an ICMA credentialed manager, as well as a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Senior Executive Institute and the University of North Carolina’s Public Executive Leadership Academy.

“Jodi is self-driven but also excels in a team atmosphere,” Dickerson said. “I look forward to her bringing her wealth of knowledge and experience to this important role in the Town of Garner Manager’s Office.”

To learn more about the Town of Garner, please visit GarnerNC.gov.

Courtesy Town of Garner

Help Shape Your Community: Volunteer for a Town Advisory Board or Committee

The Town of Garner is now accepting applications for its resident advisory boards and committees. These are volunteer positions. Serving on one of these bodies is a great way to get involved in your town and to shape its future.

We'll be accepting applications through May 28. Interviews for the positions will occur in June. The application for the boards and committees can be found here.

Here is some information about each body:

Board of Adjustment: This board hears and decides appeals from any order, decision, requirement or interpretation made by the land use administrator or other administrative officials in carrying out or enforcing any provisions of the Town of Garner Unified Development Ordinance, and to hear and decide applications for zoning variances. The board meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Committee: This committee provides recommendations to the Town Council with regard to recreation services, facilities and fee policies. This committee meets every third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

The Planning Commission: The Planning Commission requires proportional membership of citizens residing within the Town limits and within Garner’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Some members are also required to have experience in fields such as architecture, planning, development, landscaping, the arts or other fields related to urban design or appearance. The Commission provides recommendations to the Town Council concerning land use matters, including the consistency of applications for zoning map and text amendments with adopted Town plans/policies, and meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Senior Citizens Advisory Committee: This committee serves in an advisory capacity with the Town of Garner in planning, coordinating and directing of programs and activities at the Garner Senior Center. Committee members must be eligible to participate in senior activities by being at least 55 years of age. This committee meets bimonthly every third Friday of odd numbered months at 9 a.m. at the Garner Senior Center.

Veterans Advisory Committee: This committee operates as a public interface between Garner residents and Town officials to explore ways in which to honor and recognize the service of area veterans; assist the Town of Garner’s planning for ceremonies, observances, holidays and events honoring veterans and interact with local veterans’ organizations and assist in the preservation, operation, integrity, maintenance and upkeep of the Garner Veterans Memorial. The committee meets every three months on the second Monday of the meeting months of March, June, September, and December with meeting time scheduled at 9 a.m., at the White Deer Park Nature Center.

For additional information, please visit the Town Boards and Committees webpage or contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 919-773-4406.