Levin College of Public Affairs and Education Profiles

MEET LEO MILLER (MPA '94)

Degrees:

• M.P.A., Levin College - Cleveland State University
• B.A., Foreign Languages/Teaching, Gannon University

Where are you currently residing?
Philadelphia, PA

Where are you from?
Sayre, PA

Current Employment:

Position Title: Regional Administrator

Place of Employment: U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Duties: Overall management of $2.5 Billion in investment in the publicly funded workforce system.

Why did you decide to attend Levin? 
I attended Levin based on the reputation of the school, the quality of the professors, and the opportunities for financial aid.

How did your experience at Levin influence your career path?
My entry job was in economic development. That ultimately led me on a path into workforce development (the talent side of the ED equation).

What piece of advice do you have for current Levin graduate students?
In public service, it easy to become frustrated by many things. Those who accomplish the most work for the public good over the good for oneself. Always make your vision broad enough to involve all parties. Listen to both the negative and positive; both represent opportunities. Always work for the public good instead of the good for oneself.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned at Levin? 
The power of networking and developing common cause around a vision.

What inspires you about Northeast Ohio? Why? 
Cleveland is inspiring. Wherever you look you see a city trying to stgfage a comeback while dealing with complex societal issues.  But, it never stops. 

In your opinion, what's Northeast Ohio's best kept secret? 
The lake in the summer. The quality of life. 

What's one thing someone would be surprised to learn about you? 
I lived in "eastern Germany" (former East Germany) shortly after the Berlin Wall fell. The poverty and deindustrialization had a profound impact on my worldview.

What issues are you passionate about/what inspires you?
Services to disadvantaged youth and adults; resource mapping in communities to fund the vision.

Who's your hero and why?
Heroes to me are the men, women, and youth we serve in the public workforce system that make a decision that they want to achieve beyond their current place in life. These folks deal with incredible barriers. And yet, they persist. The network of community organizations that create the vision and the career pathways is also inspiring. These are everyday heroes that we can all meet and be.