Melanie Miller, 54, has announced her candidacy for the state of Georgia House of Representatives, District 124.
Miller is a lifelong Georgia resident who currently lives in Greene County at White Plains.
“I am always trying to find a way to resolve conflict and help people,” Miller stated. “I believe that everyone should be treated fair and equal. I was raised on a farm in the country, but I grew up in the city. When I left home to enlist in the military I saw so many things that made me look at life as an adult, not as a child, so I can relate to a broad range of challenges that everyone faces daily, those of us who have and those who have not enough.”
The daughter of the late Johnny E. (BB) Miller and stepmother Connie, and Emma Thornton with stepfather George, Miller was born in Greensboro, where she was raised by her great-grandparents, the late Waymon and Hattie Mae Miller, farmers who were pillars of the community.
Upon graduating in 1987 from Greene-Taliaferro Comprehensive High School, Miller joined the military as a combat medic for the U.S. Army Reserves. She later enrolled at Massey Business College in Atlanta, where she majored in business administration.
Miller has four children, all adults now, with 10 grandchildren. As a single mom, she faced many challenges over the years but remained determined and steadfast in her faith to master them all.
As a result of time spent advocating for human rights and educating people on how to better themselves to become more productive citizens, Miller feels ready to help her constituents in rural Georgia. Miller presently serves on the Greensboro Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Greene County Historic Society, and the Greene County ‘87 Alumni Committee.
She has been influential in bringing a homeownership program to Greene County with the help of Greene County Family Connections. Miller also is a community leader and rarely absent from any Greensboro city council, Greene County Board of Education or Greene County Board of Commissioners meetings.
Miller recently finished training at the Georgia WIN-List Academy, which endorses smart candidates, accomplished women who hope to create positive, progressive changes in public policy by running for office or supporting the campaigns of others.
In 2003 Miller founded her first nonprofit organization, Suddenly Single Parents (SSP), and the organization has since helped thousands of families find affordable housing, childcare, healthcare, counseling, and financial assistance. SSP has donated generously to public and private charter schools and contributed food and clothing to hundreds of needy families.
She then went on to become a paralegal and started a paralegal service, Miller Mediation Consulting, in which Miller contracted her services with real estate, civil rights, and personal injury attorneys.
In between her multiple businesses, Miller sought a salaried management career in retail for five years with a Fortune 500 company. She managed approximately 250 employees daily and along with a team, was responsible for budgeting and meeting her monthly financial goal of $5 million in sales for her store.
Miller also volunteers with multiple organizations for veterans like herself and has partnered with Goodwill Industries of Northeast Georgia to create a curriculum for a GED program.
“I want to be in a position to help women with human rights. I want to make sure that mental health resources are available in Georgia, and I want to help make more common-sense gun laws. I can relate to those three issues alone, major concerns that affect us all in one way or another,” Miller said.
“But I have a heart for everyone. As a mother, I understand that you can’t do for one and not do for all. This district needs an equal amount of attention. I am committed to try and get that done,” she added. “I have been a public servant for over 20 years, and I will remain passionate about helping people create and maintain a better way of life in this district. It will truly be an honor to serve these amazing counties in rural Georgia.”