Chief Miller recognized upon Penn College Police retirement
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Photos by Cindy Davis Meixel, writer/photo editor
Chris E. Miller, retiring as Penn College Police chief, received official acknowledgement from grateful state lawmakers during a reception in the Thompson Professional Development Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Legislative citations were presented by Sen. Gene Yaw, R-23rd, who also chairs the college's board of directors, and by Rep. Michael A. Stender Jr., R-108th, in whose district Miller resides. Also in attendance were Reps. Jamie L. Flick, R-83rd, and Joe Hamm, R-84th.
![Chief Miller (holding state Senate and House citations) is congratulated by (from left) Rep. Flick, Sen. Yaw, Rep. Stender and Rep. Hamm.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/Chief%20Chris%20Miller%20retirement_Penn%20College_0.jpg?itok=wYJqHu76)
The brief presentations came amid a throng of well-wishers from the campus community, who filled the PDC to share memories from the chief's four-decade career in law enforcement – split evenly between Montoursville Borough and the college.
“Chief Miller has been an institution at Penn College for many years,” Yaw said. “His dedication to the safety and security of the college, its faculty and its students is unmatched, and he will be greatly missed. I commend Chief Miller on his many contributions to the college and wish him well in his next chapter.”
Miller began his duties as chief on Feb. 25, 2002. His role was expanded to director of campus safety in 2013, focused on preparing plans, guidelines, and training for disasters and crisis situations.
“Chris Miller served with distinction as Penn College’s police chief and director of campus safety for more than two decades,” President Michael J. Reed said. “In addition to overseeing the police department so capably, he was fully committed to planning initiatives that served to ensure the college is always ready to respond to potential threats or crises. He worked diligently to strengthen the police department’s relationships with the campus community and with other law enforcement agencies. Chief Miller was an exceptional ambassador for the college, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Miller is a 2023 recipient of the college's Distinguished Staff Award, which recognizes employees who demonstrate superior job performance and outstanding service.
His prior service as chief for the Montoursville Borough Police Department included July 17, 1996, when 16 Montoursville Area High School students and five chaperones were killed in the crash of TWA Flight 800. He also was employed as a dispatcher for the Lycoming County Department of Emergency Services from 1987-89.
A Lycoming County native, Miller is a 1979 graduate of Montoursville Area High School. He attended the former Williamsport Area Community College before pursuing a career in law enforcement, and is a 1982 graduate of the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.
![Displaying a photo from the 1981 start of his police career – "I've been around as long as cellphones!" he noted – Miller reflects on the 81 people he hired during that period. Offering additional perspective on his longevity, he said he has worked through seven U.S. presidents, eight Pennsylvania governors, 14 judges from the Court of Common Pleas, 22 district justices and six Lycoming County district attorneys.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_1_7506147.jpg?itok=BJNLoeDB)
![Current and retired officers, including new Chief David C. Pletz (at right, in blue shirt), gather beneath an apt wall decoration.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_2_7506056.jpg?itok=VOqrfvcr)
![Themed party favors include miniature police vehicles, vigilant ducks on a floating stakeout and paper handcuffs.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_3_7506044.jpg?itok=UmjavcXI)
![Yaw said Miller's ability to deal with the campus population, including enhancement of a holding facility for overnight safekeeping of impaired students, made him a solid choice for the job.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_7506109.jpg?itok=wv_dymBL)
![Spouse Wendy A. Miller, assistant dean of health sciences, celebrates a family milestone with an adorable assist from the couple's granddaughter.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_7506090.jpg?itok=iOTEHmgL)
![Adorning the gift table are a "Retired PD" badge, a woodburned cutting board and a clock ... emblematic of the additional time Miller will have on his hands while patrolling the post-retirement beat.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_4_7506050.jpg?itok=7SoiHnN-)
![Stender, only seven weeks on the job but (like his fellow legislators) keenly cognizant of the risks and sacrifices made by law enforcement personnel throughout the commonwealth, presents the House citation he co-sponsored with Rep. Clint Owlett, R-68th, a member of the college's board of directors.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_7506128.jpg?itok=9P-bRkSR)
![Miller faces a PDC crowd that prompted Yaw to quip, "I didn't know you had so many friends!" Accompanied by a slideshow of photos from his past 60-something years, he quickly turned from humorous to heartfelt: "It's nice to be with family every day," he told the assembled co-workers. "Thank you for making this a home."](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-07/_5_7506154.jpg?itok=0UNHTcbR)