Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Education Fund
The Chesapeake Bay Trust pays tribute to the late Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., the longest serving Senate President in Maryland’s history and a fervent champion of the Chesapeake. Senate President Miller was particularly interested in youth environmental education and environmental career building, establishing in 2010 the Chesapeake Conservation Corps.
Known now since 2023 as the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps, this green year-of-service program is administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust with funds from the State of Maryland, the Department of Natural Resources, BGE, and the Thomas V. Mike Miller Fund. The Corps increases access to green career opportunities and equips the next generation of stewards to excel and lead. Each year, more than 55 young adults are embedded in nonprofits or government agencies to gain hands-on environmental and leadership experience, training, and support networks.
In recognition of Senate President Miller’s legacy and passion, the Chesapeake Bay Trust established the Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Education Fund after his passing in 2021. Contributions to this fund support K-12 environmental education programs and the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps.
You can honor Senate President Miller’s Maryland and Chesapeake Bay legacy with a contribution to the Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Education Fund. You can send your contribution by mail to the Chesapeake Bay Trust at 108 Severn Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403, indicating in its memo that your gift is for the Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Education Fund. Or, you can give online by filling out the form below.
About The Honorable Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.
The oldest of 10 children, Mike Miller was born on December 3, 1942 in Clinton, Maryland in Southern Prince George’s County. Educated in the Prince George’s public school system, Mike received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland College Park in 1964, and went on to study law at the University of Maryland School of Law. Graduating in 1967, he was admitted to the Maryland State and Prince George’s County Bar Associations that same year and has been in private practice for 40 years with offices in both Prince George’s and Calvert Counties.
Mike first ran for the Maryland House of Delegates from District 27 in 1970. After serving a term in the House, he was successfully elected to the Maryland Senate in 1974. Mike quickly established himself as a leader and in 1983 became Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. As a Committee Chairman, Senator Miller recognized the importance of true leadership and in 1987 his fellow Senators elected him President of the Maryland Senate. He was elected to serve in that position for 33 years, making him the longest-serving Senate President in Maryland history and across the country when he stepped down from that post in January 2020.
Senate President Miller loved the Chesapeake Bay and wanted to ensure that it was restored and preserved for generations. In 2010, Senate President Miller was instrumental in helping to create the Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program, administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. The purpose of the Corps is to enable young adults to work with organizations and communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region on issues surrounding the Chesapeake Bay; prepare young adults for future green careers through leadership and training opportunities including on-the-job experience, conferences, grant writing and project management; and increase the capacity of organizations to develop and implement programs and projects. He took great pride in this program, personally welcoming and addressing new members to the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Chesapeake Conservation Corps every year, even during his illness, at the annual orientation program.
