Advancing the Mission: Jamie Jones Miller
Being the Change
As deputy assistant secretary of defense for House affairs, Jamie Jones Miller (’99) is on a mission to build bridges between the department and members of Congress.
The importance of public service was instilled in Miller from a young age. Her father is retired from the Air Force and her mother worked as a civilian in the Department of Defense. Not surprisingly, Miller followed in her parents’ footsteps and majored in international affairs. “I always thought that I was going to go down this path,” she says. “I just didn’t know where it would take me.”
After working in government relations, Miller moved to Capitol Hill in 2004 as legislative director for former Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va., then later served as chief of staff for Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va.
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'We really view Congress and the representatives and, of course, the constituents, the American people, as our board of directors.' |
At the Pentagon, Miller’s work is focused on relationships. “The department works very hard to establish relationships with members of Congress, staff and our oversight committees to make sure that we are all on the same page about the direction and the mission of the department.”
A varsity basketball player at JMU, Miller is a member of the Duke Club and the Political Science Alumni Board. She also served a three-year term as president of the JMU Alumni Association. Her husband, Tim, (’96, ’00M), is the university’s vice president for student affairs.
