Q&A with KEC’s first female board member, District 2 Director Amy Miller

I grew up in Heavener, Oklahoma. My parents and grandparents are from LeFlore county, so we have strong roots here. Tell us a little about your family -

I am blessed with my parents, two younger brothers, and my beau Tim whom I’m teaching to fish. I have three children: two boys and a girl. My daughter is 21, and my boys are 25 and 19. My youngest was diagnosed early as a high functioning autistic and keeps me on my toes trying to explain innuendos and inferences.

I discovered how much I enjoyed the fire service when they built a fire station next to my house. My other hobbies are lazy fishing (I don’t care what I catch), construction (working on a fishing/ retirement cabin with my sweety), reading crime novels, and Netflix.

I attended and graduated from Heavener High School. Then I completed the OSU Fire Service Training and the International Fire Service Accreditation course for firefighters and Instructor Certification.

I am studying Occupational Health and Safety and will complete a degree in Organizational Leadership. Walk us through your resume -

I worked in general industry in LeFlore county until my second child was born and then stayed at home with my children until they were big enough not to need me as much. By that time, I was in the fire service and became an adjunct instructor teaching firefighting, CPR, and industry curriculum for CareerTech and fire departments.

I work as a field representative for Verisk Analytics in the Mitigation ISO division. Verisk is a very forward-thinking, responsible company to work for, and I couldn’t be happier. I and others like me across the United States evaluate communities, fire departments, water systems, and call centers or 911 systems. That information is compiled, and a score is assigned that is approximately 1/3 of most homeowners insurance policy costs. I love my job because they pay me to look at fire trucks and “yap” fire with my brother and sister firefighters.

To be a good board member, you must be reliable, willing to learn, adjust and define policy procedures, ask the right questions, or find somebody that knows the right questions to ask. You have to look into the future and make the decisions that will provide the membership with reliable electricity tomorrow and in the foreseeable future while accounting for government demands to produce green energy. What is the training related to becoming a board member?

There are multiple levels of certification from NRECA. I joined the board in 2019 and completed the CCD level of training. This included,

• Director Duties and Liabilities

• Understanding the Electric Business

• Board Operations and Process

• Strategic Planning

• Financial Decision-Making Training should continue throughout life, and I look forward to enhancing my knowledge further.

Learn more about Amy in next month’s Light Post!