GSA tech veteran to retire

Emory Miller, a 36-year veteran of government service, will be retiring from the General Services Administration Jan. 3, 2004.

Miller, who will turn 58 Sept. 16, said he wants to remain active in government, but may move to private industry.

"I'm going to go do something different, but I don't know what yet," said Miller, who is currently GSA's director of information technology professional development. "I want to retire while I still have the same energy and passion. I want to leave my options open, and I could do any number of things."

His career began in 1967 with the Army Department. He worked for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Internal Revenue Service before joining GSA in 1996.

He considers his activity in professional associations and educational programs to be as important as his job title. Miller founded the CIO University and the Strategic and Tactical Advocates for Results programs, both mid-career training programs, at GSA. His memberships include the Association for Federal Information Resources Management, the CIO Council and the Information Technology Resources Board.

Miller said he began thinking seriously about retiring from the government after the last of his four children graduated, leaving him to look around at new paths for himself, he said.

"I think my skill sets are best at selling a product, selling a company or a concept, Miller said. "One of the things I'm best at doing is taking complex ideas and distilling them into thoughts and actionable items. People tell me that I'm good at projecting myself to the ultimate customer and understanding what they want, what they need, how they might react to something."

Miller said building coalitions and persuading people of a case is satisfying. His retirement won't be about fishing or golf, he said. "I like the creativity of job," he said. "I like the ability to apply new thought."