Dairy Farmer

“4-H taught me responsibility and leadership; to be able to achieve goals and help others along the way; and to be able to share talents and gifts I have received with others.”

Bill Miller knows about dedication and giving back to others. He also knows about success, having excelled in several 4-H dairy projects as a youth. These experiences prepared him well for managing the day to day operations of his 450-acre family farm that raises replacement dairy heifers. A member of Ottawa County’s Big Springs 4-H Club, Miller received the 4-H Key Club Award and represented Michigan in Washington, D.C. in a national youth leadership seminar. Miller was also a six-year member of the Ottawa County Dairy Judging Team. He led this club as its president after winning his county’s dairy showmanship award, eventually participating on the State 4-H Dairy Judging Team and the Michigan Milk Producers Association’s Milk Marketing Tour of dairy industries in Detroit and Madison, Wisconsin.

As a 4-H volunteer in Ottawa County, Miller has played a pivotal 10-year role in the Journey 4-H Youth Mentoring Program, an initiative that recruits volunteers to provide guidance and leadership development opportunities to court-involved youth throughout the county. Miller and his mentees have represented the program at local and statewide levels, raising awareness for the importance of 4-H mentoring programs among court judges and congressional senators alike. His work has been honored with the Ottawa County Mentoring Collaborative Top Hat Award and the Cal Steele Spirit Mentoring Award. Miller has been a member of the Ottawa County Farm Bureau, serving as its president for five years, the Ottawa Conservation District, the Ottawa County Planning Commission and the Board of Directors for Wright Township. He was an FFA co-advisor for six years and served as a co-leader of the Ottawa County 4-H Dairy Team for four years.