According to The Almanac of American Politics, "Few [U.S. state] governors have played as pivotal a role in national politics or have sounded as loud a clarion call of regional leadership as Zell Miller of Georgia."
Zell Miller is a product of the Appalachian Mountains. Born in the small town of Young Harris, Governor Miller has been a businessman, teacher, marine sergeant, and author of four books.
Governor Miller has held positions as a professor at four colleges and universities. His public career includes service at virtually every level of government. Before being elected as Governor of Georgia in 1990, he served as mayor, as a member of the Georgia Senate, and as Lieutenant Governor.
Since taking office in 1991, Miller's love of teaching and commitment to education have resulted in one of the most ambitious agendas to improve public education in this century.
Governor Miller's HOPE Scholarship Program has been called the most far-reaching in the nation by The Los Angeles Times. His pre-kindergarten program is the only one in the nation available to all four-year-olds. Recently, some news pundits have called Governor Miller "America's education governor," and until recently stating that he would serve out his term as Georgia's chief executive, Miller was rumored to be President Clinton's choice as U.S. Secretary of Education if Clinton is reelected to a second term.
While raising state spending on education to new highs, Governor Miller at the same time as cut taxes more than any other chief executive in the state's history. Georgia is one of the leading states in job creation and during his nearly six years in office, new jobs have been created at the rate of more than 2,500 a week.
Currently chairman of the Education Commission of the States, Governor Miller has also chaired the Southern Governors' Association, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Council of State Governments. In addition, he keynoted the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York and served as chairman of the platform drafting committee for the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago.
Governor Miller is married to the former Shirley Carver. They have two sons, four grandchildren, and one great-greatchild.