Heat Treat Industry News
May 01, 2008
Who Is Lance Miller...A Few Things You May Not Know
What you’re about to read is a thrilling story of a West Virginia boy done good – a story about one of the industry's more colorful personalities who has played a significant role in making the industry better. Within this month's Commercial Heat Treaters and Commercial Heat Treating Capabilities Directories, you'll notice a large number of stars indicating MTI membership for those companies. MTI is the Metal Treating Institute, the world’s largest association of commercial heat treaters with nearly 350 member companies. Lance Miller is the CEO of this association. After 30-plus years of service to MTI, Mr. Miller is preparing to retire. He deserves to be recognized and thanked for his dedication and service. Prepare to be entertained and inspired by his story.
At the age of 13, Lance entered the workforce and assumed the largest paper route in Clarksburg, W.V. – all on foot. He also worked at a grocery store as a cashier and delivery boy before moving to Florida between his freshman and sophomore years in high school. At Ft. Lauderdale H.S. he was actively involved in everything from soccer to school plays. Lance received several academic scholarship offers and chose Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. At Stetson, Lance changed his major from chemistry to pre-law after receiving a D in a chemistry class. He unfortunately lost his academic scholarship but worked three jobs simultaneously (including one as a bellhop) – on top of his academic workload – to make ends meet.
After graduating from Stetson with a bachelor’s in political science and a minor in economics, Lance served his country in the Army by spending 13 months at the DMZ in Korea as an artillery offi cer and forward air observer. He also had a stint at Ft. Dix, N.J., processing personnel destined for Vietnam. Lance’s professional career includes working at an insurance company, disc jockey, TV newsman and sports anchor. He also hosted a weekly public affairs show for the Ft. Lauderdale ABC affiliate, where he interviewed notable fi gures like Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Edward G. Robinson and The Lettermen. Lance also covered the Palm Beach Rock Festival where Janis Joplin appeared.
Upon leaving what Lance calls the “overglamorous and underpaid” broadcast business, he entered the association-management industry as the assistant executive director of the New Jersey Builders Association. He then moved to Atlanta, where he served as the assistant executive director of the Southeastern Manufactured Housing Institute. It was there that Lance shadowed a “60 Minutes” crew and exposed how they fabricated their stories by splicing together sound bites. His findings were presented to a watchdog group that fi led several lawsuits against “60 Minutes.”
After Atlanta, Lance accepted a position with the Florida Engineering Society. After an appropriate yet unpopular decision as executive director, Lance decided to leave the society and join the ranks of the unemployed. Not to be kept down, he started his own association management business making as little as $500 per month and serving as his own secretary. While working to grow his business, Lance became aware of MTI – what he calls “the association made in heaven.” Lance divested himself of his other organizations and in 1977 assumed management responsibilities for MTI.
At that time, MTI had 180 member companies and a budget of $125,000. Over the 30 years that Lance has managed MTI, it has grown to 280 member companies and has an annual budget of close to $1 million. He was instrumental in introducing associate membership to MTI, and today the institute benefi ts from over 35 associates who add depth, perspective and revenue to the institute.
There were a number of other notable accomplishments along the way. Lance became a certified association executive (CAE) in 1976 – the second youngest person in the United States to do so. Lance served as president of the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE) in 1982 and was named Association Executive of the Year in 1984. In the early 1990s, Lance served a term on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Association Executives.
Did I mention that he earned his law degree in 1999? Lance’s professional passion for the past 30 years has been MTI. From my long involvement with MTI, I can say with fi rsthand experience that Lance is the consummate professional, a man of integrity and has worked diligently for the good of the industry and MTI. From those of us that know you and those less fortunate who have not had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, we thank you, Mr. Miller, for your years of dedicated service to this industry. We wish you God’s richest blessings in all your postretirement ventures. If your life story tells us anything, it’s obvious you won’t be sitting still.
Reprinted from Doug Glenn - Publisher, Industrial Heating Magazine (March 2008 Issue)
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