2005 NETWORKING® MAGAZINE’S DAVID AWARD HONOREE.

JOHN MILLER

Philanthropist

BY MAUREEN TRAXLER

Whether he’s working in a soup kitchen,
handing out Thanksgiving turkeys or
chairing the capital campaign to build a
new facility for Canine Companions for
Independence (CCI) in Medford, John Miller says,
“ I’m so fortunate to spend time with people who are
involved in nonprofit work.”

Although officially “retired,” Miller has been known
to keep long hours at his philanthropic activities. He
can be scheduled for a 7:30 a.m. meeting and not
return home until 10 o’clock at night. How does a certified
public accountant and former entrepreneur and
businessman have the time and resources to devote to
philanthropy? His story is almost as magical as the
twinkle in a child’s eye on the first snowfall of winter.

Following his graduation from Hofstra University
with a B.B.A. in accounting, Miller worked for two
Great Neck-based CPA firms, and subsequently went
into private practice. A client came to him with a
proposition: he wanted to start a medical device company
but didn’t have the business knowledge needed.
Miller helped develop the company’s business plan,
raise capital and co-founded Arterial Vascular
Engineering, Inc. (AVE), which produced a balloon
angioplasty catheter.

That was 1991. By ’95, several original founders had
left the company, but with the addition of some new
leaders, AVE was revamped and developed a coronary
stent. AVE grew overseas and later received FDA
product approval. In 1996, the leadership took AVE
public, and in 1998 sold the company to Medtronic,
the largest medical device company in the world.

“It was meteoric in some ways,” Miller remarks.

“We even took on a little company in New Jersey,”
(Johnson & Johnson) he quips, “and beat them at their
own game.” At the time of sale, AVE had grown to
well over 4,500 employees, having acquired other
companies along the way. “We always wanted to build
the strongest company we could; we had the right attitude.”

Miller was first introduced to philanthropy while
working at AVE’s California location, when he was
approached by Jean Schulz, wife of cartoonist and
“ Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz and national chairwoman
of Canine Companions for Independence, the
oldest and largest provider of service dogs for adults
and children with disabilities other than blindness. She
invited him to visit a dog training class, and Miller
says he found himself “cheering for the dogs and their
new companions” and thinking, “She suckered me in.”
When he decided to move back to Long Island, Schulz
asked, “Are you going to be anywhere near
Farmingdale?” (CCI’s Northeast Regional Center)

Back on the East Coast, under Miller’s guidance as
capital campaign chair, a new Northeast home for
Canine Companions has been found in Medford, and
he continues to fund raise for building renovations.

In much the same way he was introduced to CCI,
Miller became a supporter of The Hagedorn Little
Village School. Amy Hagedorn invited him to attend a
Little Village School graduation, and Miller says,
“ When the tears started flowing…she knew I was
hooked.”

One of the greatest gifts Miller brings to the serious
nature of philanthropy is his sense of humor. He teases
that now that he’s gotten to know Amy, he thinks of

Jean Schulz as the Amy Hagedorn of Sonoma County!
He has a CCI release dog at home and he remarks
that friends say they’re a pair – they both have a lack
of focus. Perhaps one might say Long Island benefits
from this lack of focus.

Miller “diversifies” his philanthropy. He sits on the
boards of Winthrop Hospital and Family and
Children’s Association; works with the Interfaith
Nutrition Network, Long Island Redevelopment
Institute, Middle Country Library Foundation and
Tilles Center. He is a trustee and treasurer of The
Waldorf School of Garden City and a trustee of The
Hagedorn Little Village School. He keeps his
California connection, supporting Paul Newman’s
Painted Turtle Camp, an innovative camp and family
care center for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Miller supports nonprofit organizations through
the Long Island Community Foundation, and assists
Sustainable Long Island in its mission to advance the
economy, environment and equity on Long Island.
“ Housing costs are incredibly high on Long Island,”
comments Miller, adding that not only does the problem
affect the business community, young people and
senior citizens, but also educational institutions and
nonprofit organizations that “have a hard time attracting
and retaining workers on Long Island.”

Another of Miller’s major endeavors is his association
with Hofstra University. Miller serves as vice
chairman of Hofstra’s board of trustees, co-chairing
the Endowment and Alumni Relations Committees, as
well as serving on the Finance and Development
Committees.

Receiving an invitation from President Stuart
Rabinowitz, Miller toured Hofstra and was amazed
by the changes that had taken place since he graduated
in 1979. Of special interest is the Hofstra Honors
College, which provides students with an all-round
experience from a focused first year program to a living-
learning environment that integrates social and
learning activities. Anxious to see Hofstra continue to
grow in prestige and facilities in order to meet the
demands of its expanding enrollment, Miller serves as
chairman of the University’s capital campaign.

Rabinowitz says, “John has already had a remarkable
impact on the University even though he has
been a member of our Board of Trustees for a short
time. He is a supportive, insightful and commited
Trustee who works tirelessly for the betterment of his
alma mater. The admiration and respect he has earned
from his fellow Trustees is clearly demonstrated by
his election as Vice Chair of the Board. We are grateful
that John will be a leader of the University for many
years to come and that he will play a signifigant role
in its future development. John is much more than a
colleague. He is a special human being and a special
friend. He is living proof that great wealth and early
retirement can make someone a happy camper,” said
Rabinowitz.

Miller has experienced first-hand the desperation
of people in need, and he’s been moved by the appreciation
shown by guests at the INN’s soup kitchens.
He respects the compassion of nonprofit volunteers
and praises them for “taking care of people’s needs,”
adding, “in the words of Family and Children’s
Association, from cradle to grave.” His desire is “to
help out where I can,” and in his retirement, he’s
turned his spare time into quality time for people and
causes on Long Island.

Miller, a resident of Old Westbury and Quogue,
has two sons and is planning a summer 2005 wedding
to Kristin Eisert, a third grade teacher at The
Waldorf School of Garden City.

NETWORKING® January 2005