Dr. Patrick Miller announces retirement from Greene County Schools

Snow Hill, NC:  At the February 28 meeting of the Greene County Board of Education, Dr. Patrick C. Miller, superintendent of Greene County Schools, announced his retirement effective June 30, 2022.  Dr. Miller has served Greene County as superintendent since 2008 and has been an employee of Greene County Schools for 29 years, beginning as the choral director at Greene Central High School in 1993.  He also served as the principal of West Greene Elementary from 2005-2008. 

Key accomplishments during Miller’s 14-year tenure as superintendent include:

·         Increased the district graduation rate from 62.1% in 2008-09 to over 95% in 2018-19. 

·         Decreased the district dropout rate from over 6% in 2008 to less than 1% for the past several years.

·         Led Greene County Schools through the destruction and reconstruction of Greene County Middle School after a tornado in April 2011.

·         Sustained, enhanced and expanded a 1:1 technology program for all students in grades PK-12.

·         Sustained and enhanced an award-winning two-way language immersion program in grades K-5.

·         Assisted in the development of a comprehensive STEM program that led to Greene Central High School being designated as a STEM Model School of Distinction by the State Board of Education 2015 – the first comprehensive high school in North Carolina to earn this designation.  Greene County Middle School and Snow Hill Primary School also earned the designation of STEM Schools of Distinction by the State Board of Education. 

·         Provided leadership for the design and construction of Greene County Intermediate School – the first school in the state east of I-95 to be certified as LEED Gold.

·         Led the efforts to bring a Boys & Girls Club to Greene County in 2013.  Helped to raise over $400,000 in a Tier 1 county in just under six months. 

·         Implemented standards-based grading in grades K-5 in 2013.

·         Maintained in-person instruction for students in addition to providing Greene County Virtual Academy during the height of COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-2021 school year.    

“I would like to thank the Greene County Board of Education for the trust they placed in me by hiring me and allowing me to lead Greene County Schools.  I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished over the past 14 years,” Dr. Miller stated.  “However, I am most proud of the team we have put in place and the collaborative way in which we have been able to work to improve the outcomes for our students.   This team is in a position to move Greene County Schools to the next level.  I believe our greatest days are ahead of us but there is still much work to be done.   I look forward to working with the Greene County Board of Education to ensure a smooth transition of leadership in the coming months.” 

Pat Adams, the chair of the Greene County Board of Education for Miller’s entire tenure as superintendent, added, “Dr. Miller has served Greene County Schools for fourteen years as superintendent with trust and integrity.  He will be missed in more ways than I can express.  His superior leadership has brought honor and recognition not only to himself but also to our students, staff, and programs.  He has ushered us through hurricanes, a devastating tornado, funding challenges, technology advances, and a pandemic with unwavering leadership.  The Greene County Board of Education wishes him the very best in his retirement from Greene County Schools.  Thank you, Dr. Miller, for making Greene County a better place for us all!” 

Dr. Miller was very active in professional organizations at the state and national levels, and he participated in numerous leadership programs while serving Greene County Schools.  He frequently presented at conferences at both the state and national level.    

He served on numerous Boards of Directors, commissions and committees at the local, state, and national levels. In 2017, he was appointed to and elected chair of the North Carolina Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC), a position he still holds. Dr. Miller was also appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Access to Sound Basic Education in the fall of 2017. 

Dr. Miller was named North Carolina’s Central Region Superintendent of the Year for 2014-15 and again in 2018-19.  In November 2018, he was named the 2019 A. Craig Phillips NC Superintendent of the Year.  Miller was inducted into the East Carolina University Educator’s Hall of Fame in October 2015.  He received the Friday Medal for Educational Innovation from NC State’s Friday Institute in November 2017.  In the spring of 2018, Miller was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Greene County Chamber of Commerce.  Miller received the inaugural Administrator of the Year Award from Conn-Selmer Education in June 2019.  He was also recognized by the UNC School of Education with the Alumni Achievement Award in October 2019.  In 2020, he received the Raymond Sarbaugh Leadership Award from the NC Association of School Administrators.   

Dr. Miller is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Becky, who supported him over the past 14 years, and with his children:  Paul, James, and Mary Amantha.