Town and Tower meeting to feature W president and new culinary facility
This quarter’s Town & Tower meeting will kick off the beginning of the semester at Mississippi University for Women in its new showcase culinary arts facility. The meeting is set for Thursday, Sept. 7 at 11:30 a.m.
President Nora Miller will be the featured speaker. She will provide a campus update and introduce the new Culinary Arts Institute Director Dr. Tracee Watkins, who will share the latest details about the new culinary building, which totals more than 40,000 square feet, features multiple kitchens and boasts the latest commercial-grade equipment.
Miller is the 15th President of The W. She is a certified public accountant and holds bachelor’s degrees in business administration and accounting from The W and an MBA from Mississippi State University. She is in her fifth year as president and was the chief financial officer for The W from 2001 – 2018.
She also has served as director of budget and financial analysis and director of internal audit for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning; director of accounting for Central Alabama Community College; senior auditing accountant for Potter, Bryant & Tate in Birmingham, Alabama, and as supervising senior auditing accountant for the Colleges and Universities Division of the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office.
Miller serves on the Board of the University Press of Mississippi, is a past chair of that Board and served on the Board of Directors of the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers (SACUBO). She is active in several organizations including the Mississippi Chapter of the International Women’s Forum, Town & Tower, serving as chair in 2014-2015; Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB) Community Council; and Rotary Club of Columbus, serving as president in 2008-2009 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow. Miller served as an honorary commander of the CAFB Medical Support Group. A member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, she has served as senior warden and is currently on the Vestry. Miller also was on the Board of Directors of St. Paul’s Episcopal School, serving as chair in 2009-2010.
A Leadership Mississippi graduate, Miller was named one of the Top 50 Businesswomen of the Year by the Mississippi Business Journal. Other honors include being named a 2019 Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts Heart of the South council and a Rotary District 6820 2019 Champion of Change. Miller received the Mississippi Distinguished Civilian Medal of Honor for her responsiveness to the soldiers and airmen of the Mississippi National Guard. A member of the Mississippi University for Women Alumni Association, she has served as treasurer for the MUW Alumnae Association.
The cost to attend the luncheon, catered by The W’s food services, is $20. Individuals who plan to attend are asked to please RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 5 to Anika Perkins, Office of University Relations at The W, at (662) 329-7124 or email amperkins@muw.edu. Guests are encouraged to park on the back side of the new building, entering campus from 15th Street South-near Shattuck Hall.
Town & Tower’s mission is to foster and strengthen relationships between the university, the community and CAFB.