(above) Keiona R. Mill
On Sept. 15, North Plainfield Councilwoman, Keiona R. Miller, was honored at the Elks Club in Bridgewater with the 2016 Eleanor Roosevelt Distinguished Service Award.
A commitment to the most vulnerable among us, and an abiding belief in the power of individuals to transform society for the better, most accurately defines the life and work of Keiona Miller. Drawn to the art of inspirational singing at a very young age, Miller competed and performed as a soloist and in groups throughout her entire teen and young adult years; refining a voice that would later find full expression in public service.
It was in church that she first heard her calling to devote herself to the public good. After attaining a Psychology degree from Seton Hall University and completing internships in several communities with atrisk inner city populations, Miller combined her voice and passion for helping others and started a local church youth choir. For over seven years, she provided guidance and safe social activities for local area youths as a Youth Choir Director and Youth Leader/Speaker. Additionally, she created a concert series to raise much needed funds for the local church charity. In 2003, she joined forces with several other local vocalists and became a founding member of HERITAGE Inc., a non-profit volunteer adult choir performing to raise funds for scholarship programs and resources benefiting disenfranchised communities.
A dedicated volunteer and activist, Miller also participated in grassroots organizations, such as the Obama for America Campaign of 2008, and the People’s Organization for Progress. She became involved in various community efforts seeking to improve conditions in local communities, and to expand social and economic opportunities for all. In 2009, she was appointed to the North Plainfield joint Youth Services Commission and Municipal Alliance Committee Against Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. She served the joint committee as both Chair and Coordinator; securing annual grant funding and managing the budget for the borough’s drug, alcohol and juvenile delinquency prevention programs for four years.
In 2012, Miller became the first African-American ever elected to the North Plainfield Borough Council. Today, in addition, she serves on the New Jersey State League of Municipalities General Legislative Committee; Vice President of the Somerset County Governing Officials Association; Executive Board Member of the Somerset Community Action Program; Council Liaison to the North Plainfield Youth Services Commission; the North Plainfield Rent Stabilization Board, and the current President of the North Plainfield Democratic Club. She is also a member of the North Plainfield Business Association and the North Plainfield Chamber of Commerce- Spanish Business Association.
Miller’s professional work includes group psychotherapy facilitation, health counseling, grants and programs coordination, project management, writing, and corporate communications. She frequently extends her influence as a community leader making regular inspirational speaking appearances and contributing articles as an online political columnist.
This summer, she founded Keiona’s Platform: For Public Discourse and Ideas in Action event series; a leadership forum aimed at reinvigorating the public domain with problem-solving oriented discussions.
“My only aspiration was to inspire others to make changes necessary to live socially responsible lives,” Miller said. “I never thought pursuing that desire would one day lead me to serve in public office, but it has, and I thank God for the opportunity to serve others,” she said.
Held under the auspices of the Somerset County Federation of Democratic Women, Miller was one among eight esteemed women leaders from around Somerset County to receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Distinguished Service Award. The women were dubbed “Super Volunteers.”
