Bob Miller is in the middle of a distinguished and honorable career – one that has demonstrated inspired service to the people of Las Vegas, Clark County, the state of Nevada, two United States presidents, several prestigious national professional associations and boards of directors as well as providing tourism and gaming consultation to political and business leaders in foreign lands.
From police officer to the immensely popular and longest serving governor in the history of the state of Nevada; from notable statesman to champion of economic development through environmentally mindful tourism; from advocating responsible gaming regulation to significantly elevating the rights of those people victimized by crime and protecting our children from exploitation, Mr. Miller has a diverse and lauded professional career and an equally spirited sense of community.
The son of a gaming pioneer, Bob was directed away from the glitz and glamor of the Las Vegas tourism experience toward a more traditional upbringing – focused upon pursuit of a non-gaming career in legal advocacy.
While studying law, Mr. Miller worked during consecutive summers as a police officer for the Los Angeles and then the Las Vegas Sheriffs’ Offices. After graduation, he returned to the latter department to provide the legal acumen necessary to facilitate the execution of a new law that merged the Clark County Sheriff’s Office with the Las Vegas Police force – enabling the launch of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
He became a member of the Clark County, Nevada and American Bar Associations in 1971.
Bob joined the District Attorney’s Office and shortly thereafter became inspired to serve as a lower court jurist – an elected office in which fourteen other candidates were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempt to claim the judicial robe and responsibilities inherent to that principled position. It was in this office that Bob became sensitized to the trauma of child abuse and the disparity that existed between the rights of the accused with those of the crime victim.
Bob left the bench to serve as Clark County’s District Attorney – another elected position. Here he created a unit of the office dedicated specifically to ministering to the needs of crime victims – he embraced the community-service agencies who advocated for the rights of abused children, women and the elderly – and those who lost a loved one due to a criminal act.
He was subsequently elected President of the Nevada District Attorney’s Association twice during his term as prosecutor – and was later elected to the position of President of the prestigious 3,000+ member National District Attorneys Association.
He was illustrious as the first district attorney in Clark County ever to be re-elected – and had no opposition for this unprecedented second term. Further, he successfully championed the country’s prosecutors to convene their annual national convention in Las Vegas – necessitating a preemptive by-law revision – overturning a rule that the organization would not assemble outside of the United States or in the State of Nevada.
As District Attorney, Bob embraced early on the inspirational advocacy of John Walsh, now host of the long-tenured America’s Most Wanted television series – who found no stronger reinforcement than Bob Miller in changing historical mindsets, laws and prejudices to give immediate attention to child victim recovery.
Because of his unblemished record of accomplishment in the field of victim advocacy, Bob was asked by President Ronald Reagan to accept an appointment to his President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime – one of nine delegates selected from across the United States.
Bob continued to identify difficult but embraceable challenges that, with effort, could decisively advance the quality of life for all Nevadans – settling finally on a run for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Nevada to allow him the authority to pursue this avocation. It was here that Mr. Miller became introduced to the advanced processes of Nevada tourism promotion, transportation infrastructure and economic diversity.
Las Vegas was, at the time Mr. Miller entered the state capital, in the earliest stages of what was to become a transformational renaissance of global proportions, and Bob soon became a key player in smoothing the course for that eminent awakening.
He thoughtfully studied tourism development and sought to assimilate as much knowledge as possible regarding the strengths and weaknesses of Nevada tourism.
From this discourse he determined that to significantly advance its market share Nevada had to fully embrace business travelers and sustainable tourism activities; it needed to cultivate foreign markets, inspire international air carriers to inaugurate non-stop service into Nevada, and see created an infrastructure environment for entry and egress into his state that would be viewed as second to no other.
It was at this point in his career that Bob became adept at communicating with business and government leaders directly, smoothing the path for international governments seeking U.S.-based business partners and businesses in the United States desiring to sell products or services to foreign distributors and / or networks (agriculture, mining, hotel, air service, hospitality training).
In 1989, Bob became Governor of Nevada, succeeding in mid-term the sitting governor who had been elected to the United States Senate. As governor he became the CEO of a 14,000+ employee business with over thirty diverse departments and hundreds of operating divisions ranging from gaming regulation to economic diversification, from infrastructure management to growing Nevada’s international tourism and economic development market share. At the same time, he became involved with the 21-member Western Governors’ Association and the 55-member National Governors’ Association.
During his service as Governor, Mr. Miller was elected president of the Western Governors’ Association and chairman of the National Governors’ Association.
For the next ten years, Bob focused much of his time on growing the Nevada economy, paving the way for necessary infrastructure improvements that would allow to be built twenty of the largest hotels ever constructed, realizing a more efficient government through downsizing departments and divisions while at the same time promoting more women to executive manager levels than any previous governor.
He set upon the task of inviting prestigious organizations to meet in Las Vegas and won over many hesitant professional associations including the Western Governors, National Governors, National Lt. Governors, National Attorneys General, National Secretaries of State and many others. He lead industry-sponsored trade missions to dozens of foreign countries encouraging outbound tourism managers to sell Nevada and persuading foreign air carriers to offer non-stop service into Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport.
He a spearheaded through every available means a movement for Nevada Hotels and Casinos to embrace business travelers through presentation of the most up-to-date, full-service convention facilities. During his time in office, Nevada convention capacity grew from just under one million to over seven million square feet – and Las Vegas became the meeting capital of the world.
When he left office in 1999, Nevada was served via non-stop air from Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels, London, Manchester, Mexico City, Monterrey, and all major cities in Canada.
After leaving office, Mr. Miller became inextricably entwined with high-level government affairs and business development activities both in the United States and abroad. He became affiliated with the international public and government affairs firm DUTKO-Worldwide and today holds the title of senior adviser in that partnership.
In this capacity, Bob specializes in business to public sector relationship building at all levels of government based on his varied and extensive experiences and the extraordinarily large number of political and corporate leaders by whom Bob is respected.
He was invited by President Clinton to serve as his Ambassador to Argentina – a post he respectfully declined because of his youthful daughter and large family in Nevada. He joined the International Association of Gaming Advisers and soon became an officer with that influential group, serving as its president in 2009.
The U.S. State Department placed Bob in select technical assistance consultations with the economic and finance ministries of several countries, including the republics of Bulgaria, Georgia and numerous unique postings in the Russian Federation (Moscow, Tver and Irkutsk, Siberia).
During these and follow-up visits, Mr. Miller developed trusting relationships with foreign business and governmental leaders including presidents Petar Stoyanov (Bulgaria), Mikhail Gorbachev (Russian Federation), prime minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha (Bulgaria) and Nikoloz Gilauri, the minister of finance in Georgia, as well as a host of hoteliers, restaurateurs, developers, insurance providers, bankers, marketers and casino owners throughout Europe and Asia.
Mr. Miller helped to persuade President Bill Clinton to be the first US President to visit Bulgaria, a journey that brought about camaraderie and respect between Nevada’s Governor and the Bulgarian people and resulted in Bob’s designation as Honorary Consul General for the Republic of Bulgaria. In this post Bob performs commercial, trade and tourism promotion functions toward strengthening the economic, cultural and scientific relations among Bulgaria and the United States.
Miller has served as a member of the boards of several public companies and currently is a member of the board of International Game Technology (IGT), Wynn Resorts (WYNN), and is a principal consultant to the board of Newmont Mining Corporation (NMC). He remains bonded to crucial child protection issues through board membership on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Bob is married to Sandy Miller, a former teacher and special projects coordinator for the Sandy Miller School for International Studies, a magnet school of the Clark County School District. He and Sandy have three children – Ross, the former Secretary of State of Nevada; Corrine Miller Liebe, a senior executive producer of animated commercials in New York City; and Megan, a Deputy District Attorney here in Nevada.
Executive Biographical Summary
Robert J. Miller Consulting, Owner, Business to Business or Government (2005-Present)
Grayling, Senior Advisor, Multi-National Public Relations (2009-Present)
Dutko Worldwide, Partner, Government Relations (2001-2009)
Jones, Vargas, Partner, Legal Practice, Government Relations, Gaming (2001-2009)
Governor, State of Nevada, Longest in Nevada history (1989-1999)
Lt. Governor, State of Nevada (1987-1989)
President of State Senate District Attorney, Clark County of Nevada (1979-1987)
First D.A. re-elected in modern history Justice of the Peace, Las Vegas Township (1975-1979)
Appointed then elected judicial position Police Attorney, Las Vegas Metro Police (1973-1975)
Department Attorney & Deputy D.A., Deputy D.A., Clark County, Nevada (1971-1975)
Criminal Prosecutor Deputy Sheriff, Clark County Nevada (Summer 1970)
Court services uniformed & commissioned Deputy Sheriff, Los Angeles, California Bailiff uniformed & commissioned (Summer 1969)
Education
Loyola Law School, Juris Doctorate (1968-1971)
Santa Clara University, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science (1963-1967)
Associations
President International Association of Gaming Advisors (2009)
National Governors Association (1989-1999) Chair (1996-1997)
Western Governors Association (1989-1999) Chair (1993-1994)
President Clinton appointment to Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental relations (1993-1998)
President of National District Attorneys Association (1979-1987) President (1983-1984)
President Reagan appointment to Task Force On Victims of Crime (1982)
Board Member
Wynn Resorts, Hotels & Gaming, various committees & Lead Independent Director (2001- Present)
International Gaming Technology, Various committees, Gaming Devices (1999-2015)
Newmont Mining Company, Multi-National Mines, various committees (1999-2010)
Zenith Insurance Company, Multi-State Workman’s Compensation, Various committees (1999-2010)
America West Airlines, U.S. Public Passenger Service, various committees (1999-2005)
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Advisory Board (2005-Present)
Recognition
Honorary Consul of Bulgaria (2005-Present)
Co-Chair Russian Heritage Highway with former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev (2004-2007)
U.S. State Department Trade Missions Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia (1999-2010)
Distinguished Nevadan Award Nevada University System (2012)
Honorary Juris Doctorate, UNLV (1998)
Claremont Graduate University Center President’s Medal (1998)
Honorary Juris Doctorate Santa Clara University (1991)
Lifetime Achievement Award National Organization of Victims Assistance (1999)
Lifetime Achievement Award Nevada Mining Association (1998)
Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award Women Executives in State Governments (1997)
Inaugural National Award for State Art Leadership Americans for the Arts (1997)
Ethics in Government Award Common Cause (1990)
Man of the Year World Boxing Council (1997)
Author & Speaker
Son of a Gambling Man, Autobiography focused on Nevada history, Published by Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin Press, MacMillan Publishing (2013)
Keynote Speeches, Moscow, Russia, Sofia′ Bulgaria, throughout the U.S. (1999-Present)
Military
U.S. Army Reserves, E-6 Searchlight Unit & Personel Service Companies (1967-1971)
U.S. Air Force Reserves E-6 Medical company, served as acting 1st Sergeant (1971-1973)