Trustee Essye B. Miller, ’85, has used her career knowledge and passion to help transform Talladega College’s Cybersecurity program into a Center for Academic Excellence.
Miller’s 35-year trail-blazing career with the federal government started with an Air Force internship in computer programming. At the time, women, especially African American women, were a rarity in the technology field. She would become one of the top women leaders in technology.
By the time Miller retired, she had served in a number of high-level positions, including Principal Deputy, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO); Acting Chief Information Officer for DoD; Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) for Cybersecurity and the Department’s Senior Information Security Officer (SISO). Miller was awarded the Presidential Rank Award as a meritorious recipient in 2018, an award given to members of the Senior Executive Service for exceptional service over an extended period of time.
Through a major donation of her own plus assistance in facilitating a $1 million from the Scripps Family Foundation, Miller has helped ensure that Talladega College students have the opportunity to prepare to undertake careers of their own in the rapidly expanding field of cybersecurity.
“Professionally, the need for cybersecurity professionals continues to increase,” Miller said. “The number of cybersecurity vacancies is well over hundreds of thousands. These positions are a critical part of protecting our national security.”
She noted that the National Security Agency (NSA) established the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity to ensure there are quality programs in place to produce the high-caliber workforce needed in the field.
“Talladega College already had a high-quality Cybersecurity program in place. The designation as a Center for Academic Excellence reflects the college’s commitment to producing strong cyber professionals, and to increase the local community’s need for awareness on how best to protect themselves from malicious cyber activities,” she said.
Although it is a phenomenal accomplishment for the college and will help attract top-notch students, Miller sees the need to, also, demystify what it means to work for the federal government or a military department.
“Cybersecurity roles in government range from policy to network defense to highly skilled cyber
operations,” she said. The government cybersecurity workforce includes career civilians, active-duty military and industry contractors. The cybersecurity program at Talladega College will prepare students to be competitive for these opportunities.
Miller believes curiosity, a penchant for problem-solving, teamwork, and a commitment to learning are great starting points for students who may want to explore a career in cybersecurity. These are qualities that liberal arts colleges like Talladega promote.
“A liberal arts education exposed me to humanities, science, and the arts. While in school, I often questioned the need for humanities and philosophy classes. Little did I know they were the basis for developing critical thinking skills,” she said. “ We were taught the importance of writing, speaking and presence. The school’s core curriculum coupled with the technical courses taught in the cybersecurity program will ensure graduates are well rounded and ready to compete.”
Miller attended Talladega, because it was near her hometown of Brighton, Alabama, and was offered a scholarship. She admits to wondering at times if she had missed out on something by not attending a larger university, but said that Talladega College focused on developing the whole person, and served her well personally and professionally. Miller recalls the Chair of the Business Department, Mr. Joseph Jones, as the most candid and insightful instructor she had while at Talladega. “His candor and business insight resonated with me in many ways during my career,” she said.
Since retiring from the federal government, Miller has served as a strategic advisor for Fortune 500 industry leaders Dell, T-Mobile, Trellix, and Leidos. She now serves on the board of Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE: OFC) and several privately held companies. She continues to serve the federal government as Strategic Advisor to Government Executives or SAGE, using her experience and expertise to help senior leaders navigate the complex federal environment. As with her corporate board work, Miller said the goal for her service as a Talladega College trustee is to serve well and bring value where she can.
“That includes using my knowledge and experience to contribute to the success of the school. I turned down the opportunity to serve on the board of another HBCU, but I felt compelled to answer the call to serve my Alma Mater. It is an honor to do so,” she said. “I see Talladega College as a school of choice for a premiere education, well-known for its academic rigor, technology focus and community impact.”
Thus far, Miller’s work with the College has been very rewarding. “I was slow to embrace the idea of giving back to the school, financially or otherwise. I remember the first zoom session I did with a class of TC students wanting to understand the details of working for the federal government. It was fun, rewarding and re-ignited my connection to the school,” she said. “Talladega College alumni have done amazing things and have so much to offer to the student body. Like with me, we have to re-ignite the connection.”
