Veronica Miller will end her second decade with the City of St. Cloud as its City Manager.
At a special meeting Thursday, City Council voted to have Miller replace Bill Sturgeon, whose retirement will become effective Friday.
The city directed City Attorney Dan Mantzaris to work with city Human Resources to negotiate Miller's contract for its approval after the Council voted 3-2 to name Miller to the post.
Deputy Mayor Linette Matheny made the motion, and Council Members Dave Askew and Kolby Urban voted in favor. Mayor Nathan Blackwell voted against, noting his support for Osceola County Deputy County Manager Darren Grey and his expertise in commercial development, as did Keith Trace said, who said he would prefer the City conduct a wider search before making a selection.
Miller has worked for the City of St. Cloud for 19 years, after stints in the planning departments of the cities of Oviedo and Kissimmee, and Matheny, Askew and Urban noted that stability as well as Miller's integrity during her St. Cloud career. Miller has served leadership roles in numerous departments before being named Deputy City Manager in 2017, the same year Sturgeon became City Manager after four years as the city's fire chief.
Her roles as Deputy City Manager have included serving as Chief of Staff for the City, and directly overseeing several departments.
"Her institutional knowledge, coupled with her community relationships and innate ability to seek solutions, have fueled her success in the role, and have helped the city thrive despite the challenges brought by growth, a pandemic and operational challenges," a release from the city said Thursday night.
Miller becomes the first Hispanic female to serve as St. Cloud's City Manager. An Orlando native and Colonial High School grad, Miller earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Rollins College, with a concentration in Government and Policy. She is a Certified Public Manager, a Florida Redevelopment Association - Redevelopment Administrator (FRA-RA), and a qualified member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. She also is an ICMA Credentialed Manager.
In the city, she has served on the Main Street Economic Restructuring Committee, the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee and on the City of St. Cloud General Employees’ Pension Board. Her service to the greater Osceola County includes as Osceola County Director for the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Osceola Horticultural & Natural Resources Extension Advisory Committee and a current roles as the Secretary of the Senior Housing Management Board of Directors for the Osceola Council on Aging.
