GRAND FORKS – Two eastern North Dakota business leaders say the state’s new lieutenant governor is good for businesses across the state.
Tammy Miller, a longtime businesswoman turned civil servant, was sworn in as lieutenant governor after Lt. Former Gov. Brent Sanford since Jan. 2.
Prior to serving in the governor’s office, he had a long career in the private sector, including serving as CEO of Border States, a Fargo-based wholesale power distributor, for nearly 14 years.
Brian Johnson, CEO of Choice Bank and co-chairman of the Valley Prosperity Partnership, said he and others in the VPP – a group of business and community leaders with a goal of pursuing economic benefits to benefit the Red River Valley – is pleased with Miller’s appointment.
“We are proud of the former lieutenant governor’s service to the state and certainly Tammy, through her expertise and presence in the Burgum administration over the years. few, are well prepared to understand the problem for the state. Basically North Dakota,” he said.
Miller began his career in public accounting before joining Border States in 1991. He has been with the firm for nearly 30 years, serving as CEO for 14 last year in the Border States. Under his leadership, the company grew from a $485 million company to a $2.5 billion company. Today, Border States has more than 100 locations in 24 states.
“I started with the company when the company was very young, and it was like working at a startup,” Miller said. “I had to work in many areas of the business, even though I focused on finance.”
Miller also served on a number of volunteer boards, including serving as co-chair of VPP, a position he held until becoming COO of the Governor’s Office.
So far, his diverse experience in business has transferred well to the public sector, Miller said. As COO of the Office of Government, he worked to standardize government websites to make it easier for North Dakota residents to navigate, which is like working in the Border States to simplify the customer experience by combining and purchasing across the United States. Leading a company, he learned that economic diversity within a company can help it better navigate economic downturns.
“It’s a very important thing in the state, and it’s an important part of the governor’s Main Street initiative,” he said. “We are working hard for continued economic development and diversity in the state.”
Miller said his experience in the private sector will help North Dakota businesses because he knows what it’s like to run a business.
“We believe strongly in regulatory reform, and having done business, we understand the importance of doing business as a state,” Miller said. “It will certainly help us attract and retain new businesses if it’s easy to do business, less regulation and promotes more innovation to solve more problems.”
For most of his life, Miller lived and worked in eastern North Dakota. Originally from Brocket, North Dakota, near Devils Lake, he attended college at Minnesota State University Moorhead and spent most of his career in Fargo. He now lives in Mandan.
Johnson hopes Miller’s experience in eastern North Dakota will carry over into his administration, he said.
Steve Burian, who co-chairs VPP with Miller and is CEO of Burian & Associates, said Miller has always approached North Dakota as a big business. He has many connections in eastern North Dakota, he said.
“I think he’s going to be able to bring some perspective to eastern North Dakota in the right way,” he said.
Johnson and Burian agree that Miller’s leadership is good news for businesses across the state, not just in eastern North Dakota. Johnson said both Burgum and Miller know what it’s like to be in the public-private sector.
“Doug and Tammy are totally on board with this because when they ran their business, it was important to the community,” he said. “Yes, it’s important to the whole kingdom.”
Miller said he has good connections and connections in eastern North Dakota, but knows the needs of western North Dakota because of his statewide work with Border States.
“Over the years, there’s been a lot of profit coming from the western part of the state with the various oil booms that have happened over the years, so things are very normal and hot. “I also happen in the western part of the state,” he said.
A priority for Miller in his new role is connecting with leaders and voters in western North Dakota. The lieutenant governor is the president of the Senate, so with the Senate, getting to know the senators is a priority.
“After the session is over, I’m hoping to get out, as I like to say, on the field and start meeting with a lot of voters across the state. But maybe I need to focus more on the western part of the state to build some of those relationships and hear directly from them what they’re doing and how we can help,” he said.
