Bill Miller, 39

By Mary Erpenbach

In all sincerity, Bill Miller says that he grew up in Rockford wanting to be a computer programmer. Not a Chicago Bears running back or a pitcher for the Cubs, but a numbers-crunching, datamanaging computer guru.

“I really liked physics and mechanical engineering,” he says.

So how did he end up as an assistant vice president and regional human resource manager for all 52 Illinois branches of Associated Bank? Calculus, he says. He did well in everything else, but not as well as he wanted to in his Northern Illinois University calculus classes. He worked for a while, then enrolled in Rock Valley College, then finished up at Rockford College. Along the way, he discovered what he truly excelled at was people problem-solving.

“Watching someone light up when you’ve helped them, or help further their career, it’s something I really enjoy,” he says.

Miller’s community involvement centers around problem solving as well.

A 1999 graduate of the Rockford Chamber’s Community Awareness Program, Miller proved to be a natural as an executive management volunteer with On The Waterfront. He was named OTW Volunteer of the Year in 2004 and as event manager of Groove Walk. In fact, the type of effort that would leave most people harried is what Miller likes about these festivals—getting all the volunteers scheduled, getting the media on board and the stations set up at all the doors, working out the signs, the tickets, the trolley service, and seeing it all come together.

For fun, Miller plays co-rec softball every summer. He, of course, is the team manager.