Mr. Brett Miller, who has served as Derry’s athletic and transportation director as well as safety coordinator for the past decade, is set to take on a new role at Seton Hill starting at the end of October, as officially announced during a recent school board meeting.

Mr. Miller, a member of Mount Pleasant’s Class of 2004, discovered his passion for becoming an athletic director while in school. His inspiration came from the close relationship he developed with Mount Pleasant’s athletic director. He used to select student-athletes to assist him in transporting equipment to various athletic facilities. During these moments, Mr. Miller got to know Mr. Firment and realized that being an athletic director was his calling.

“I always volunteered to help, mostly to skip class,” Miller humorously recalled. “But as I paid more attention to his role, I realized that being an athletic director would allow me to pursue a career in sports, something I loved.”

After high school, he pursued higher education to fulfill the necessary requirements for his dream career. 

“I enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) as a Sports Management student, graduating in 2008. I started my career as the Director of Sports and Wellness at the YMCA of Greensburg. Later, I took on the role of athletic director at Ligonier Valley School District from 2009 to 2013, and I joined Derry Area in 2013,” Miller explained.

While Mr. Miller has been an athletic director at Derry Area, he is now transitioning to a bigger role at Seton Hill, starting on November 1st. He will be working in Seton Hill’s Institutional Advancement Department, with the primary responsibility of identifying and building relationships with individuals capable of donating $25,000 or more for capital projects and scholarships.

Although he thoroughly enjoyed his time at Derry Area and wasn’t initially seeking a new job, Mr. Miller took the opportunity when it was presented to him. 

“Someone mentioned the position, and I decided to apply. In 2021, I completed my Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) at Seton Hill University,” said Miller. “Several years ago, I conducted a project for grad school, researching two career paths: business manager and director of development. During my research on the director of development position, I realized I was already doing some of the required work and had a passion for it.”

While leaving Derry behind is bittersweet, Mr. Miller is excited about returning to Seton Hill, where he once studied. 

“I will have the opportunity to collaborate with the athletic department, as some campaign funds will support their programs. Knowing that I can still be involved in athletics is a major plus for me. Additionally, the Seton Hill community is fantastic. I met many staff members during the interview process, and everyone was wonderful,” said Miller. 

Derry Area extends its best wishes to Mr. Miller as he takes on this new challenge, fully prepared based on his experiences and accomplishments during his tenure at Derry. 

“It will be different, but there will be a lot of similarities. For several years, I have been involved in similar work with our school district foundation. We’ve been identifying and engaging with alumni and donors who support the Four A’s Initiative—a comprehensive campaign to enhance students’ educational experience in Academics, Agriculture, Arts, and Athletics. We are currently preparing to build a new stadium entrance and have raised funds for drones, Glowforges, and a literacy library at Grandview Elementary,” Miller shared.

“I’m excited for this new challenge.”