Announcing the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient

Randolph L. Miller (’67, Questrom’69), dubbed the “honorary mayor of Portland,” will receive the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award. Miller is a tireless advocate for BU and for the economic development of his hometown, Portland, Oregon.

“Randy is a loyal and generous alumnus and has been an engaged member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the past decade,” says Dean Natalie McKnight. “He always adds insightful contributions to our discussions.”

Miller is president of Produce Row Property Management Company, which manages Produce Row, 150,000 square feet of networked businesses in an area the website describes as, “a place that can support a fledgling operation or an established manufacturer. This is a place where things are made. Real products, real services or simply making a difference.”

A Portland native, Miller works on city boards and commissions creating public and private partnerships to understand, he says, “what is practical, pragmatic, and reasonable to attempt to achieve.”

This work includes serving as director of AAA of Oregon / Idaho, director of the Air Advice Corporation, and director of the PGE Foundation. His civic-mindedness and leadership have earned him the Port of Portland Compass Award, the American Diabetes Association’s Father of the Year Award, and the Spirit of Portland Award. He has spent 30 years traveling around the world, including as a diplomatic consul to the Republic of Lithuania, an experience he employs to help Portland emerge “as a leader…in many aspects,” he says, “including economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and place-making.”