It’s Miller’s Time: Citizen of the Year selected
Published 4:35 am Wednesday, May 9, 2018
- The past Citizens of the Year who elected Larry Miller and greeted him with the news at his home included, shown approximately left to right, Charles Rimes, Bill Nielsen, Joe Ball, Frances Mills, George Bateman, Dr. Walter Tisdale, Pat Branch, Beverly Sheridan, Millicent Canter, Carol Duke, Stephen Genco and Col. Bobby Miller.
Rotary Club president and regular volunteer Larry Miller was chosen Monday evening as the 2017 Bogalusa Citizen of the Year.
Past Citizen of the Year winners voted on the award at The Daily News office, and then paid a visit to Miller’s home in Bogalusa to personally tell him the news.
George Bateman, a fellow Rotary member and past Citizen of the Year, called Miller to tell him that he had some “receipts from Rotary” that he needed to give to him ahead of the club’s Tuesday meeting.
Miller then smiled and laughed as he saw the large group come up to greet him on his front porch.
“This is just wonderful,” Miller said. “I am so humbled, especially to be standing here among all of you, who I respect so much.”
Miller jokingly noted that although he has been living in Bogalusa for 41 years, he still considers himself a “come here.”
“I’m a ‘come here,’ but I’m definitely a ‘stay here,’” he said.
Miller will be honored at a public reception later this year. The date and location will be announced in the future.
Miller received several nomination forms from readers. He was lauded for his work and volunteerism in a variety of civic, professional and church organizations.
His accomplishments include serving as a member of the Magic City Carnival Association for 37 years. He has also been a MCCA executive board member, band coordinator and was MCCA King XIII. Miller was a president and member of the Mill Town Players Executive Board for 10 years, and has continued his love of the arts by regularly performing in Franklinton Little Theatre productions.
Miller has also been a regular in civic committees of note, including the Bogalusa 100th Anniversary Committee, the Farmers’ Market Organizational Committee, and the Bogalusa Blues and Heritage Executive Committee.
He is an Our Lady of the Angels Hospital Foundation board member, and chairman of the executive board of the United Way Leadership Council. He was the 2015-17 chairman of the United Way’s fund-raising campaign, as well, and has been a Rotary Club member for 17 years.
Miller is married to Joannie Forcier Miller and they have three children, Larry Christopher, John Timothy and Savannah Jane.
“I feel (Miller) should be selected as the 2017 Citizen of the Year,” a reader wrote in his nomination letter for Miller. “Not only for what he is currently doing in the community, but as an acknowledgement of the decades of tireless effort he has put in to improve the quality of life in Bogalusa, and make it a better place to live and work and raise a family.”