Haley Miller

Hi! I’m Haley (she/her). I am the Materials Management grants coordinator at the Department of Environmental Quality. I am currently leading an equity focused strategic plan to make our grants program more accessible and equitable for all Oregon communities. In my role I also research grant-funding opportunities for the Recycling Modernization Act and I serve on the Community Engagement and Outreach Environmental Justice Workgroup.

Prior to my time with DEQ, I worked at Friends of Trees, a Portland based urban forestry nonprofit. I worked with volunteers and municipality partners to organize community tree planting events in low-tree canopy, low-income neighborhoods. Before my time at Friends of Trees, I spent my days designing and building backcountry hiking trails in National Parks across the country - sometimes living in the woods with 8 high-school students for a whole summer.

In my free time I like to trail run, try to be less scared when mountain biking, share homemade meals with friends, play cribbage, and listen to live music.

How long and in what capacity(s) have you been involved with AOR (committees, conferences, tours ,etc.)?

I joined DEQ as the Materials Management Grants Coordinator in October 2022 and attended my first AOR conference during my second week in this position. I was deeply inspired by the presentation content, networking opportunities, and community building that occurred during the conference. I had multiple engaging conversations with AOR members from across the state; each person I spoke with was excited to hear about the work happening within the DEQ Materials Management grants program, and enthusiastically shared what brings them joy in their everyday work. The AOR conference was a rewarding introduction into this community, and I look forward to contributing in a more impactful way.

Why would you like to serve on the AOR Board of Directors?

As the grants coordinator for the Materials Management program at DEQ, I would love to be able to stay connected to the AOR community. Building upon existing partnerships and creating new relationships will be integral to a successful DEQ Materials Management grants program. We are currently going through a strategic planning process with the goal to make funding more equitable and accessible to all Oregonians. Additionally, I can be a liaison between the AOR Board of Directors, the Materials Management Program, and the programs and policies of which impact AOR members. I believe serving as a member of the AOR Board of Directors will allow the agency to better understand and meet the needs of our greater community.

What skills, expertise, and experience do you possess that would be make you a valuable addition?

As someone new to this industry, I would bring fresh perspective and creativity to the AOR community and board. Prior to my time at DEQ, I spent over 15 years working in the nonprofit sector focusing on fostering community partnerships. I value the importance in hearing the diverse perspectives from all communities across Oregon and hope to bring my community building experience to the AOR board. In my short time at DEQ, I have put in effort to become an integral member of the Materials Management team. I co-facilitate Rookie Squad meetings; a monthly opportunity for new Materials Management hires to come together, ask questions of our managers and of each other. As people begin to feel comfortable returning to working in the office, I have organized morning coffee meet-ups, lunchtime potlucks, or evening happy hours. I was even able to bring a group of Materials Management colleagues to a Friends of Trees planting (where I worked previously to joining the DEQ team), a planting that was funded through DEQ. All that to say, I think I would bring a sense of fun and a commitment to inclusivity to the AOR board.