We kick off our first Leadership Q&A with Anthony Miller, Director of Gas Systems, who celebrated 35 years of service with GUC at the end of 2023. Anthony began his GUC career as our first Gas Systems Engineer in 1988 as well as GUC’s first black engineer. In 1991, he was named Director. He is responsible for the overall operation of the Gas Department, which has received numerous state and national awards. Notable accomplishments include becoming the first North Carolina public utility to build a Liquefied Natural Gas Storage Facility as well as constructing the only publicly owned Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station in North Carolina east of I-95.  Before joining GUC, Anthony was an Aerospace Engineer at the Naval Aviation Depot, Cherry Point, NC. He worked on the AV-8B Harrier Jet Program where he designed and led the first major repair of a composite wing and conducted an extensive accident investigation of a jet crash. 

FUN FACT! During college, while working at RDU Airport for a private company responsible for fueling aircraft, Anthony got to fly the WRAL-TV Helicopter when the pilot allowed him to handle the controls.  

Have you served in leadership and/or volunteer roles in the utility industry? For 20 years on and off, I served on the Board of Directors for the American Public Gas Association (APGA) and chaired several APGA committees, including Chairman of the Board Fiscal Year 2005-2006. I was active in the Southeastern Gas Association and the NC Municipal Gas Association prior to it merging with the South Carolina Natural Gas Utilities to form the Carolina Public Gas Association (CPGA). I am the first GUC representative to serve as Chairman of APGA’s Board, in addition to their first black Chairman. 

Did you choose leadership, or did leadership choose you? A little bit of both because I wanted to help and interact with people. Leadership requires you to interact with people and assist the people you are trying to lead. I was not able to do both on my job at Cherry Point. As an engineer there, I spent more time reading, researching, and solving technical problems that didn’t necessarily require a lot of interaction with others. Moving into a leadership role allowed me to have more interaction with others and help people in different ways. 

What have you enjoyed most about your leadership role? Helping and watching my colleagues in the Gas Department grow in their careers and develop as leaders. I have had the opportunity to witness several colleagues start out in entry level jobs and receive a number of promotions within GUC as well as other companies. 

What have you enjoyed most about your career in the utility industry? Networking with people in the industry, exchanging ideas to meet challenges within the industry, and developing relationships at GUC. 

What advice do you give to those new to a leadership role? Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a leader and work on eliminating or reducing your weaknesses to become a more effective leader. It helps to have a passion for helping people to develop in their careers and build relationships with those you lead.  Also, expect more of yourself as a leader than you do of others, and this should result in you setting a better example. 

How do you approach decision-making in challenging situations?  Gather facts, develop options, and determine how each option will not only impact operations and finances, but also customers and employees. Choose the solution that provides the most benefit. 

Did you have any role models or mentors who helped you along the way, and can you share any of their advice? My father was my role model. Treat people right, do the right thing, and work hard. Good things will come of that.  

How do you prioritize work-life balance as a leader?  Any good leader knows that to be effective, your well-being is important. Therefore, work-life balance is essential. Due to the stresses on the job, life away from work is necessary to relieve those stresses. GUC makes it easy for a leader to balance work-life. A leader knows to leave personal and/or family issues at home when on the job and vice-versa. However, there are times it is hard to separate personal and work issues due to unexpected circumstances. Given the environment senior leadership has created at GUC, employees know they are supported and allowed time away when personal or family issues must take priority. 

What did you want to be when you were younger? I wanted to fly jets or at least work in the aerospace industry because I have always been fascinated with airplanes. This desire led me to a B.S. Degree in Aerospace Engineering from N.C. State University. 

What is your proudest career accomplishment? In terms of projects, having GUC become the first public utility in the state to build a liquefied natural gas satellite plant as well as the first compressed natural gas facility for public use east of I-95 from Virginia to Georgia. Both projects have paid for themselves as well as enhanced our services to customers and system reliability. In terms of people, putting together a great team in the Gas Department where relationships are valued and accountability is essential to maintaining a top performing team. 

What was your very first job? Working as laborer for my father. He was a contractor who poured and finished concrete and laid bricks and blocks. 

What would you like us to know about your family? I have 3-year-old and 5-month-old grandsons who are a joy to be with. When I get that opportunity to have them home, it feels great having two other males in the house where I have been the only male for 30 years. Even the dog is female.  

What is your favorite family or holiday tradition? Christmas is my favorite holiday because most of our family get together to spend that time with my 87-year-old mother.  This a time we celebrate family and the birth of Christ.   

Who is your favorite band, singer, or music genre? Gospel and R&B. Mass choirs like Georgia and Florida Mass Choirs. Artists like Hezekiah Walker, Donald Lawerence, Leandria Johnson, and Rev. James Cleveland. R&B favorites are Earth, Wind and Fire, O’Jays, Stephanie Mills, En Vogue, Emotions, and Cameo. I prefer ballads with meaning. 

What have been your favorite travel destinations? Nova Scotia, Canada, Hawaii, and Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. 

Do you collect anything or have any hobbies? Golfing and watching movies. 

What is at the top of your bucket list? I want to visit several countries in Africa to see what it really is like with my own two eyes. 

What’s your favorite season of the year? Spring is my favorite because it’s not too cold or hot.  Also, spring is when you begin to see life come into fruition in trees and flowers. 

Do have you have a favorite sports team? My favorite football teams are the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles. Baseball is the Atlanta Braves. Basketball is the Charlotte Hornets. 

Do you have a favorite quote? 2 Corinthians 4:18. The Biblical phrase, “Only what you do for Christ will last.” I like this one because when you inspire people, lift people up, or just show that you care, those types of actions have a lasting impact on others long after you are gone.