Meet Renner-Miller – Leadership Coshocton County Class of 2022
Sue Renner-Miller grew up on a “big dairy farm” in Tuscarawas County, in the “suburbs of Baltic.” She worked alongside her parents, two sisters and a brother, as early as 3-years-old to care for the livestock. her job was to feed the calves.
A graduate of Garaway Schools, Renner-Miller was active in sports including volleyball; basketball; softball and track, as well as a nine-year member of 4-H. Renner-Miller remembers, “Horses were my thing, but Mom made me take a cooking and clothes project.” Active in her church youth group, Renner-Miller and her family attended three times a week and states, “no question I loved going” to a “country Bible church.” After high school, Renner-Miller went right to work for an insurance company and two years later married her high school sweetheart.
She and her first husband Jeff were blessed with three sons. They were both very involved in the community as volunteer firefighters and EMTs. Her husband worked for Allied Baltic Rubber while Sue continued to work for Baltic Insurance Company as well as whatever “odd jobs” were necessary to make ends meet. They also volunteered with anything, and everything related to their boys – 4-H; Scouting; baseball and Little League; always with the desire to instill a sense of volunteerism in them all the while keeping the family home a “safe place to be.” Sue always wanted the boys to grow up on a farm, so they purchased a mini-farm in Fresno, “below New Bedford” where they had a menagerie of animals – horses; chickens; goats; pigs; cattle; rabbits; even a llama.
In 1996 tragedy struck the family when Jeff died suddenly en route to a fire. Sue remained on the farm as long as she could manage on her own; a widow with three active boys. After seven years, she sold the farm; equipment; found appropriate homes for the animals and moved to Coshocton. By that time, she had begun working for a Coshocton insurance company – Larry Endsley and the Endsley Agency.
Sue then worked for West Holmes School District as a paraprofessional and also worked part-time at Kid’s America working the front desk and Lake Park Pool concession stand. She was then offered the executive director position for Kid’s America, and Sue remained at KA for a total of 14 ½ years; eight of which were as ED.
While serving on the Board for RHDD, Sue was offered a transportation specialist position, but ended up in human resources. Sue worked in that capacity for three years before changing roles to become special projects coordinator. In this position, she is responsible for planning and organizing activities for the individuals served by the agency as well as incentives for direct support professionals (DSP) and luncheons for individuals, their families and staff of the agency. Covid put a damper on many of these activities but Sue was resilient in creative ways to maintain a sense of normalcy in the lives of the individuals as well as DSP recognition. She traveled in all five counties and worked in the offices as office manager to cleaning up storage units.
In 2009, Sue married Bob Miller, blending their families. Tragedy struck a second time for Sue, when her youngest son, a firefighter in Gulfport MS, took his life. Of her tribulations, Sue states, “Faith and support from family and friends got me through all my trials; the death of my husband; of my son; the deaths of my parents.”
Sue is an active member of her church, Calvary Baptist, where she works in the nursery as well as helps with meals for members in need. She is involved with the Coshocton County and Muskingum County Chambers of Commerce and volunteers with Red Cross blood drives. She reads to elementary students at Coshocton Elementary School, volunteers at Conesville Elementary for parent teacher conferences, helps with special projects at the chamber and serves on the Coshocton County Career Center Advisory Board. In short, Sue “Volunteers everywhere.”
Sue “had been asked for years and years” to participate in Leadership Coshocton, “since she worked for Larry Endsley” but “never had time to do it. I’m so glad I did.” In Leadership Coshocton, Sue states “I learned how to be team player while also being a team leader… to find your niche and go with it.” Sue didn’t know what to expect or what she’d learn or gain from participating. She never knew her personality type and like many, lives here but don’t really visit or explore the area. Being in Leadership Coshocton has given her the opportunity to learn about the community as well as herself and given her the confidence to succeed.
Of the community, Sue states, “It’s growing. Definitely going in the right direction. The community is coming together and more people are showing up that want to improve the community. There are new people getting involved and it’s not all the same people doing all the work.”
To make the county stronger, Sue recommends “Continue trying to get business in; help local businesses to grow and support local businesses.”
Sue would recommend Leadership Coshocton for others stating, “No matter your occupation or background, there is always something to learn. About the community; yourself or others; lessons I’ll use from this point forward.”
Category: Clubs & Organizations
