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Scott Miller (activist)

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Scott Miller
Official portrait, 2022
United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byEd McMullen
Personal details
Born
Scott Charles Miller

(1979-05-13) May 13, 1979 (age 45)
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2009)​
Residences
EducationUniversity of Colorado Boulder (BSBA)
WebsiteDepartment of State website

Scott C. Miller (born May 13, 1979[1]) is an American LGBT rights activist, philanthropist and former banker. He currently serves as the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, a role he has held since 2022.

Education

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Miller was born on May 13, 1979, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to David and Beverly Miller.[2] He was raised in Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.[3]

Career

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Miller worked as a management consultant at Accenture, as an event planner[3] and as an account vice president at UBS Wealth Management in Denver.[4]

Activism and philanthropy

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Together with his husband, Tim Gill, Miller is active in LGBT rights activism, philanthropy, and Democratic Party politics.[4]

Both are co-chairs of the Gill Foundation,[5] one of the largest sponsors of LGBT equality causes in the United States.[4] The foundation was instrumental in improving the reputation and visibility of LGBT people in Colorado and changing its image as a "hate state".[5] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller led programs that provided more than 5 million meals to Coloradans in need.[6][7]

Gill and Miller are political allies of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and Gill has been described as "one of the architects of the Democratic takeover of Colorado politics".[4] Gill and Miller have donated at least $3.6 million to Democratic candidates and campaigns since 2010,[3] and Miller has been active in groups supporting the presidential candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.[4]

Ambassador to Switzerland

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On August 6, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Miller to be the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The post is traditionally given to a political appointee, often a prominent donor.[3][8] Notable LGBTQ+ organizations like Victory Fund praised Miller's nomination.[9]

On August 10, 2021, his nomination was sent to the Senate.[10] Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 2, 2021. In his prepared testimony, Miller highlighted priorities that would guide his work if confirmed.[11] The committee reported him favorably on December 15, 2021.

On December 18, 2021, the United States Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote.[12] He was sworn in on December 21, 2021.[13] He presented his letters of credence to the President of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis, on January 11, 2022.[14] On February 16, 2022, he presented his credentials to Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein at Vaduz Castle.[15][16] Miller is one of a small number of openly queer U.S. Ambassadors.[17]

Personal life

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Miller married Tim Gill, the founder of Quark, in 2009, in a ceremony officiated by Governor Deval Patrick.[18] The couple lives in Phipps Mansion in Denver.[18] His official residence is Villa Blumenrain in Bern, Switzerland.[19]

References

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  1. ^ United States Public Records
  2. ^ "Gartenparty beim US-Botschafter Scott C. Miller in Bern". Schweizer Illustrierte (in Swiss High German). Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d AP/Keystone-SDA/ts (August 7, 2021). "Biden names Scott Miller as US ambassador to Switzerland". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Denver-based LGBT rights activist tapped by Biden to serve as ambassador Switzerland". The Colorado Sun. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  5. ^ a b London, Nell (December 13, 2018). "As Colorado Swears In An Openly Gay Governor, How One Couple Quietly Changed Minds On LGBT Issues". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "Ambassador Scott C. Miller". U.S. Embassy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  7. ^ "Gill Foundation Grants More Than $1 Million in 2020 to COVID Relief in Colorado". Gill Foundation. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  8. ^ "President Biden Announces 10 Key Nominations" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. August 6, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. ^ Imse, Elliot. "Scott Miller Nominated to Be Ambassador to Switzerland; Victory Institute Says He Will Be a "Fantastic Representative"". LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  10. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. August 10, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ "Testimony of Mr. Scott Miller Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation and to the Principality of Liechtenstein U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations" (PDF). November 2, 2021.
  12. ^ "PN1030 - Nomination of Scott Miller for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. December 18, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "Ambassador Scott Miller". U.S. Embassy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  14. ^ "Arrival of Ambassador Scott Miller". U.S. Embassy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  15. ^ @USEmbassyBern (February 16, 2022). "It was a great honor to present my credentials to H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein today at Vaduz Castle" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ @MFA_LI (February 16, 2022). "Today, US Ambassador Scott Miller presented his credentials to HSH Hereditary Prince Alois in Vaduz" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Lavers, Michael K. (October 17, 2022). "Blade sits down with U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein". www.washingtonblade.com. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Bouchard, Jay (December 2, 2019). "Who Is Tim Gill?". 5280. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  19. ^ "Gartenparty beim US-Botschafter Scott C. Miller in Bern". Schweizer Illustrierte (in Swiss High German). Retrieved March 19, 2024.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Switzerland
2022–present 		Incumbent
United States Ambassador to Liechtenstein
2022–present
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