Jessica Miller has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the E. Lanier Carson Leadership Award at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Miller has served as Bursar and Director of Student Accounts at ABAC since 2015.

Established in 1973 as the Carlton Award for Administrative Excellence, the award’s purpose is to recognize leadership contributions of an ABAC administrator who is not eligible for one of the faculty or staff awards. Each year, the recipient is selected by a campus-wide committee.

“Receiving this award is incredibly meaningful to me on a personal level,” Miller said. “But it's also a testament to the amazing coworkers who support and inspire me. I could not accomplish what I do without them. Our ABAC team is amazing!”

Miller came to ABAC in 2013 as the Student Accounts and Veterans Benefits Coordinator. She was promoted to Bursar and Director of Student Accounts in 2015, becoming the first Bursar in the college’s history. She streamlined processes within the Office of Student Accounts, developed comprehensive training programs and instituted audits to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.

She was instrumental in implementing the ABAC payment plan in 2021, which offers students and parents the chance to pay for college over time instead of in one lump sum.

Miller has also been a consistent champion for student veterans, serving as an advisor to the Student Veterans Organization and playing a key role in the creation of the Melvin L. Merrill Veterans Center.

She is an ABAC graduate, receiving her Associate Degree in Business Administration before going on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from Georgia Southwestern University. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in Education from Columbus State University.