During the 159thMcNeese State University commencement ceremony Dec. 9 at the McNeese Legacy Center, the university conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on McNeese alumnus Jeffrey A. Miller, chairman, president and CEO of Halliburton Co., one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. The Houston, Texas-based company has over 45,000 employees operating in more than 70 countries.
“This is the highest honor that the university can bestow upon an individual,” said Dr. Daryl V. Burckel, McNeese president. “Mr. Miller represents his alma mater with distinction. His substantial professional achievements, his passion for service and his ardent support for McNeese State University clearly warrant the granting of the honorary doctorate.”
A native of Celina, Texas, Miller attended McNeese on a rodeo scholarship. While at McNeese, he met his future wife, Rhonda Lee. Miller earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture and business from McNeese in 1986 and his Master of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University in 1988. He is a certified public accountant.
Since joining Halliburton as director of financial reporting in 1997, he has served in several roles, including executive vice president and chief operating officer, senior vice president of business development, regional senior vice president of the Gulf of Mexico, operations vice president of Angola and Indonesia and manager of business development of Venezuela.
In his current role, Miller is responsible for day-to-day leadership and management of Halliburton, including the planning and execution of the company’s strategic direction, financial objectives and technology development, and he manages the strategic direction of Halliburton’s communications and governmental affairs initiatives.
Miller currently serves in leadership positions or on the boards of the American Petroleum Institute, National Petroleum Council, Advisory Council for the Texas A&M University Dwight Look College of Engineering and The Council on Recovery, Houston’s oldest and largest non-profit organization. He has received the Southern Methodist University Pitts Energy Leadership Award, the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston Jesse H. Jones Award and the Texas A&M University Mays Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award.
Miller is a past recipient of the McNeese Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award and he and his wife, Rhonda, have been generous in their financial support of the university, which includes the establishment of the Jeff and Rhonda Miller Distinguished Student Awards in the College of Business that recognize the accomplishments of outstanding business students.
