Board of Directors
William G. Miller
Mr. Miller has served as Chairman of the Board since founding the company in April 1994. Mr. Miller served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company from October 2003 to March 2011, and Chief Executive Officer of the Company from April 1994 until June 1997. In June 1997, he was named Co-Chief Executive Officer, a title he shared with Jeffrey I. Badgley until November 1997.
Mr. Miller also served as President of the Company from April 1994 to June 1996. He served as Chairman of Miller Group, Inc. from August 1990 through May 1994, as its President from August 1990 to March 1993, and as its Chief Executive Officer from March 1993 until May 1994. Prior to 1987, Mr. Miller served in various management positions for Bendix Corporation, Neptune International Corporation, Wheelabrator-Frye Inc. and The Signal Companies, Inc. Mr. Miller is the father of William G. Miller II, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and a director.
As Chairman and founder of the Company and with over thirty years of experience with the Company, Mr. Miller has a deep knowledge and understanding of the Company, its operating companies and its line of business and brings that knowledge and understanding to the Board of Directors. Additionally, Mr. Miller’s experience in leadership positions at various companies prior to founding the Company brings valuable leadership expertise to the Board of Directors.
William G. Miller, II
Mr. Miller II has served as a director of the Company since May 2014, and President and Chief Executive Officer since March 2022, after serving as Co-Chief Executive Officer from December 2013 to March 2022, President from March 2011 to March 2022, and Southeast Regional Vice President of Sales of Miller Industries Towing Equipment Inc. from November 2009 to February 2011. Prior to that time, Mr. Miller II served as Vice President of Strategic Planning of the Company from October 2007 until November 2009.
He was instrumental in the development and construction of the Company’s Light Duty wrecker facility and then served as the General Manager of the Light Duty Product Line and facility from 2004 to 2007, and led the project to manufacture Datapath satellite trailers for military applications from 2003 to 2005. Prior to that, he served as a district sales manager for Miller Industries Towing Equipment Inc. from 2002. Mr. Miller II is the son of William G. Miller, the Company’s Chairman of the Board.
As Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company and with over nineteen years of experience in a variety of positions with the Company, Mr. Miller II brings important management perspective from his effective leadership of the Company’s executive team, contributes valuable insight into the strategic direction of the Company and provides essential guidance to the Board of Directors based on his intimate knowledge of the business and dayto-day operations of the Company.
Theodore H. Ashford III
Mr. Ashford has served as a director of the Company since April 2010. Mr. Ashford has served as Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Capital Management, Inc. (“ACM”) since October 2011. He has also served as Chief Investment Officer since 2007 and President since 2001 of ACM. From 1994 to 2001, Mr. Ashford served as an investment analyst for Ashford Capital Management, Inc. Prior to 1994, Mr. Ashford worked for International Management Group.
Mr. Ashford’s management experience brings valuable operations and leadership expertise to the Board of Directors. Additionally, Mr. Ashford has experience analyzing companies for investment purposes, including extensive international travel evaluating companies and markets around the world. Such investment advisory experience and financial analysis skills bring beneficial financial experience and a broad global perspective to the Board of Directors.
A. Russell Chandler III
Mr. Chandler has served as a director of the Company since April 1994. He is founder and Chairman of Whitehall Group Ltd., a private investment firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Chandler has served as a director of CoreCard Corporation (NYSE: CCRD), a publicly traded provider of credit technology solutions and processing services to the financial technology and services market, since 2017.
In 2010, Mr. Chandler formed an investor group to acquire a controlling interest in an Israeli company, Precyse Technologies Inc., which was relocated to Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Chandler served as Chairman of Precyse Technologies Inc. from 2010 until April 2015 and as its Chief Executive Officer from May 2013 until April 2015. Mr. Chandler served as Chairman of Datapath, Inc., a company that built mobile communications trailers for military application, from October 2004 until June 2006 and he served as the Mayor of the Olympic Village for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games from 1990 through August 1996. From 1987 to 1993, he served as Chairman of United Plastic Films, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of plastic bags. He founded Qualicare, Inc., a hospital management company, in 1972 and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer until its sale in 1983.
Mr. Chandler has founded and successfully managed several companies. He also has extensive experience in analyzing businesses for the purpose of making investments. Mr. Chandler’s more than forty-five years of experience as a Chairman and/or Chief Executive Officer at various companies, including, among others, a private investment firm which he founded, brings key leadership, financial and operational experience to the Board of Directors.
Peter Jackson
Mr. Jackson possesses nearly 30 years of manufacturing technology experience. During his career he has supported countless industrial companies through complex information technology transformation initiatives. He has a wealth of expertise in technology implementation, customer experience, and productivity improvements for the manufacturing, aerospace & defense, and automotive industries. He is currently a Partner and Senior Vice President of Professional Services at Providence Consulting Group LTD (PCG), a firm that co-founded in 2016. Prior to this, Mr. Jackson was a Practice Director at Business & Decision North America for eight years and a Solution Architect & Program Manager at Infor for nearly two years. He started his career at Baan Company, where he spent the first five-and-a-half years of his professional career. Mr. Jackson holds a degree in Social Science and Human services from the State University of New York at Morrisville and a degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Cortland.
Javier Reyes
Dr. Javier Reyes is an innovative and dynamic leader with nearly 20 years of experience in academia, providing him with great perspective into the future of the workforce, exceptional management skills, and an educated and diverse viewpoint on socioeconomic issues. Dr. Reyes was recently appointed Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and will transition into this position on July 1st, 2023. He is currently at the University of Chicago (UIC) as Interim Chancellor since July of 2022. In this position, he is responsible for managing a budget of $3.6 billion and more than 13,000 faculty and staff. Before being promoted to interim chancellor, he served as the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Previous to his service at UIC, Dr. Reyes served as West Virginia University’s Milan Puskar Dean of the John Chambers College of Business and Economics for five years and Vice President for StartUp West Virginia for three years. Dr. Reyes holds a BA in Economics from Monterrey TEC in Mexico, and a doctorate in Economics from Texas A&M University in 2003.
Richard H. Roberts
Mr. Roberts has served as a director of the Company since April 1994. Mr. Roberts has served as a director of Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ: FWRD), a publicly traded freight and logistics company, since March 2021. In January 2011, Mr. Roberts was appointed to the position of Commissioner of the Department of Revenue of the State of Tennessee and served as Commissioner until December 2016.
As Commissioner, Mr. Roberts streamlined the department’s operations, and initiated and oversaw the selection and implementation of a new comprehensive tax collection system. From August 2007 until February 2008, Mr. Roberts served as the Chief Financial Officer of Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc. Mr. Roberts served as Senior Vice President and Secretary of Landair Transport, Inc. from July 1994 to April 2003, while serving as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Forward Air Corporation during the same time period. From May 1995 until May 2002, Mr. Roberts served as a director of Forward Air Corporation. Mr. Roberts also was a director of Landair Corporation from September 1998 until February 2003. Mr. Roberts entered into the private practice of law in 1985 with Baker, Worthington, Crossley and Stansberry, Washington, D.C. and Nashville, Tennessee.
Mr. Roberts’ experience as a corporate attorney and an executive officer and general counsel of two public companies brings extensive legal, operational and public company finance experience to the Board of Directors. Through his former position as Commissioner of the Department of Revenue of the State of Tennessee, Mr. Roberts brings leadership experience and a thorough and insightful perspective to a wide range of financial, regulatory and risk management issues. Additionally, Mr. Roberts’ experience on the Board of Directors of companies in other industries further demonstrates his leadership capability and broad knowledge of financial and operational issues that companies face.
Jill Sutton
Ms. Sutton is an executive and director with extensive experience in strategic planning, corporate finance, capital raises, mergers & acquisitions and corporate governance. Ms. Sutton served as Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at United Natural Foods, Inc (NYSE: UNFI) for over three years where she developed the company’s shareholder engagement program, was deeply involved in the Company’s ESG policies and programs, supported the realization of over $150 million in synergies following UNFI’s acquisition of SuperValu, and helped to assure the Company’s supply chain remained operational through the COVID crisis. Prior to UNFI, Ms. Sutton served in senior legal positions at General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), Tim Hortons, and The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ: WEN). She also currently serves on the Board of Potbelly Corp. (NASDAQ: PBPB). Ms. Sutton holds multiple degrees from The Ohio State University, including a J.D. and a Masters in Healthcare Administration.
Susan Sweeney
Dr. Susan Sweeney is a senior business executive with extensive experience leading global teams and solving complex business issues. Dr. Sweeney served as Chief Human Resource Officer for Enpro Industries (NYSE: NPO), a public, mid-sized industrial technology company, putting to use her unique ability to place talent based on business need. Before taking this position in early 2020, Dr. Sweeney held the position of President, GGB, for seven years with strategy and P&L responsibility in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Prior to joining Enpro, Dr. Sweeney was an Executive with General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) with responsibilities focused on assembly, engineering, supply chain, quality and site management at multiple locations in the US and Canada. Dr. Sweeney holds a Doctorate of Education from Wilmington University, a Masters in Business Administration from University of Detroit, and a Bachelor of Arts from Kalamazoo College.
Leigh Walton
Ms. Walton has served as a director of the Company since February 2020. Ms. Walton, a partner at Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, has more than 40 years of experience advising public companies in the areas of corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and securities offerings.
Ms. Walton served for three years as the chair of the American Bar Association’s Mergers & Acquisitions Committee, an organization with over 5,000 members in 40 countries. In September 2019, Ms. Walton was also elected as a member of the American College of Governance Counsel, a professional, educational, and honorary association of lawyers widely recognized for their achievements in the field of corporate governance.
Ms. Walton brings substantial experience to the Board in the areas of corporate finance and corporate governance through her extensive tenure practicing law in those areas. She also has extensive background in public company board responsibilities, processes and dynamics through her service as an advisor to numerous public company boards over many years.