Raised in an agricultural family who had farmed and owned land for over 100 years, Dave Miller learned early that hard work and dedication were prerequisites for success. Life on the Miller farm instilled a strong work ethic, a keen sense of self-reliance, and an independent spirit that would define his career.
The eldest of nine children, Dave exhibited leadership from a very early age. An honor student throughout his schooling, he graduated from Washington High School in 1968 and enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he graduated in 1972. At Morehouse, he became a proud member of the Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Incorporated.
His first role after graduation was as a management trainee at General Motors in Michigan — before a calling to public service brought him back to Atlanta.
Dave began his public service career with the City of Atlanta in the early 1970s, working under Mayor Maynard Jackson — Atlanta's first Black Mayor. He considered it an honor and privilege to help execute Mayor Jackson's vision to increase the participation, growth, and development of minority-owned businesses.
He held progressively challenging positions — Director of the Office of Contract Compliance, Manager of Airport Development, and ultimately the youngest and first Black Director of the Bureau of Purchasing and Real Estate for the City of Atlanta. In this role, he negotiated hundreds of contracts annually and managed the acquisition and disposition of millions of dollars in real estate.
Among his landmark achievements: orchestrating the largest private-public land purchase in the history of the State of Georgia — involving 11 developers, 32 parcels of land, and a development value exceeding $1 billion. As Director of Airport Operations during the expansion of Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, he negotiated transactions of over $450 million annually.
In 1986, Dave founded D.J. Miller & Associates, Inc. — now Miller³ Consulting, Inc. — where he served as President and CEO for over 30 years. His foresight proved remarkable: in 1988, his firm conducted what is widely recognized as the nation's first disparity study, correctly anticipating the direction the U.S. Supreme Court was moving relative to minority business set-asides.
When the Court ruled in City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co. that set-asides were unconstitutional without a higher evidentiary burden, Dave's firm rapidly became one of the most sought-after in the country to conduct legally defensible disparity studies. His work cemented him as one of the true pioneers of MWBE programs and public procurement policy in the United States.
His philosophy — formed in the fields of the Miller farm — carried him through decades of institutional transformation: "There are 2 working days after Friday and 2 working days before Monday — don't be a weekend person." Work as long as you need to in order to get the job done.