John D. Miller is a seasoned non-profit executive and consultant with 37 years of leadership experience at “best-in-class” universities, health care organizations and religious congregations. Founder and principal of Miller Advancement, John provides consulting and interim leadership services to non-profit organizations, with a particular focus on higher education, health care and faith-based institutions.

An ordained minister with degrees from UCLA and Fuller Theological Seminary, John spent 16 years as a pastor of Southern California congregations before assuming executive leadership roles at universities and health care organizations.

John’s experience in fund-raising and alumni affairs includes eight years with Providence St. Joseph Health, first as vice president of Saint John’s Health Center Foundation and then as president of Providence Mission Hospital Foundation; eight years at Pepperdine University, first as associate vice president and then vice chancellor; and 13 years at UCLA. John’s tenure at UCLA included service as the chief advancement officer of Venice Family Clinic, the nation’s largest free clinic; assistant dean for external affairs of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health; and Associate Director of University Development, during which time John led the major gift fund-raising team for central development, responsible for multi-disciplinary institutional priorities as well as regional and international fundraising.

At each of the universities and health care organizations he has served, John was involved in the planning and execution of fund-raising campaigns ranging in size from $3 million to $1.8 billion and which, in various cases, set national and/or institutional records. John also has been involved in the planning and implementation of organizational transitions, in some cases implementing greater decentralization and, in other cases, more shared services, depending upon the strategic needs of the institutions at the time.

John earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UCLA and a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is married to Dr. Charlene Underhill Miller, a psychotherapist in private practice who has also devoted much of her career to the development and provision of mental health services for underserved children, youth and families. John has been a foster parent to 10 children, two of whom he adopted. In addition, John and Charlene have a college-age son at the University of Oregon. They reside in Monarch Beach, California.

Leadership Development

UCLA Extension & CASE conferences: taught non-profit development

UCLA Medical Center’s Department of Spiritual Care: founding member of the Professional Advisory Committee and served as a volunteer hospital chaplain

Upward Bound House Hall of Fame: inducted in 2017 in recognition of his role in the founding of the organization which successfully developed housing and services for homeless families and low-income seniors in Santa Monica.