Essye Miller

Principal Deputy CIO, Department of Defense

For Miller, “the workforce is the heart of our mission,” and she says that DOD “can’t do anything without a trained, qualified force.” Thus, she places a great emphasis on mentoring and empowering the teams that report to her. “They are key to professional development, to organizational success and critical to morale,” she said. “I grew up with leaders who not only invested in me but they gave me the support and confidence to take on big tasks and make mistakes. The coaching that accompanied the experience was invaluable. I feel I have a responsibility to pay it forward.”