Tina Miller, longtime aging services leader impacting Burke County seniors, to retire

Tina Miller, a longtime advocate for older adults in Burke County and the western Piedmont, will retire May 1 after a 28-year career with the Western Piedmont Council of Governments.

Miller has served as director of the Area Agency on Aging, which supports older adults and caregivers across Burke, Caldwell, Catawba and Alexander counties, since 2015. Her work has helped shape services relied upon daily by Burke County seniors, from in-home support programs to caregiver resources and aging-in-place initiatives.

A native of Wilkes County, Miller began her career with WPCOG on Feb. 2, 1998, working with the Job Training Partnership Act program. She joined the Area Agency on Aging a year later as an aging specialist, where she led the creation of the Resource Directory for Older Adults, a tool still widely used by seniors, caregivers and service providers in Burke County and the region.

During her tenure as an aging specialist, Miller served as lead monitor, became a certified reverse mortgage counselor, completing more than 800 counseling sessions, and coordinated the Silver Arts program for the Unifour Senior Games with the City of Hickory. She later earned a graduate certificate in gerontology from Appalachian State University.

As director, Miller expanded services and funding, including securing a three-year HUD grant for the Older Adult Home Modification Program, which helps seniors remain safe and independent in their homes. That program has directly benefited older adults in Burke County who face mobility or safety challenges.

Her leadership extended statewide and nationally through service on multiple boards and committees related to aging, health care access and community support. Locally, she led a six-person team and helped guide the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic, work that earned national recognition.

“Tina’s dedication, compassion and leadership have strengthened our region in countless ways,” said Anthony W. Starr, executive director of WPCOG. “Her work expanded opportunities for older adults to live independently, safely and with dignity.”

WPCOG Chair Randy Burns said Miller’s steady leadership made a lasting impact on communities throughout the region.

Miller’s retirement marks the end of a career defined by advocacy, collaboration and a sustained commitment to improving quality of life for older adults in Burke County and beyond.

— AVN