Wednesday, October 4, 2006

U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar visited Wednesday with 69-year-old Harriet Sweedler Miller of Fort Wayne, who was chosen by Experience Works as Indiana’s Outstanding Older Worker of 2006.

“When you go to reunions for high school and college, you realize that most of your colleagues have been retired for years,” Lugar said. “It is good that you are loyal to your work, and I think that continuity is important.”

Miller, who is an ovarian cancer survivor, spent 19 years as Founding Director of Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau, Inc., a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of women who have suffered sexual assault, discrimination and lack of access to education and business development.

Miller also served as a public school teacher for 15 years and now works part-time at Aon Consulting and Harmony Associates, an Indiana certified Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, Miller helped women seek training and employment with non-traditional jobs at places such as Fort Wayne’s General Motor’s plant.

Miller has received several awards for her activism on behalf of women. In 1994, she received an honorary Doctorate Degree from Indiana University, and she has written books on local women’s history.

She is a member of organizations including Achduth Vesholom Congregations, ACLU, Aon Diversity Council, Astrea, Audubon Society, GLADD, Global Fund for Women, Human Rights Campaign, Jewish Historical Society, Ms. Foundation for Women, PAX World Mercy Corps, and the Sierra Club.

Indiana’s Outstanding Older Worker is an annual award given by Experience Works, a national, charitable, community-based organization focused on meeting the training and employment needs of low-income seniors.