Mississippi State University employee, Bricklee Miller, was elected Supervisor for Oktibbeha County on Nov. 3.  She is the first female and the first Republican to serve in the District 4 Supervisor role.  Miller is currently the only candidate to unseat the current supervisor.  
Miller, born in Meridian, moved to Starkville to attend MSU in 1990.  While she was a student, she met her husband of 16 years, Donnie Miller.  She has lived in Oktibbeha County since graduation with her husband who is a self-employed cattle farmer and landowner.  
In 2000, Miller became the Director of the Mississippi Horse Park.  The park is a division of MSU Extension Service and hosts over 40 events per year, with weekly classes taught at the site through MSU.  It began as a unique partnership between MSU, the City of Starkville and Oktibbeha County.  When Miller joined the park in 2000, the city and county guaranteed to fund the park for three more years.  Miller said she felt the sense of urgency to produce results quickly for those who had invested so much and wanted to see the horse park succeed beyond those three guaranteed years.  15 years later, the horse park is still open and very successful.  Gary Jackson, director of MSU extension, said, “She is an excellent manager who has developed the complex into a regional and national level facility for equestrian events.
 “We are very proud of her leadership in marketing and managing the MSU Horse Park,” Jackson said.
Miller said she believes that her 15 years of involvement with the park has given her valuable experience to provide her with a unique skill-set for bringing together multiple people and their goals under her new position so she can better Oktibbeha County.  She also said her experience in budget analysis, personnel management, public safety, contract negotiations and construction projects will aid her greatly in her term of service.
Miller will serve in the supervisor position for a four-year term.  She said she plans to use her time in the position wisely.  Miller ran for the supervisor position four years ago, but only received 43 percent of the votes and was not elected.  She said she  was not discouraged though.
“I have never been one to give up after one try if I did not get the opportunity I was seeking,” Miller said.
Four years later, Miller’s dedication has paid off.  Miller’s first official day as Oktibbeha County District 4 Supervisor will be Jan. 4.  There are five districts in Oktibbeha County and each one has its own supervisor.  Miller will serve on the board with the other four supervisors to make policies and complete administrative duties for the county.  The board controls road construction and maintenance, sees traffic regulations for the county, has authority to tax and more.  While each supervisor separately represents their district, all members are expected to look after the good of the county as a whole.  The supervisor position is considered a part-time job, so Miller will continue to be the director of the Miss Horse Park. 
Dana Traywick,  marketing and communications coordinator for the horse park said Miller’s determinations has aided in her success.
“I think Bricklee’s drive coupled with her strong work ethic will make her an excellent supervisor,” Traywich said. “She is always willing to go the extra mile to get the job done and she will be a positive asset to the board.” 
Traywick said she has worked alongside Miller for five years.
Miller is very involved with the community of Starkville.  She is a member of several organizations including the Starkville Rotary Club, Paul Harris Fellow, Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and Women for Agriculture in Mississippi and more.
“I am extremely humbled by the honor that those who voted for me have bestowed on me. Thank you to each and every one of you. It is with a great deal of humility and gratitude that I accept the responsibility you have tasked me with and I will not let you down.  I look forward to being your voice on the Board of Supervisors and to seeing District 4 and Oktibbeha County become an even better place to live, work and raise our families,” Miller said.