Salt Lake Community College makes history in naming of Gail Miller School of Business
Salt Lake City Community College on Thursday made history when it revealed that its business school would officially be named the Gail Miller School of Business — the first business school in Utah to be named exclusively after a woman. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake Community College on Thursday made history when it revealed that its business school would officially be named the Gail Miller School of Business — the first business school in Utah to be named exclusively after a woman.
The historic move comes amid a historic partnership between SLCC and the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, aimed at modernizing the school’s business building and transforming its business school.
The improvements are made possible through a $10-million gift — the largest cash donation received by the college — from the Miller Family Foundation and Gail Miller.
Along with naming the school of business after Gail Miller, the college is naming the business building the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Business Building, in honor of the Miller family’s legacy and many contributions to the community.
“We are deeply humbled by the generosity of Gail and the Miller family and the extraordinary leadership they provide to our community,” SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin said in a statement.
“I am particularly thrilled to be the first in the state to name a business school after a successful businesswoman and leader,” Huftalin said. “The Gail Miller School of Business amplifies Gail’s amazing skills as a business leader and the success she has achieved through hard work, courage, leading with integrity and a fierce commitment to serving the community.”
She continued that naming the school for a woman is a powerful signal to young women everywhere that they too can achieve great success.
“We are grateful for this gift and for the friendship and support the Miller family has given to the college over the years,” Huftalin said. “SLCC is a better institution because of their involvement and commitment to our students.”
With the gift, SLCC plans to renovate and expand the current 50,000-square-foot business building to include a larger, high-tech auditorium, kickstarter spaces for entrepreneurs and upgraded learning environments. The renovation also includes improvements to SLCC’s Business Resource Instructional Center, which offers academic advising and IT assistance to more than 13,000 students, annually.
The gift will also enable SLCC to strengthen the high-impact learning practices in its business courses such as undergraduate research and real-world problem-solving, according to a release from community college officials. Modeled after the Millers’ commitment to serving the community as they do business, the new Business Scholars Program will require students to work with a faculty mentor each semester to create cause-related or nonprofit projects that benefit the community.
So…. This just happened. What a morning! Thanks to Gail and the Millers for establishing this amazing legacy at @SaltLakeCC ! Unbelievably honored. pic.twitter.com/8yLZltCb30
— Deneece (@SLCCHuftalin) October 20, 2022
This gift represents the latest cog in the long history of the Miller family’s involvement with SLCC.
In the 1980s, the Miller family began sponsoring student scholarships. In the early 2000s, the family donated the land and buildings for Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus, located in Sandy.
Today, the Miller Campus is home to the Mill, a small business resource and entrepreneurship center offering education and training to local entrepreneurs as well as SLCC’s culinary arts, automotive, public safety and professional development programs.
Gail Miller serves on SLCC’s board of trustees, as chairwoman from 2013 to 2017, and as trustee emeritus since 2017.
Since 2013, Miller has been the title sponsor of the Gail Miller Leadership Cup, an annual golf tournament that raises scholarship money for students at the community college.
The institution awarded Gail Miller an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2008.
“We love the power of learning and are humbled by the opportunity to help others achieve their educational goals,” said Miller. “Salt Lake Community College plays an important role in developing future business leaders and problem solvers. The knowledge they gain here will enrich lives and strengthen communities.”
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Logan Stefanich is a reporter with KSL.com, covering southern Utah communities, education, business and military news.
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