Alumni Spotlight: Cindy Hendren Miller – Class of ’05

Cindy Hendren Miller graduated from NC State in 2005 with degrees in Paper Science and Engineering & Chemical Engineering.  We reached out to Cindy to find about her current career, and advice for current students.  Thanks for your time and sharing Cindy!

Experiences at NC State

• Internship/co-op experience: Willamette, Bennettsville, SC – Summer 2001 and Winter Break 2001; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – Research Triangle Park, NC – Summer 2002; Georgia Pacific – Crossett, AR – Summer 2003, Spring/Summer 2004
• Best memory at State: Receiving an offer in October of my senior year for permanent employment with International Paper and not having to stress for the rest of my senior year about finding a job.
• Worst memory at State: September 11, 2001 -Riding the wolfline to my apartment after my morning class and hearing about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center, only to turn on the news to watch the second plane fly into the World Trade Center.
• Clubs/Hobbies: Chi Omega Fraternity, Tutor – Math and Chemistry, College Ambassador and Church
• Favorite Class: Dr Ashcraft’s Strategic Business Processes and most all of my Paper Science Classes (except wood chemistry)
• Favorite part of PSE Program: The unique relationships that were developed with the faculty and staff of the program. I wasn’t just a number, nor was I “necessary” for my professors to be able to do their research. My professors cared about my personal and professional development and wanted to see me be successful.
• Most important thing PSE taught me: That treating people as individuals and taking time to help people learn to succeed is the best way to build loyalty.

Current Career Information

• Company/job position: International Paper, Henderson Mill, Mill Manager
• Years in current role: November 2019
• Biggest accomplishment in your career: My biggest accomplishment was having an employee who had worked for over 50 years at a facility tell me that I was the best manager he had ever worked for and he had hoped I would have stayed until he retired.

What other positions have you held

• I have worked a number of roles in increasing responsibilities from REACH engineer, to front line leader, Manufacturing Excellence Leader, to operations management. I have worked in four different mills (Henderson, Prattville (twice), Augusta, and Riegelwood) and had the opportunity to work in the supply chain group at our corporate headquarters in Memphis, TN.

What is your advise for current students

• Be the very best that you can be in the role that you are in. Have goals for where you want to go and make them known, but if you focus on being the very best that you can be in the role that you are currently in, then someone else will be thinking about how to get you to where you want to go

Personal Information

• Hometown: North Carolina
• Family: I am married to a very supportive husband, Nathan Miller.  We have two children, Avea Grace, 10, and David, 3. We have two labradoodles, Jack and Roy and we  stay incredibly busy.
• Hobbies/Interests: Love to spend time with my family on the boat or playing in the water at our lake house in Alabama.
• Final Comments: Figure out what your core values are and stick to them. Faith, Family, Integrity, Inclusiveness and Commitment round out my top five priorities. When they help me make my decisions, I can’t go wrong. When I let other things guide my path, I struggle to be happy and fulfilled.