CRAIG MILLER
CLASS OF 1980
Craig Miller graduated in 1980 in the top 10% of the class and received the Arthur Kunz scholarship. He was the starting point guard on the 9th grade basketball team which won the Northwestern tournament. He switched to swimming for the remaining 3-years and was named the MVP his senior year. He was a four-year letter winner in track, setting school records in the 100 and 200 meters. He played trumpet in the marching, concert, jazz, and pep band. He sang in the chorus, chamber choir and qualified for district and regional chorus his senior year. He participated in the junior/senior plays, Fiddler on the Roof musical and student council. He was also a member of the National Honor Society. After graduation, he enrolled in Pharmacy School at Ohio Northern University. He transferred to the University of Houston his sophomore year and graduated in 1984 with a BBA in Finance.Â
Craig is the Director of Revenue Accounting for United Airlines, the 2nd largest airline in the world with 86,000 employees. He's been part of the 700-member Executive Leadership team at United since 2011. He celebrated 30-years of service in November 2016. He began his career as an Accounting Specialist in 1986 with Continental Airlines. Ten years into his airline career, he was accepted into the Bauer School of Business (University of Houston) where he received his Masters of Business Administration (MBA). In 1999, he was promoted into the Executive ranks of Continental as the Director of Finance for South America & Canada. He returned to Revenue Accounting in 2000 to help develop and implement a new accounting system. He became the Director of Sales and Refund Accounting in 2002 and held this role until the merger with United in 2011. He has long been an industry subject matter expert for Revenue Accounting. In 2014, he was awarded the Airline Representative of the Year by the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC).
Craig is currently the Executive Sponsor of the Houston chapter of EQUAL, a Business Resource Group to promote inclusion and diversity at United. He served on the review board for the Continental Management Association which selected and awarded scholarships to employees and eligible dependents. He continues to financially support the renamed United Management Association which awards scholarships.
Craig sang with the Bayou City Performing Arts/Gay Men's Chorus of Houston and mixed Chorale. Performances were held in world class concert halls in Houston, Miami and Montreal. He played softball for many years in the Montrose Softball League where his teams qualified for the World Series three times. Both organizations are designated 501(c)(3) charitable organizations giving back to the local community.
Craig married his long-term partner of 35-years (Daniel Valdivia) on 10/11/2013 in San Diego. They are both graduates of the University of Houston and Life-Time Alumni members. They financially support Bauer College of Business scholarships and athletic scholarships. They support many local charities including March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, United Way, Human Rights Campaign and AIDS Foundation Houston.
