YVONNE MILLER PROMOTED TO MAJOR WITH MSO
Yvonne Miller has been promoted to the rank of Major with the Manatee Sheriff’s Office. She is the third African American in the history of the Sheriff’s Office to be promoted to Major.
Major Miller started her career with MSO in June 1996 and has moved up through the ranks. She was promoted to Sergeant in 2002 and Lieutenant in 2005. Her promotion to Captain came in April 2017 and then Major in February 2021.
A native of Manatee County, Major Miller is a 1987 graduate of Southeast High School. She enlisted into the United States Army after high school and served four years of active duty. She served in the U.S. Army Reserves for eight years as a Military Police. She attended Manatee Community College, now State College of Florida, before being hired by MSO.
Major Miller works as the Bureau Chief and oversees the Corrections Administrative and Court Services Divisions. The Administrative Division is comprised of the Inmate Classifications Unit, Transportation, Inmate Mail, Inmate Jail Programs, Recovery Pod, Reentry Program, Housekeeping and Laundry Units, Prison Rape Elimination and Fire Safety. The Court Services Division is comprised of the Intake and Release Unit, Booking Unit, Property Unit, Warrants Clerical and Sentencing Unit.
Major Miller developed an interest in law enforcement while in the military.
“Having worked as a Military Police, I felt it was a natural progression to start with a law enforcement agency,”
she said. She says the most rewarding part of her job is the difference she is making in someone’s life. “Five years ago, I was tasked with creating the Recovery Pod, a housing unit for inmates with substance abuse issues,” she said.
“We created the program for individuals who were struggling and I’m happy to say that we have had success and have made a positive impact on them.” Major Miller knows firsthand and can speak personally about substance abuse because of a family member who struggled with addiction. “I could not save him, but I knew I could help someone else out there.”
No two days are the same on the job, she says. “Each day is different and things can change from day to day. That’s the challenging part of the job but it also gives us satisfaction in knowing that we are making a difference.”
