Reporter Jenna Fisher tells the story on Patch this week of former PTO President, Oak Hill Park Association President, and Newton Destination Imagination founder Matthew Miller. 

| Newton MA News and Politics Blog

The most interesting part to me was this section, which actually contained some background on him I hadn’t heard before: 

Miller grew up a latchkey kid in Miami, Florida. His mother was a night nurse and his father a chef. He says he knows what it means to be in the minority in a community: He was the only “out” high school student in high school, then he went to Ohio for undergrad where he was exposed to racism and antisemitism. When he landed at Emerson for Graduate School, he said he finally felt more at home. After grad school he went on to work at a recruiter firm and then started his own small recruiter business. He and his husband adopted a baby and two boys. Along the way he’d been coaching youth Destination Imagination (think Odyssey of the Mind) where ever he went. Then the couple started looking to move to someplace they could afford but with a good school system.

Newton houses weren’t exactly affordable, but they lucked out with a rent that was just doable in the Oak Hill area of the city. They found a gem of a home in the neighborhood that was relatively in their budget. They pleaded with the owners not to sell it to a developer who’d bid on it, too. And won. Miller said he felt like the house with the back yard and the great school system in Newton was a dream come true. Two of his kids are on specialized education plans and they’ve had a great experience in Newton public schools, he said. It was the right choice for his family. So the volunteering began.

“I try to be a good community volunteer. I might not live in a $2 million home, that doesn’t make me less worthy. I’m a part of the community, too,” said Miller.

Disclaimer: I’m supporting Matthew Miller for School Committee.