ACTION Executive Director Dan Miller retires from Camarillo-based nonprofit

Dan Miller, the executive director of the Camarillo-based volunteer agency ACTION, retired from the organization after nearly a decade of service. His last day was Friday.

Miller has led the nonprofit since 2016. He sat on its board of directors for six years before taking on the executive director position. He got started with the organization as a volunteer shortly after it was founded in 2005.

ACTION, an acronym short for Area Christians Taking Initiatives On Needs, is a faith-based volunteer agency serving the greater Ventura County area. The organization, headquartered in Camarillo, connects nearly 5,000 volunteers across the county with various public service projects, from adding accessibility ramps for wheelchair users to school beautification cleanups.

"It has just been one of the great privileges of my life to serve with such great people and make an impact on the community," Miller said.

In 2019, Miller oversaw 351 service projects that put an estimated $808,267 worth of goods and services back into Ventura County. Roughly a third of the projects were done on June 1 during ACTION'S annual Serve Day, where 2,000 volunteers throughout the county work on dozens of projects at schools, shelters, senior homes and mobile home parks. The rest of the projects were completed as part of their Serve Every Day program, which matches volunteers with service projects on a daily basis.

Bill Van Derripe, who sits on ACTION's board of directors, said Miller was a major part of the culture at ACTION.

"We will miss him very much," Van Derripe said. "Dan's been in the community for 40 years, most of them in service of churches and other nonprofits. He's just been an active member of the community."

Board member Veronica Browning will take on the duties of executive director on an interim basis, Miller said. No timeline has been set for when a new executive director will be selected, though Van Derripe said they hope to have a decision prepared in time for the board's annual meeting this spring.

"My recommendation was they take the time to find the right fit," Miller said. 

Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and public safety reporter covering the night shift for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached by calling 805-437-0208 or emailing jeremy.childs@vcstar.com.

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