[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 67 (Monday, April 25, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO KATHERINE ``KAT'' MILLER

 Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to 
recognize and thank COL Katherine ``Kat'' Miller for her years of 
service to the people of Nevada. She leaves behind a powerful legacy of 
public service and dedication to our military and Nevada's veterans.
  Kat Miller grew up in Reno, NV, and after graduating from Reno High 
School embarked on a 34-year career in the Army and Nevada National 
Guard. Among her many contributions to our Nation's Armed Forces are 
her service on four continents and deployments to Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq 
and Afghanistan. Kat was something of a trailblazer serving in multiple 
leadership positions and commanding thousands of staff as a military 
police brigade commander in the U.S. and Afghanistan and as the 
commander of the Department of Defense's largest correctional 
organization. After retirement from the Army, she taught at the 
University of Maryland and the University of Nevada, Reno before 
becoming the director of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services--
NDVS--in 2013.
  Nevada has benefited immensely from Kat's directorship of the NDVS. 
Under her watch, the NDVS made huge strides for our State's veterans. 
Notably, NDVS assisted the Governor and Nevada mayors in their efforts 
to reduce suicide among veterans and their families, created nine 
programs to support unique or at-risk veteran populations, trained 
hundreds of healthcare providers in understanding how dementia and the 
aging process affect the care of veterans, and created a program to 
help employers recruit and retain veterans.
  Kat also successfully led the NDVS in applying for over $70 million 
in Federal grants for veterans' programs, including for nursing home 
creation and improvements, cemetery expansions, disabled veterans 
sports programs, rural transportation initiatives, and telehealth 
equipment. Under Kat's directorship, the NDVS received five national 
awards for these innovative veterans support programs: the Nevada 
Veterans Advocate Program, the Nevada Veterans Legislative Program, the 
``Ask a VSO'' Program, Operation Mission Ready, and the Patriot 
Employer Program. Furthermore, last year, Kat was appointed to the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee 
to help identify barriers to access to healthcare in rural areas and 
recommend solutions to the Veterans Affairs secretary.
  The list of Kat's achievements and contributions to the State of 
Nevada and the U.S. Army goes on and on. I have no doubt that Kat's 
legacy of service will continue to leave a powerful impact on the lives 
of many veterans in Nevada for years to come. She has my deep 
thanks.

                          ____________________