Anthony "Tony" L. Miller

The affordability of going to CCNY was very attractive. At the same time it allowed me to stay in the New York metropolitan area. Once I became a student, I had aspirations of studying law, so I took political science as my major. After my sophomore year I engaged in some telecommunication courses. During my third year I participated in a play at the university. It was directed by Mr. Charles Russell, brother of the famed Boston Celtics basketball center Bill Russell, and Mr. Darrel Alquidice, an accomplished CCNY director and student. The play was well received and my role as one of the main characters afforded me a great experience. I was a decent student and actually made the Dean's List in my third year. When I graduated I applied for internships at all the local NYC television stations without success. In April of 1976 I became a client of the ODI recruitment firm which was located in the Pan Am Building. They introduced me to New York Life Insurance Company for consideration of an entry-level position. I had successful interviews and was hired. My career at New York Life began in April of 1976, in their Mortgage Loan Administration Division, and my title was mortgage loan correspondent. Upon achieving the title of senior loan correspondent in the Mortgage Loan Administration Division, I accepted a transfer to the Chicago, Illinois, regional office to become a commercial real estate appraiser and loan underwriter in February of 1979. Although I had envisioned returning to New York City in the early years of my transfer to Chicago, I continued to achieve promotions within the Chicago regional office and remained in that location for the remainder of my career. During the following 35 years in the Chicago Regional Office, I was promoted to the titles of assistant vice president, second vice president, and second vice president and regional appraiser. I had a remarkable 38-year career at New York Life Insurance Company until I retired in December of 2014.