Nona is a Salina area native and attended school at Happy Corner Elementary and Ell-Saline. Miller received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and her master’s degree from Wichita State University.
Nona began working at the Smoky Hill Museum in January of 2007. Before then, she worked in public relations, development and taught English at the community college level.
Miller tells the Salina Post her job brings a lot of variety. ” I believe history makes a difference in our lives. … I don’t think it’s some distant “other” that involves hazy names and dates. … It’s relevant to what happens to us now.”
Miller loves doing research, writing, visiting with people, creating, collaborating with other entities and working with schools. Miller added that the Smoky Hill Museum has a valuable team of employees.
Among her duties Nona coordinates the Kansas Days week and the following Open House, the Holiday Open House, the exhibit interactives and various programming like the First Thursday presentations. She also works with area teachers, judges for the state’s History Day competition, is on the planning committee for the Discover Salina Naturally festival and worked with the Rolling Hills Zoo and USD305 middle schools to put together this year’s first 7th Grade Cultural Crawl. And of course, right now she’s working on the content for the new interactive space, The Curiosity Shop. Miller also works with the Smoky Hills Audubon Society, helping to publicize their free, monthly presentations.
Miller said when the “First Thursday” presentations began she wondered how she was going to be able to find enough material to keep them fresh and new. Now she says ” I need more Thursdays !”
Nona says “When we see history, we see ourselves. As a species we can be incredibly brave, humorous, disappointing, confusing, heartbreaking, inspiring and everything in between.”
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