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uesday, July 21, Diane Miller sent a letter of intent to the Board of Commissioners. She also sends this letter to the Town.

Greetings.

Town Manager Diane Miller

You may have heard that I have sent the Mayor and Board my letter of intent to retire by the end of the calendar year, in order to allow them time to bring someone new onboard without too much disruption. My decision to retire is based solely on opportunity cost. It’s worth more to me to be able to spend time with my family and garden than to be at a desk every day. 

While I have very fond memories of most of my tenure – and some Managers can’t say that – we have been through pestilence, plague, and hurricane together, and I don’t think I have another Florence in me.

The Board has been through absolutely every strange circumstance that could possibly be thrown at them, and have produced the best budget in my tenure, granting everybody what they asked for, through long, hard sessions that were very productive, still at an extremely low increase to the General Fund budget – less than $1,000.

They are looking to the future, as they should be, and have big plans for this year that are already moving forward. The Volunteer Boards are the most amazing people, who give so freely of their time and effort – we could not be all that we are without them.

Oriental is a very special place, and I hope you’ll support the wonderful staff we have in place and continue to make your opinions known to the Board because they do listen, and take it all into consideration. Thank you for the opportunity, I’ll always be grateful for your faith in me.

Town Manager Diane Miller
Oriental, NC
July 21, 2026

Diane Miller began her career in Oriental March 21, 2014 on the first day of that Board’s two-day budget retreat.

Prior to that, she spent 7 years as the Grants Manager, Public Information Officer and Communications Coordinator for the City of Havelock. Originally from Philadelphia, Miller moved South “courtesy of” the Marine Corps, eventually graduating from ECU with a masters in Public Administration in 2010.