The Community Foundation of Randolph County continues to celebrate local heroes who have impacted the community or exceeded expectations to serve others. This effort is the result of a Community Foundation program that helps recognize such people, while also raising money to help others. The program started in 2015, and since that date, this nomination will make the 35th Randolph County Hero. For $1,000 anyone can nominate a person (living or deceased), business, or community organization for the designation of a Randolph County Hero. The money goes into an unrestricted fund, which the Community Foundation uses to do and support great things in Randolph County for years to come. Gifts made to endowed, unrestricted funds, such as the Randolph County Heroes Fund, will be matched $2 dollars for every $1 dollar donated through December 31, 2025, or while matching funds last.
Those designated as Randolph County Heroes will have their names on a plaque at the Foundation office and will be featured in media outlets. The Randolph County Heroes Fund is a great way to honor those currently working to make Randolph County a better place to live or to remember and recognize the impact of someone who has passed. Our newest hero, Cathy Stephen Miller, was nominated by a community member who wishes to remain anonymous.
Cathy Stephen Miller is a Randolph County Hero.
While she started out as a Delaware County girl, graduating from Muncie Central and then Ball State University, Cathy began her career as an educator teaching Spanish at Union School Corporation. By the time she retired from education, she had been in every school corporation in Randolph County except Randolph Southern. Cathy served as a Spanish teacher, social worker, counselor, elementary principal, Assistant Superintendent, and retired as a Superintendent! She wore many hats as an educator, including being a cheer coach, mentor to many and all-around supporter of kids! She has continued being a supporter of our county in retirement.
While she retired from Randolph Eastern School Corporation in 2010, Cathy has remained engaged in our community, having served as a board member for the Community Foundation of Randolph County as well as being an active supporter, including being a Board member, of Secret Families of Randolph County. Cathy also serves as a Trustee for The Winchester Foundation.
As a Community Foundation board member, Cathy was a leader in the establishment of Randolph County Promise, which encourages families to save for their children’s post-secondary educational opportunities through Indiana 529 plans. With recent changes, Randolph County Promise has expanded its potential impact on local students as an Early Award Scholarship program, which awards a scholarship at the end of eighth grade to participating students (to be used after high school graduation) based on their accrued earnings through an incentive program. Cathy continues to serve on the Nominating and GIFT VIII committees at the Community Foundation.
In addition to her service as a board and committee member for the Community Foundation, Cathy also has been committed to supporting the Community Foundation’s scholarship efforts, including through the establishment of the Stephen Family Fund for Community Scholarships as well as through fundraising to support the Kellie Stephen and Dave Furby Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides a scholarship to a graduating senior from each of the five Randolph County high schools.
Cathy has also been engaged in helping local residents recover from the March 2024 tornado by serving on the Randolph County Long Term Recovery committee.
A fun-loving grandmother, Cathy is known as “Gack Gack” to 16 grandchildren! In addition to all her activities, Cathy and Tom spend a great deal of time attending their grandchildren’s activities and babysitting. Her three children – Shannon Hartley (Glen), Stephen Hartley (Katie) and Carrie Baldwin (Dustin) – have blessed her with 7 grandchildren. Her marriage to Tom Miller has added 9 more step-grandkids and three stepchildren: Brandon Miller, Courtney Streicher (Jason) and Whitney Threewits (Sean). With any additional time left after serving her community and participating in grandkid activities, Cathy enjoys traveling, reading, walking and spending time with family and friends.
Throughout her life, Cathy Stephen Miller has been known for her generosity and her strong commitment of service to others, which is why she is and will always be a Randolph County Hero.
For more information on Randolph County Promise Early Award Scholarship program, visit the website (https://www.randolphcountyfoundation.org/promise/) or find Randolph County Promise on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PromiseIndianaRandolphCounty).