Ensuring Student Athletes Are Well Equipped
Carla and Bob Miller have been a host family for student hockey players like Simon Denis, who graduated from Ferris in 2015 and now plays hockey in Japan in a national league.
Bob and Carla Miller have been avid Ferris State University ice hockey fans for close to 20 seasons. Their enthusiastic support of the program is indicative of how big Bulldog hockey has become in their lives. Visible at almost all home games, the Millers have watched the Bulldogs travel an “amazing” course to become a top national college hockey program.
Committed to helping the Bulldogs remain a top national program, the Millers announced at the 2014 Ferris Hockey Alumni Golf Outing their $250,000 commitment toward the $1.5 million “Be a Playmaker” endowment campaign to ensure that Ferris hockey retains its elite reputation and has adequate resources to participate in higher-level competition in Division I hockey. Their gift will be recognized as the Leroy R. Broadfoot Hockey Program Endowment.
“We made this gift in honor of Carla’s father, Leroy R. Broadfoot, who was such a big role model to us and because of his love for college sports,” Bob says. “In the close to 20 years we have watched Ferris hockey, we are continually amazed by how we compete with the premier hockey schools in the country.”
Carla echoes Bob’s sentiments.
“We have enjoyed it thoroughly and all the friends we have made along the way,” she says. “We are so impressed with the hockey players who have such character with their discipline, maturity and strong academics. It made it easy for us to decide to give back.”
Carla, who retired in 2019 as the associate vice president for Leadership and Special Gifts and the executive director of The Ferris Foundation, had worked in fundraising for more than 30 years, coming from Alfred University and Utah Valley University before arriving at Ferris. For more than 40 years, she worked in and around higher education. Carla was a Blueline Club member, and she and Bob were ambassadors for the hockey program. She was also a founder of Ferris’ Men’s Lacrosse Club team.
Bob, originally from Long Island, N.Y., was raised in a military family and spent his formative years growing up in North Africa, Germany and Spain. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wichita State University in Kansas, where he met Carla, and they have been married for 49 years. He completed his graduate degree at Iowa State University.
Bob next embarked on a 32-year career in higher education administrative capacities, such as director of student activities, director of residence life, assistant dean and dean of students. More recently, Bob served on the Friends of Ferris board of directors and was the Blueline Club vice president. Bob played hockey while in boarding school in Andover, Mass.
Bob Daniels, head coach of the Ferris hockey team, is grateful for the generous gift from the Millers.
“Bob and Carla Miller’s gift established a new standard of philanthropy for Ferris hockey and for our entire athletics department,” he says. “Their gift will allow Ferris to continue the history of providing the resources necessary to support our student athletes in competition, the classroom and achievement throughout life.”
Daniels salutes the leadership shown by the Millers in their dedication to Bulldog hockey.
“A trademark of our successful teams has been strong leadership of our student athletes,” he says. “The gift from Bob and Carla Miller represents the strong leadership necessary for the Ferris hockey program’s future success.”
Like the Millers, you can honor a loved one and help students have the resources to be successful by establishing an endowment or including a gift in your estate plan. Contact The Ferris Foundation at (231) 591-2365 or FerrisFoundation@ferris.edu to learn about your options.