Jonathan Miller to leave State Government

Jonathan Miller, a longtime fixture in state government since his election statewide as treasurer in late 1999, has announced his resignation as Secretary of Finance and Administration, following 3.5 years in the position.

As he goes into the private sector, Miller is launching The Recovering Politician.

Excerpts from Jonathan's email blast:

Today, I've announced that as of March 31, I will be leaving Kentucky state government, for which I have served with both pride and humility for more than 11 years. Throw in a few campaigns, as well a tour of Capitol Hill and the Clinton/Gore Administration, and I've spent nearly my entire adult life within the political system.

It's been an amazing ride. I’ve learned everything I needed to know about this country during my last two decades in the political arena. But I’ve learned most of all that to be the change I wanted to be in office, I’d have to stop campaigning for one.

While I will always believe in the nobility of public service -- as well as the critical role of government in the nation's betterment -- I've come to conclude that some of our most intractable problems require the inspiration and leadership of the private sector. At least in the short term, I believe that our hyper-partisan, deeply-polarized political system is incapable of developing on its own the solutions necessary to deal with issues such as climate change, energy independence, and universal broadband expansion.

That's why, on April 1, I will start doing my small part to make a difference from a different platform. And as is typical with my easily-distracted mindset, my post-politics career will emerge in several different guises.

First, I will be taking the position of Senior Advisor to Wellford Energy, a firm dedicated to helping develop and finance clean energy projects across the country. This move will reunite me with my longtime mentor and friend, Harrison Wellford, former Presidential adviser, energy executive, and global expert on clean energy issues.

I will also be joining the Lexington office of Frost Brown Todd, a full-service regional law firm with offices in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee. My law practice will span energy, finance, and technology issues, but the firm also provides services in a wide variety of practice areas, and I look forward to working with this outstanding collection of attorneys.

Finally, and perhaps most relevant to my friends, I am going to re-ignite my writing career, which has been in remission for nearly five years, since the publication of The Compassionate Community.

I am very excited to announce that on April Fools' Day, I will launch "The Recovering Politician": a Web site dedicated to civil discourse on the issues of the day -- from politics, to sports, to pop culture, to faith, to whatever happens to be on my iPad at any particular moment. I'm especially pleased to report that I've already recruited 18 other "recovering politicians" as regular contributors to the site, each of them offering their own opinions on a wide range of issues, from the unique perspective of former officials with experience in the arena, but who are now freed from the biases and political pressures of incumbency.[...]

While I couldn't be more excited about my second act, I will surely miss the people with whom I've been working during the past 3 1/2 years as Kentucky's Secretary of Finance and Administration. The staff at the Finance Cabinet is composed of the most incredible mix of diverse talent. My outstanding former Deputy and soon-to-be successor, Lori Flanery, will be blessed with an incredible base of support, expertise, and creative ideas, and they with her leadership.

Most of all, I will miss working with my boss, the Governor, and his boss, the First Lady. Steve and Jane Beshear are two of the finest, most compassionate people I have ever encountered inside of politics and out. Kentucky is so fortunate to have their leadership. And I will work hard to support the Governor's re-election in November.

Thank you for your many years of service, Jonathan.