Above & Beyond Individual Award: Jamey Mills
The Above & Beyond Individual Award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond to ensure our community is a great place to live, work, and own a business. This year, the Milford Miami Township Chamber of Commerce chose two individuals to highlight with this award, as they both stepped into the roles of leading their municipalities with practically no notice – while also maintaining their day jobs – until a replacement was found. It takes strong character, immense organizational skills, and a giving heart to fulfill a second position for the community.
The second individual we’d like to honor with the Above & Beyond Individual Award is Jamey Mills, Chief of Police for the City of Milford. Jamey began with the Milford Police Department in 1994 as an officer, where he served four years as a Patrol Sergeant and seven years as a Detective Sergeant before his appointment to Chief of Police in 2011.
Jamey has also served one term as President for the Clermont County Chiefs of Police Association, and is on his second term as Treasurer; serves as Secretary of the Milford Police Community Partnership; and Director of the Mills Martial Arts Ohana. The latter two are non-profit organizations staffed entirely by volunteers. Finally, Jamey has worked as an assessor for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) since 2001, and an adjunct instructor at the University of Cincinnati since 2005.
In 2024, the need for an immediate Interim City Manager arose, and Jamey stepped in to bridge this gap on August 9. “I served two months full-time – I also served as Acting City Manager throughout July to cover the previous City Manager’s vacation,” Jamey recalls. From there, he assisted in the search and hiring process for a new City Manager.
Stepping into the role of Interim City Manager on top of the multiple responsibilities Jamey fulfills on a daily basis may not have been an easy feat, but it was an easy decision: “This is my home,” he states. “I grew up here, and I’ve spent my career here – I love Milford. I found it very rewarding to be trusted by the City Council to lead us through a transformation.”
Throughout his time in the interim role, Jamey grew in new areas as he was called to make decisions he felt were outside his area of expertise. He is thankful for the supportive community behind him, as he says, “I was fortunate to have a supportive council backing me, and top-notch people in the Police Department who are able to operate without me overseeing their work. A special thanks to my right-hand man, Assistant Chief Mahan, for not only running the Department, but serving as a trusted advisor on those tough decisions.”
Jamey also assisted in the hiring of a new City Manager, as he participated on the search team that included individuals such as Fire Chief Baird, members of the City Council, and civic leaders. First, the team cast a wide net of applicants, advertising in over a dozen platforms and media outlets, ultimately receiving about 60 applications. “I recruited a recently retired City Manager, John Jones, who played a key role in this process,” Jamey recalls. “Mr. Jones and I each individually ranked our top candidates and settled on eight applicants for our first round of interviews. We moved four to the second round, and two to the third. There were some excellent candidates, but Benjamin Gunderson stood out as our first choice.” Mr. Gunderson would later be appointed City Manager.
Having been involved with the Milford Police Department since 1994, Jamey has a strong bond with the community, and he views his role as Chief of Police as a connection between the Department and the community: “I’m not the person they call when they need an officer, but I’m the person they call when they have a question about how we handled something. My officers and staff do outstanding work.”
“I’ve always believed being a Police Officer was just part of what made the community function,” continues Jamey. “As a young officer in a small town, I remember thinking about all the people who provide a service to Milford. Doug Auftencamp cuts our hair, Jesse’s Shell repaired our cars, the Milford Service Department cleared our streets of snow in the winter, the teachers at Milford South taught our children, the Milford Community Fire Department provided us with fire protection and emergency medical assistance, and the Police Department protected and served. They all play an equal part.”
Jamey has spent over 30 years dedicating his efforts to the community, and it means a lot to him to feel the mutual support provided. “My work with CALEA has sent me around the county to assess police departments,” he states. “I’ve learned a lot from the various communities I’ve visited, but the greatest takeaway is that what we have here is special. This community loves to come together for a cause. The tremendous amount of outreach our public safety provides wouldn’t be possible without their support.”
Jamey concludes, “I’ve enjoyed watching amazing people receive awards at this banquet over the years – I feel honored to be considered one of them.”