Hero Award Spotlight: Paul Miller

The Ohio Deferred Compensation (Ohio DC) is a public supplemental retirement plan that provides retirement investment services to nearly 250,000 public servants in the state of Ohio. Paul Miller, as the director of finance, provides employer support to over 2,000 public employers in the state. Paul had been instrumental in the organization navigating the pandemic, which benefited the community and economy in Ohio:

• The Ohio DC plan does not currently offer loans; however, they do have an Unforeseeable Emergency program that allows participants to access their retirement savings when faced with unforeseeable circumstances. Paul was instrumental in evaluating COVID-related legislation that allowed defined contribution plans, like Ohio DC, to offer Coronavirus Related Distributions (CRDs). In place of CRDs, staff decided to modify their Unforeseeable Emergency program to allow participants to self-certify their needs for fund access, which increased the amount of money available to participants. Paul played a critical role in serving participants through this program and helping them pay medical bills, mortgages, rent, and other critically important financial needs through the revised program structure.