Rarely do one or two people leave an indelible mark on an organization as deeply as Ron and Mimi Miller have with the Historic Natchez Foundation.

Clearly, Natchez would not be Natchez without the Historic Natchez Foundation.

And the Historic Natchez Foundation would not be what it is today without the work of the two highly intelligent, highly skilled individuals who have loved the organization and Natchez as a whole for nearly four decades.

Together the duo has led the organization since 1979. At the end of this year, Mimi Miller plans to step down after the couple dedicated nearly 40 years to the historic preservation of our community.

They will be greatly missed but make no mistake that the organization they helped to lead and foster will remain strong under the watchful eyes and capable hands of Natchez native Carter Burns.

Burns recently accepted the position of executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation and will begin work in the coming months.

Like the Millers, Burns has a love and appreciation for Natchez’s beauty, its history and its people.

But mostly, we hope, he shares the same passion for doing what is right for Natchez just as the Millers have, even when doing so may be unpopular.

The Millers built the organization, but they appear to be leaving it to a leader with capable hands, who will be the torchbearer for Natchez’s history for many years to come.