NATCHEZ —More than 30 years after taking his first assignment with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Ron Miller is returning to the group once more — and leaving Natchez.

Miller recently accepted a new position with the department that will take him from Natchez before the end of July.

Miller currently works as the executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation; he is the only person to have ever filled the role.

After decades of preserving and restoring Natchez, Miller is headed to Mississippi’s Gulf Coast to head-up a restoration project of epic proportions — literally.

On July 21 Miller will begin his newest assignment as director of the Gulf Coast Field Office of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

“It’s definitely going to be a major challenge,” he said.

But to say the new job will be a challenge might be a great understatement.

Miller will basically be in charge of overseeing the reconstruction and restoration of 300 historically designated properties across Mississippi’s coast that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

And while the project could likely constitute a life’s work, Miller is on a two-year deadline.

To help, he has a $50 million budget and just three assistants.

In January, Miller announced plans to retire in October 2009.

However, he said the challenge and unique opportunity of the job on the coast was not one he could pass up.

“This is a chance to do some concrete work,” he said of the rebuilding effort. “People are going to be able to get back into their homes and will get to see communities coming back.”

But this large-scale revitalization project is not for the faint of heart.

The $50 million is federally funded and will result in what Miller called “an avalanche of paperwork.”

And while the work won’t be easy some think Miller is perhaps one of the only preservationists who can get the job done.

The Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Ken P’Pool said Miller’s extensive experience in preservation made him an ideal candidate for the project.

“We’ve wanted him to work on the project since the beginning,” he said.

P’Pool said the nature of working with the government makes the project a challenge, but one he is confident Miller can handle.

In fact Miller said he enjoys finding order in chaos, and his latest venture should provide plenty of that.

P’Pool said he’s confident Miller will be able to complete his assignment in the two-year time frame.

“This is what preservationists do,” he said. “We’re glad Natchez is letting us use him.”

But Natchez won’t be the only one missing Miller.

Miller’s wife, Mimi, said she does not know how life without her husband will work out.

Mimi is the foundation’s director of programs.

Miller will be living nearly three and a half hours away and will only be home for weekends.

“It’s going to be very, very different for us,” Mimi said.

Aside from Mimi, the Historic Natchez Foundation will be without the only executive director they have ever had.

HNF’s President of the Board of Trustees Margaret Perkins said it will not be possible to replace Miller.

“He’s just not someone that can be replaced,” she said. “We need someone who can come in where he left off.”

Perkins is in the process of forming a committee to find Miller’s successor.

“It’s going to be a challenge, there’s no question,” she said.

Until a new director is found Mimi will take over her husband’s role.