Partnering with communities: Loyola University Chicago

Civic leader Marquis Miller has dedicated his career to building communities through listening and serving – and he brings that same focus to the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility in the Quinlan School of Business.

“My role on this earth is to be a servant-leader and help people become their best selves,” he says. “Those are all the kinds of things that make me think I’ve been doing the right things.”

Miller is currently the vice president of national engagement for the Obama Foundation and sits on the leadership council for the Baumhart Center. He has also served in leadership roles at the United Negro College Fund and Chicago State University, as well as serving on a number of civic boards.

Listening to communities

Miller, who earlier in the year served as vice president of economic development, played an important role in supporting local communities while the Obama Presidential Center is being built in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park. He began by listening to what local community leaders say they need to succeed. Based on what he heard, he created a three-legged platform of supporting the small business ecosystem, workforce development, and targeted tourism.

To increase opportunities for as many people as possible, Miller uses what he calls the foundation’s “superpower of convening” to organize business support organizations like chambers of commerce, as well as other community-based organizations.

One success is sourcing construction workplace opportunities through the foundation’s “We Can Build It” consortium, which placed 1,000 people at jobs with help from the Lakeside Alliance. Furthermore, Miller is a partner with the foundation’s construction workforce diversity team which is working with Hire 360, Revolution Workshop, and Chicago Women in Trades to help people to earn trade licenses and union cards.

“We set up opportunities for individuals to work not only on our construction site but others across the city,” Miller says. “It shows the demand for work from communities that unfortunately have been seen as less than and had historically been disinvested in.”

After the presidential center is completed, Miller wants tourists from across the city, state, and country to visit the South Side and find places to eat, shop, and stay.

“We know people have certain views about the South Side, and we’re going to do our part to demonstrate that the South Side is so much more than what people have envisioned,” Miller says.

Building up Baumhart

As a member of the Baumhart Center leadership council, he shares his decades of experience with Quinlan faculty and staff, as well as with Baumhart Scholars MBA students.

“I found myself really enjoying the opportunity to engage in thought partnership, to get to know the students, and to understand and appreciate the role Loyola has played in Chicago,” Miller says.

As the Baumhart Center continues to drive social entrepreneurship and investing in people, Miller encourages people to consider systems that create haves and have-nots.

“What are the solutions that we can bring to bear?” Miller asks. “Hopefully, whatever good our leadership been able to provide has resulted in Baumhart continuing to be seen as a great resource for leading for good.”

Embodying excellence

In 2024, Miller was honored at Quinlan’s second annual Black Excellence Awards Dinner, where he received the Community Leadership Award for his contributions to the Chicago area. The Black Excellence Awards are open to all regardless of race.

“It caught me by surprise because I was just doing what I know is important – to be a community partner, in communion with community,” he says.

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