May 8, 2006 – Willi Miller, formerly of St. Thomas, is the recipient of a Laurel Award, presented recently by the Indian River County Cultural Council. Miller Arts Spotlight host for public radio station WQCS was recognized in the professional / civic category for her work in promoting arts organizations and their projects through her radio programs, the weekday interview program, Arts Spotlight, and special features programs, For Love of the Arts and Young Musicians Spotlight. Miller has worked at WQCS for approximately 10 years. WQCS is the public radio station licensed to Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce.
Miller got her start in radio on St. Thomas when WCRN salesman Henrik Lockhart suggested she audition for a part-time position at the station, Miller said in a e-mail following the Laurel Award notification. "From there, I was hired as program director at WVWI, where I produced specials, did remote broadcasts from Havensight Mall with Nicky Russell and took over from Chris Topper as host of Conversation," Miller said.
Miller moved to St. Thomas from Pennsylvania in 1974 and, with her business partner Barbara Lawrence, opened the Pelican's Pouch, a boutique and screen printing business in Frenchtown.
In the mid-1980s Miller said she left full-time radio and worked as an event planner for Marilyn Mackey at Travel Services, then as marketing representative for the Virgin islands Seaplane. "My last full-time position in the islands was marketing director for Point Pleasant Resort," she said. However, she continued to produce Conversation from remote locations for WVWI.
When she relocated to Miami in 1990, she said she worked on air for WTMI-FM. In 1996, she moved to Vero Beach to work for another station and, a year later, was asked to create an arts interview program for WQCS, the Public Radio affiliate in the region, Miller said.
