Adrian Miller

Adrian Miller is a Denver, Colorado native who graduated from Stanford University (A.B. 1991, International Relations) and Georgetown University Law School (J.D. 1991). After practicing law in Denver for several years, Adrian served as a White House special assistant to President William Jefferson Clinton and the Deputy Director of the President’s Initiative for One America. Adrian is also a certified barbecue judge, food writer and an engaging speaker who has presented on such topics as: Black Chefs in the White House, chicken and waffles, hot sauce, kosher soul food, red drinks, soda pop, and soul food. Adrian’s first book, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time (University of North Carolina Press) won the 2014 James Beard Foundation Book Award for Reference and Scholarship, and it is a 2014 Honor Book for Nonfiction from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Adrian is currently writing a book on the history of African American presidential chefs. For his day job, Adrian currently serves as the Executive Director of the Colorado Council of Churches. He is the first African American and the first layperson to hold that position.