Miller, Hinda Schreiber (b. 1950)

Name/Title

Miller, Hinda Schreiber (b. 1950)

Entry/Object ID

1.1.61

Description

Born: April 18, 1950 in Montreal, Quebec Primary Residence: Burlington Co-founder and President of Jogbra, Inc., the original maker of the "jogbra" women's sports garment. President of DeForest Concepts, a consulting firm. Vermont State Senator for Chittenden County (2003-2013). Ran for mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 2006.

Biographical Information

Biography

Hinda Schreiber Miller is a Vermont State Senator and co-founder of Jogbra, Inc., the original maker of the "jogbra" women's sports garment. She also serves as President of DeForest Concepts, "a consulting firm specializing in small business and the promotion of women entrepreneurs." Miller was born on April 18, 1950 in Montreal, Quebec. She became a United States citizen in 2001. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Parson's School of Design in New York, NY and her Masters of Fine Arts from New York University. She has since received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Trinity College. After college, Miller worked as an assistant for the Brooklyn Academy of Music and taught costume design at the University of South Carolina. Miller came to Burlington, VT in the summer of 1977 to work at the University of Vermont's Lake Champlain Shakespeare Festival. She met her future business partner, Lisa Lindahl, at the Royall Tyler Theater. Together they identified the need for an undergarment that would support a woman's breasts while running and eventually invented the first women's sports bra by sewing two jockstraps together. The company quickly grew and the jogbra became a part of American culture. One of the early designs is in the permanent costume collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and another is in the Smithsonian. Miller was President of Jogbra, Inc. (which was renamed JBI, Inc. in 1984) from 1977 until 1990, when the company was purchased by Playtex Apparel, Inc. The following year, Playtex Apparel was sold to the Sara Lee Corporation. Throughout these transitions, Miller continued to serve as President and became CEO of the Champion Jogbra division of Sara Lee in 1994. From January 1996 to December 1997, Miller served as Vice President of Communications for the same division. Miller left the company in 1997 to pursue other interests, including teaching at the University of Vermont's Business School and politics. Miller began her Senate career in 2003 and represented the people of Chittenden County until 2013. As a member of the Senate, she served on the following committees: Economic Development, Appropriations, Housing and General Affairs, and Education. She was Chair of the Council of Higher Education Funding and Co-Chair of the Council of Educational Governance. She actively promoted small business, new housing legislation, and complementary medicine as a part of quality healthcare. Miller ran for Mayor of Burlington in 2006, but was defeated by Bob Kiss. Miller is the Former Chair of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, served on the Board of Directors of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and is a Trustee Emeritus of Champlain College. She served on the Board of Directors for the New England Culinary Institute and the Vermont Youth Orchestra. She is also a founding member of the Childcare Fund of Vermont and was the Burlington Airport Commissioner. She is married to Dr. Joel Miller and they have one son and one daughter. Miller is also an experienced yoga instructor.

Education

BFA, Parson's School of Design (1972) MFA in Theater Design, New York University (1976)

Occupation

Costume designer for the University of Vermont's Shakespeare Festival Costume design teacher at the University of South Carolina President of Jogbra, Inc. Politician