On this week’s episode, the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans Dan Mills says the vast majority of insurance claims during recent Louisiana hurricanes were caused by roof failures that could be prevented by improved installation techniques. So, getting some of the region’s roofs up to code could be the key to solving the current residential insurance crisis.
about
Dan Mills is the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans (HBAGNO). He came to the HBAGNO in March 2021 from Louisiana Career and Technical College System where he served as the Director of Workforce Development at Nunez Community College. Prior to that, he served as Academic Dean at Virginia College in Biloxi, MS where he managed the performance of Program Directors, Instructors, Academic Coordinators, Clinical Coordinators, and Advisors. Soon after joining HBAGNO, Mills was awarded the 2021 NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) Commitment to Excellence Award.
Dan’s professional career includes Technical Support Manager for CCI Computer Services doing business in 26 states supporting nearly 5000 clients. Dan went on to serve the university community at UNO building and configuring the first Windows based student network on campus and creating the model used for future lab expansions through the Student Technology Fee he actively campaigned for and won as President of Student Government.
Dan continued to broaden his technology exposure by getting involved in the healthcare technology sector. Over several years, he provided networking and security consultation services for Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, Charity and University Hospitals, and Touro Infirmary. He continues to provide consultation services for networking, security, and home technology integration through his family corporation, R L Mills, Inc.
In 2001, Dan was contacted by ITT Technical Institute about a teaching position. Finding the prospect of giving back appealing, he accepted a faculty position in the School of IT. He was promoted to Chairperson within two months, where he served until June 2004 and was promoted to Dean of Education at the ITT campus in Springfield, Va. Dan returned to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina to help with the rebuilding. As Dean of Education in Saint Rose, Dan has served several years on the ITT National Curriculum Committee which afforded him the opportunity to revise and contribute course curriculum used at campuses throughout ITT’s network of schools nationwide. He went on to serve two years as Regional Dean for the Southeast district.
In 2015, Dan accepted a position as Academic Dean with Virginia College in Biloxi. During his tenure, he developed an award-winning academic team that brought about significant improvement in outcomes for the college including Best Online Outcomes 2017 for online course offerings, National Trifecta Award 2016, and Best Academic Team in 2016. Together they achieved 90% pass rate on state licensing board for Cosmetology and Pharmacy Technicians and 80% pass rate for Certified Medical Assistant among many other academic metrics.
In 2017, Dan’s sister was diagnosed with late-stage COPD and referred to hospice. Dan placed his professional life on hold to care for his sister while on the Lung Transplant List awaiting a donor. During this time, he took the opportunity to found Mills Wellness LLC in Louisiana which provides wellness education and training while promoting organ donation. His sister was successfully transplanted in 2019 and now lives with her grandchildren in Texas.
In 2019, Dan began work with the Louisiana Career and Technical College System as the Director of Workforce Development at Nunez Community College. During the pandemic lockdown, he pivoted the department to include online education implementing nearly 70 new online curriculum offerings while also booking an additional $250k on customized trade training in in electrical and carpentry fields. His work at Nunez drew the attention of the Executive Search Committee at the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans, where he accepted the position of CEO in March of 2021.
Dan is a graduate of the University of New Orleans where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree while serving as Senator, Vice-President and ultimately President for two terms in Student Government. In addition, he has served on the Strategic Technology Planning and Implementation Group, University Senate, College of Business Executive Council, and the Alumni Association. After UNO, Dan attended American Intercontinental University and earned a Master of Education with notable work in rubrics design and development and completed his thesis on non-linear learning models. He is a Microsoft Certified Professional, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist. Most recently, he completed his MBA at Louisiana State University-Shreveport.
Dan Mills was born and raised in New Orleans, currently residing in Algiers. Additionally, he has maintained residences at various times in his career in cities, including Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Denver, and Baton Rouge. An avid traveler, he has visited over 65 countries across 6 continents.
Dan continues to strive to make a difference in lives every day by enabling people with the tools of knowledge and compassion and to realize opportunities in their lives.
