Connect Canyons
Learning is about making connections, and we invite you to learn and connect with us. Connect Canyons is a show about what we teach in Canyons District, how we teach, and why. We get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great: students, teachers, principals, parents, and more. We meet national experts, too. And we spotlight the “connection makers” — personalities, programs and prospects — we find compelling and inspiring.
Connect Canyons
Ep 77: Celebrating Mont Millerberg: A Legacy of Educational Advocacy and Community Service
Today, we honor a man whose impact on education and community service was as profound as it was heartfelt. Mont Millerberg, the cherished vice president of Canyon's Board of Education , left us with a legacy that echoes in the corridors of Hillcrest High and the streets of Midvale. Amanda Oaks, Dr. Rick Robbins, Denise Haycock and Jeff Haney share stirring tales of Mont's dedication to equality in education and his fair, loving spirit. The stories span from his pivotal role in the District's founding to his tireless advocacy for every child's future—Mont's life is a mosaic of commitment and caring that will continue to inspire.
As we pay tribute to Mont's memory, you'll also hear intimate reflections on the servant leadership he and his wife, Kris, embodied. They raised their family on pillars of hard work, community care, and faith, setting an example that many strive to follow. Mont's approach to serving on the board was marked by innovation, kindness, and a remarkable connection with those around him. From flipping hot dogs at school functions to knowing each attendee by name, his genuine warmth and the indelible bonds he fostered are the essence of his enduring legacy. Join us in celebrating Mont Millerberg—a true advocate for education and a beacon of service in our community.
Canyon's district board of education, vice president Mont Millerburg passed away on February 23rd after suffering a stroke. He was a mid-vale native, father of six and a grandfather of 16, and he had another on the way. Millerburg always saw the merit in helping future generations grow. I'm Jeff Haney and I'm your host today for Connect Canyons how we connect in Canyon School District. I'm joined today by board of education member Amanda Oaks, canyon superintendent Dr Rick Robbins and the development officer for the Canyon's Education Foundation, denise Haycock. We're remembering our friend Mont Millerburg. You know Mont was known to say the magic of education happens in the classroom. It's an idea he took too hard, as he worked tirelessly for well for decades to further the education of thousands of students.
Speaker 1:I met Mont when he was first elected to the very first Canyon's Board of Education. That was in 2008. He had the responsibility, with his fellow board members, as starting this district literally from scratch where the first new school district to be created in Utah in nearly a century, and that meant he had to be a part of the group that hired our very first superintendent. He had the responsibility of hiring the very first administrators who laid the foundation for what we know now as Canyon School District. Now he was reelected to his position in 2016 and again in 2020, he represented District One, which covers mostly Medville schools, which were so close to his heart. He was also a proud graduate of Hillcrest High. He was that guy in the stands cheering for the Huskies and I always saw him at Hillcrest Theater Arts Productions. Not only that, he was a fixture in the Canyon's Education Foundation and he really was a driving force behind the start of that golf tournament. I have vivid memories of Mont at that golf tournament when we started it to that very first year.
Speaker 1:You know Mont's impact on education was wide reaching and his loss was filled by so many across the state of Utah, but especially here in the Canyon's family. And then this episode. We're talking about memories of Mont. Now, some of the people who are here today worked very closely with Mont. They worked with him for years. So we want to ask all of them to share how they knew Mont and some of the best memories. So, mrs Oaks, I know you served with Mont on the Board of Education. Tell me, and tell the world, what was it like to work with Mont on the Board. He was quite a force of nature.
Speaker 2:He was a force of nature it's a good way to describe him. I got on the Board at the beginning of 2019. And at that time he and I were fellow Board members and I was a little intimidated by Mont. He was known for expecting excellence. I think he's always expected excellence of those around him but he's also extraordinarily fair. So I got to sit up on the stand next to him and I quickly came to realize that, beneath that veneer that could come across as a little salty sometimes, he actually had a very soft interior and who he was was full of love for other people. He really believed in the importance of setting up the best possible opportunity for all kids to learn, and that included kids from high socioeconomic status, low socioeconomic status, everyone in between. And he would often say his wife, chris, is a huge part of who he was in his service that she is a teacher I believe she did special ed that they understood every child could learn and he was there to advocate for them fiercely.
Speaker 1:So he was, and you know, you and I had talked earlier this week about Mont telling you oh, I wish that I could go and do a lot of humanitarian missions. Maybe that's what I'll do next, and your response was Mont, on the board of education, what you do for some of the homeless and refugee families in our area. That's your humanitarian mission.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, I totally feel that way. I mean he was. He was funny about it. This is actually just a handful of days before he passed unexpectedly and I was sharing with him some different Educational humanitarian projects I'd come across with individuals doing and he said, maybe when I graduate to the next level that's what I'll do. And I laughed at it's exactly what I said. I said you have provided a profound service for kids who needed an advocate and I can't overemphasize that enough. When I stop to actually think about the numbers on that, it's pretty mind-blowing.
Speaker 1:It is now Superintendent Robbins. We all know that Mont was a husky through and through, and so he was that guy who always asked Well, what about Hillcrest? As somebody who worked with Mont and knew his advocacy of all those Midville area schools, tell us what you think about, what his major contributions were to serving District 1.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, when you really look at his contributions, you can't I don't know how you truly can measure the impact felt, especially in the Hillcrest, midville community, when you look at the hundreds of millions of dollars that he was largely responsible for To ensure that all of our schools in Midville are what they are today. I think that's quite a legacy and he's so proud of those schools and you think about, you know, our grand opening ceremonies at each of those schools he would always have. You know just some really poignant thoughts about his time Growing up in Midville and going to school there and his experiences that he had and.
Speaker 3:I think about the elementary teacher that he talked about often, about really taking an interest in him and making a difference as early as kindergarten, you know, to fifth grade. So he's going to be sorely missed and his legacy and impact on the Hillcrest community will go on for generations. So we're really grateful for all of his service.
Speaker 1:You know we did some math in writing his in memoriam and 35% of all of the money Canyon's district has spent on renovations and construction at school has been spent on.
Speaker 3:On.
Speaker 1:Midville area schools and that was all during Mont's time on the board. That was his advocacy For his district. That's 270 million dollars. We have a new high school in Midville. Hillcrest was rebuilt. We rebuilt Midville middle.
Speaker 1:We rebuilt Midville elementary, we rebuilt Mid Valley, we did renovations to East Midville and Mont was an advocate through and through to ensure that those schools Were on the list for reconstruction or innovation. In fact, I was there, I was in the room when Mont was advocating for a mid-vale elementary to be the very first elementary Rebuilt with funds from the bond that the voters graciously approved in 2010. He was insistent and it was. He was a force of nature, but it was also beautiful the way that he stood up and he said no, this is what we're going to do for the children of Midville. We're going to send the signal that every child in our district, regardless of their circumstance, goes to school in a world-class building. And he was so proud that day I remember it like yesterday, the groundbreaking for Midville elementary and he was very proud to say that the very first elementary Canyon's district built was Midville elementary.
Speaker 1:Now, another thing that he did was he was very instrumental in starting the education Foundation and he was serious about making sure people in the community knew the kind of support that they could provide Beyond, you know, joining the PTA or an SEC, but financial contributions in kind contributions being part of the golf tournament, you know. I would like to say that he also was, you know, a man of service. Very much so what were his contributions? Denise on the education foundation.
Speaker 4:What I loved about Montt was every year when the board was handing out assignments, montt would say I'm doing the education foundation. No one is taking that away from me, it's my favorite.
Speaker 4:And and he loved it. And he, he wasn't just part of the foundation, I mean, he was there for every meeting, he was there for every event. He, he just embodied what we were going for and for me he was like my biggest cheerleader From when I started. Mont was that board member and I agree with you, he was a little salty at first and I was a little intimidated at first, but he became a true friend to me and to the foundation and how he cared.
Speaker 4:So when you talk about the golf tournament, one of my favorite memories is Mont in his socks and sandals up at Wasatch State Park and it's 30 degrees and we're out getting ready to do a golf tournament in September and he came back very cold and he learned his lesson there that you no longer wear socks and sandals to a golf tournament. But he was our biggest advocate. When I started they said do you think you can raise $25,000 in a golf tournament? Like I don't know, maybe, and we've now grown the golf tournament to where we bring in about 100,000. And it was one. It is Mont's favorite event. But he also showed up for the Galas, for the fun bus. He's the first one on the bus he's wants to hand out those checks. He loved seeing the teachers and the kids so excited about the projects we were funding. He was just a huge cheerleader for the foundation and a true mentor and friend to me.
Speaker 1:I vividly remember Mont at that very first golf tournament, looking out at all of the people who'd come to support the very first golf tournament and the big smile on his face. And he returns every year. We have great photos of Mont because he was a good golfer. He loved being out there golfing, but he also loved being golfing because he knew it was supporting the children in the Canyon's District.
Speaker 1:And he would wear shorts, no matter what the temperature was In fact one of my favorite first memories of Mont was when we arranged our very first Canyon's District night with Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto and we had arranged the board to bang the gong which kind of signals the start of the game. That's a tradition with Real Salt Lake and I had sent a note to all members of the board asking them to wear very similar clothing. So when we had the photographs it looked professional and I had asked them to wear their Canyon's District polo shirt and khaki pants. And I immediately received a message back saying I will be there in shorts, you don't tell me what to wear.
Speaker 1:And I thought oh my goodness, mont is mad at me, but he wasn't mad, it was just. Mont was very direct and you always knew where you stood with him and then five minutes later he would make a joke and you would realize he wasn't being mean, he was just. He said what he thought and then he followed up by showing you his love. He had a graphic exterior and often you didn't know if he liked you, but then you realized that was Mont and he showed his care and affection in so many different ways. Now I'd like to read a line from his obituary and it was written by his family, and it says, quote given Mont's legacy, nothing would make him prouder that if we all continued to embody the values of love, family, joyful living and community service that he exemplified. So, amanda, what would you add to that? How would you want people to remember Mont and, in particular, the legacy that he lives behind?
Speaker 2:How he and Chris raised their family taught me a lot of lessons. In fact, I was looking through my phone. I have so many notes dedicated to parenting advice that they gave me like ideas that I took from them. I mean, the two of them were incredibly creative at making sure that they raised a posterity that cared about their community, cared about other people, were very hardworking, Catholic was a huge part of their household and that they celebrated life together. And watching how he did that in his 70s, I used to say to him all the time Mont, I want to be you when I grow up, and I really meant that. I still mean it. I look at what they've created and it's pretty inspiring, but it flows out from their family and spills over into the community. They take that commitment to the community and making a difference very, very seriously. I would say that that's part of the Millerburg legacy as a whole.
Speaker 1:So, denise, what would you like people to know ten years from now when they look back on Mont's time on the board? What was his legacy in education in Canyon's district?
Speaker 4:I would say that he wanted to make sure we were doing the very best for the students and teachers and he would fight for that, like more innovation grants, more scholarships, more how can we do? More and more and more, and also his kindness in recognizing the work that was being done. After every event, he would send me a text message. Thank you so much. This was awesome. Loved it. I love Chris. She was our biggest winner of auction items.
Speaker 2:It was her blank check and Mont.
Speaker 4:Every time he's like what did Chris win this go round? And so I just love that camaraderie and the true caring and love that he had and how he shared that and showed you that he appreciated what you did.
Speaker 1:Dr Robbins answer the same question.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think one of the biggest impacts that he had on me is he really taught me and embodied what a servant leader really is. And, for example, I think one of the best memories I have is each time our transportation department would host a barbecue, mont would send me a text and say, hey, are we smoking over at the bus yard? And to go over there early in the morning and there's Mont with his cooker and his smoker and he's got all that meat laid out that he'd been working on for hours and just the smell and the camaraderie that our drivers would show up and he's there serving food. It really taught me a lot about. This is what it means to be a servant leader and really care about the people.
Speaker 1:That you serve.
Speaker 3:And I'll also. I'll miss his honesty and candor. I think Amanda really hit on that. He had this very special gift and a balance of being able to be very honest and direct, but also he had a candor and a love that came with it and I'll miss that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I once were once heard that the genius of communications was to be totally honest and yet totally kind at the same time, and there were many times that I interacted with Mont and walked away thinking that's the genius of communication, right there Now. It's so interesting that you mentioned the the smoking out behind the bus barn, because he'd say that to me all the time and he often did volunteer to do a lot of cooking at the grill. My favorite memory as we wrap this up is when we opened up mid-villuminal school. We had a back to school night for the entire community and Mont and I cooked more than a thousand hot dogs at a very hot grill for everyone who
Speaker 1:came to the back to school night he and I stood shoulder to shoulder and just man that grill for as long as we could and people keep kept coming because they wanted to see their new middle school and we laughed and we talked and we burnt our hands but it was so much fun.
Speaker 1:It was giving back, but it was at that play. I would look over at Mont and he knew everyone who came by, every person. He knew who they were and he said something fun about every single one of them and if he didn't know them, you know he would welcome them with a huge smile and he was so proud that they had that new mid-villuminal school and so many people were coming to their back to school nights and I'll bet we stood in front of that girl for two hours cooking hot dogs. I don't even know how many there were, thousands seemed like. But that time with Mont was very special to me. You know Mont Miller verse contributions to the district really in my mind, can't be overstated. He cared deeply about every one of the students who attends Canyon's district and in ensuring that the district will continue to provide a place of learning and growth for so many years to come.
Speaker 1:You know, while we honor his legacy in education, we also honor the man, someone who fought for what he believed in, showed compassion for his community and loved his family deeply. He will be missed. He was an important part of the Canyon's family and these are our memories of Mont. Thank you for joining us today for Connect Canyon's.
