Longtime City Hall employee reflects on 25 years in Belvedere

Nancy Miller is seen April 29 outside Belvedere City Hall, where she has worked for 25 years. Before joining the city in 2001, Miller managed the acclaimed jazz club Keystone Korner in San Francisco, booked reggae acts in New York City and served as a Little League president for about 30 years. (Tyler Callister / The Ark)

Before Nancy Miller became Belvedere City Hall’s longest-serving employee, she managed an acclaimed jazz club in North Beach, booked reggae acts in New York City and ran a Little League for three decades. These days, she helps residents navigate building permits.

In April, the city honored Miller with a celebration marking her 25-year tenure. Her current title is building and planning technician, though she has also held similar secretarial roles over the years.

Since joining the city in 2001, Miller has helped guide residents, contractors and applicants through the often-complex world of building and planning. Job titles have shifted and technology has transformed the day-to-day work, but Miller says the core of the job has remained much the same: helping people move projects from start to finish.

“I’m kind of the gatekeeper,” she says.

Over a quarter century, Miller has watched both the nature of municipal work and Belvedere City Hall modernize around her. She has worked through office renovations, departmental shifts and the wider move toward remote work and digital records. These days, she splits her schedule between working from home and spending time at City Hall, where she continues to serve as a key point of contact for the public.

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