Another resignation story...

On the heels of David Rakes' announcement, comes news, via the Business Monthly's weekly email update (no link to story), that General Growth's vice president in charge of Columbia, Dennis Miller, is stepping down.

Miller, who joined the then-Rouse Co. six years ago, was heavily involved in the recent charrette that was held in Columbia Town Center and was one of the last remaining Rouse connections to the company from when it was sold to GGP 18 months ago.

He said he plans to “take advantage of the opportunity to travel a bit and spend time with my family while I look for the next opportunity,” which he intends to find in the commercial real estate industry.

Miller was often villified by activists for basically doing his job, which was (obviously) to make as much money as possible for General Growth and its shareholders. To be sure, he probably could have done a better job reaching out to the community, which may have resulted in more profits faster, but that's water under the bridge at this point.

What this means for the Town Center master plan, I can't say. My hope is that General Growth promotes someone who is already involved with Columbia, someone who knows the situation and its players well.

And the remnants of The Rouse Company drift further into oblivion.

A round of applause is certainly in order for the Business Monthly, a publication that, unlike Patuxent Publishing, has found a way to "break" news without relying soley on dead trees. Bravo!

Sign up for BizWeekly emails here.