Congratulations and Good Luck, Denise Miner!
Denise Miner has been on the Fallingwater staff, holding a variety of positions, for more than 30 years. Denise plans to close this chapter of her illustrious career as she’ll retire from her current position as Fallingwater’s public tour manager on September 30.
Denise grew up with a close connection to and an affinity for Fallingwater long before she started working at the site. Her family’s farm is near Fallingwater and several family members had personal connections to the Kaufmann family, including Edgar jr. and his partner, Paul Mayen. Those connections provided her with valuable insights and historical understanding of Fallingwater that she brought to her various positions over the years.
In her current role, Denise works tirelessly to equip tour educators with a deep historical knowledge of the site and nearby landscape, and instill an unparalleled passion for Fallingwater. Denise says she's been blessed to spend almost half her life at Fallingwater.
”After more than 30 years, I continue to make new discoveries of how special the house and its surroundings are. Engaging with the public, both visitors and staff, has been challenging, inspiring, humbling and rewarding. Working at Fallingwater has been a privilege,” she added.
Fallingwater Director Justin Gunther says that Denise has shared Fallingwater while demonstrating passion, unconditional dedication, congeniality, grace and humility.
“I think few would argue that her knowledge of Fallingwater, the Kaufmanns and Frank Lloyd Wright is unparalleled, making her an invaluable resource to our education team,” said Justin. “Through our rigorous guide training, Denise has equipped our educators with a deep historical understanding of the site, giving them the knowledge to create authentic, enriching tour experiences.”
Although Denise is retiring from full-time work, she’ll remain on the Fallingwater guide staff as a part-time educator. In her spare time, Denise plans to spend more time horseback riding, traveling and with family.
Good luck, Denise, and thank you for sharing your passion and dedication for Fallingwater with your colleagues and visitors from around the world!
Watch this video of Fallingwater's Public Tour Manager Denise Miner inviting visitors to notice the beautiful shadows cast inside and outside Fallingwater. Denise says the differing lights and shadows help make Fallingwater enduring and special.