Leanne Minghini

Chairwoman of the Women of UNG, an officer of the local alumnae chapter of Phi Mu sorority, president of a homeowner's association, and a vice president of Citigroup are just a few titles University of North Georgia (UNG) alumna Leanne Minghini has had attached to her name. All of these signify a common theme — leadership.

A 1988 graduate of UNG, Minghini credits her alma mater for developing the leadership skills that have served her well.

"I had amazing role models and immersed myself in the UNG community," Minghini said. "And I did everything I could do while I was there. It made the experience better than what it could have been."

Her attendance at UNG was unexpected. Minghini looked at women's colleges in Missouri and Virginia until her father, a UNG alumnus, chimed in on her choices.

"My daddy looked at me and said 'I will only see you at Thanksgiving and Christmas if you go to any of these colleges,'" Minghini said.

The Gainesville, Georgia, woman applied to UNG and never looked back. She said her first time walking on campus solidified her decision to stay closer to home.

"The orientation leaders were amazing," she said. "They set the tone, and I wanted to be them."

Minghini hit the ground running in her first year and became involved in the UNG community. She served as a representative on the Student Government Association, sang with the then-NGC Singers and joined Phi Mu sorority. She said these experiences helped her grow.

"It allowed me to test the waters of being a leader and find out what worked for me and what didn't," Minghini said.

She encountered the safety and security UNG offers its students during her sophomore year.

"My mom died when I was sophomore at UNG and the community came around me and wrapped me in their love," she said. "And there is a group of 25 people who I am so close to that we connect daily via Facebook."

Along with the support, UNG offered Minghini opportunities she never dreamed possible. During her senior year, Minghini completed an internship for a congressional representative in Washington, D.C.

"I would never have done that on my own," she said, adding it pushed her outside of her comfort zone. "I learned not to be afraid to try something even if you don't succeed. Or sometimes you have to take a step back, take a breath and then go for it."

After her time on Capitol Hill, Minghini returned to Georgia and worked for a bank before taking time off to raise her family. She then entered the consumer finance industry, which was a little surprising since her degrees were in political science and French.

"I had no degree in finance or business, but UNG gave me the ability to be confident, try a new profession and see what I could do," Minghini said.

It worked. She worked for Citigroup for 23 years as a vice president. Now, she is a financial consultant.

Minghini is an active UNG alumna with Women of UNG and Phi Mu. She said UNG prepared her to take on those kinds of responsibilities and plans to pay them back in her retirement.

"I love UNG and Dahlonega," she said. "It is my dream to retire and move there."