Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Footer
UNG Logo
  • Info For...
    • Accepted Students
    • Current Students
    • Parents & Family
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Business & Community
    • International Students
  • Quicklinks
    • Directories
    • myUNG
    • Academic Catalogs
    • Athletics
    • Banner
    • Bookstore
    • Calendars
    • Campuses & Maps
    • Continuing Education
    • D2L
    • Employment / HR
    • IT Service Desk
    • Libraries
    • UNG Foundation
  • Admissions
  • Corps of Cadets
  • Academics
  • Cost & Aid
  • Student Life
  • News & Events
  • Athletics
  • About Us

Find the most up-to-date information on the Presidential Search site.

Where I Lead
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Current Students
  • Alumni
    1. UNG
    2. News & Events
    3. Where I Lead
    4. Alumni

    Brittany Young

    After spending two years at a small, private college in western Georgia, Brittany H. Young knew she needed to attend a larger school. She transferred to the University of North Georgia (UNG).

    "UNG has a quaint campus in Dahlonega, Georgia, and I knew there was something special about it," she said.

    There, Young discovered her future passion after being hired at the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce.

    "They hired me to help at the Welcome Center," she said, explaining she was asked if she would be interested in a paid internship. "I jumped all over that. The rest is history."

    Young said her work at the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber gave her a real-world perspective. She was employed there for two years.

    "My classes started to become less of an effort and more of a passion," she said. "I realized that UNG prepares you for a career and not just a degree."

    Young graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in management in December 2007. She landed a job as project manager for the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce in February 2008, and was responsible for small business development along with entrepreneurial initiatives.

    Her work with businesses proved successful, leading to more job opportunities. In 2016, she landed the job as the director of Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness, and Food Processing (LEAF) with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDED). In October 2017, Young found herself hand-delivering Atlanta's bid to become the second headquarters for Amazon, an American electronic commerce and cloud computing company based in Seattle, Washington. Young led the team that developed the proposal for Amazon.

    Her work was noticed. Five months later, Young was promoted to director of Life Sciences and Corporate Solutions for GDED. She has received two promotions since then and is now the chief operating officer of GDED.

    Young attributes part of her success to the UNG professors who taught her. She said from business ethics to operations management, each professor and class prepared her for her career.

    "For example, I was so sure I would never use JIT (just-in-time) manufacturing in my profession, but when a manufacturing company is considering Georgia for their next location and they need a facility that can fit their JIT production lines, I think about Dr. T.J. Gabriel’s class," she said. "When the widget in my economics class becomes a carpet tile for Shaw Industries in Adairsville, I reflect back on my time at UNG."

    She also credits Dale Steenbergen, then-president of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce, for inspiring her.

    "He made the biggest impact on my time at UNG," she said. "He took a chance on an overconfident 21-year-old and guided me down a career path that I never knew existed."

    She advises all UNG students to never take for granted the opportunities they are given.

    "I make sure I arrive at the office every morning with a positive attitude and a willingness to help others because I know I have been given an opportunity to lead and my actions affect those who surround me," she said.

    Courtney Hall

    Courtney Hall

    Courtney Hall helped new students love UNG through orientation and now assists them through her work in Academic Advising.
    Maryna Murdock

    Maryna Murdock

    A native of Ukraine, Maryna Murdock first taught elementary English, then moved into the banking industry. Now, she wants to share her finance knowledge with her students.
    Mike Ryan

    Mike Ryan

    Mike Ryan, who teaches microeconomics and macroeconomics and is the head of the Department of Economics and Finance in the Mike Cottrell College of Business at UNG, has been recognized for teaching excellence by state and national organizations.
    Dan Emmett

    Dan Emmett

    UNG alumnus Dan Emmett, '78, said UNG re-emphasized his parents' teachings of honor, discipline, service to one's country, and trying to do your best at everything you attempt.
    Phil O'Donnell

    Phil O'Donnell

    Before he launched a career with his degree in criminal justice, Phil O'Donnell of Suwanee, Georgia, tested himself against the best cyclists in the world.
    UNG Logo
    • Contact Us
    • Request Information
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus Maps & Directions
    • Student Consumer Information
    • Campus Safety
    • Emergency Information
    • Employment/HR
    • UNG Policies & Procedures
    • UNG Alumni Association
    • UNG Foundation
    • Ethics & Compliance Hotline
    • Human Trafficking Notice
    • Equal Empl. Opportunity

    © 2023 The University System of Georgia and the University of North Georgia.

    UNG follows the section 508 Standards and WCAG 2.0 for web accessibility. If you require this content in another format, please send an email to the ADA Coordinator.

    Use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    • Accreditation
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    Establishing Connection...
    AskNigel