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Lt. Col. Stephanie Hartley, '07, was promoted to her current rank in a ceremony Aug. 12 at the Pennington Military Leadership Center at Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Dahlonega Campus.

Hartley serves as Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft lead for the Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. She uses her operational experience to help bridge the gap between the operational and technical sides of her team.

"I'm using my experience to help validate the need the Army has and what that would look like in a future aircraft," she said.

Hartley earned a degree in political science from Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

A native of Rabun County, Georgia, Hartley credits Â鶹ÊÓƵ with taking a young person who was unsure of what she wanted to do and helping set her on a path for success.

"At North Georgia, there's a very familial understanding to leadership and how we link taking care of people to mission success," Hartley said. "When I was there, they looked at me as a person and someone who could help accomplish a mission."

Both her sister and mother also attended Â鶹ÊÓƵ. It was only natural for her promotion ceremony to be on campus.

"That's where I started, and I wouldn't be here without that opportunity," Hartley said. "It was important for me to able to go back."