Brains and Beauty

Diane Davis White

Diane Davis White, (B.A. '72, M.B.A.'76) blushes a bit when asked about her reign as Miss Georgia State in the 1970s.

The successful finance executive has had a long career of leadership at major companies, and being, well, a beauty queen didn't quite make it to the top of her resume.

However, White, who recently retired from her position as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Futures Industry Association in Washington, D.C., said she's proud of her former title and the experiences she had as a student at Georgia State.

"I made wonderful friends and had great opportunities," she said.

While at GSU, she was a stand-out campus leader, serving as president of Delta Zeta sorority and editor of the "Rampway."

White said she has enjoyed coming back for Homecoming and especially relishes seeing her sorority sisters.

She spent years as a vice president at Freddie Mac before becoming chief financial officer at the Futures Industry Association, a non-profit trade association. Now she's consulting and is planning a move to South Carolina.

While her GSU days are behind her, the memories live on. The silver "Loving Cup" she received when she was crowned Miss Georgia State looked nearly new as she held it in the D.C. sunshine recently.

"We sure had fun," she said with a smile.