More than 200 of the newest members of Alpha Phi chattered away while waiting for their guest speaker of the night. The women filled the room with excitement and laughter as they got to know new sisters.
That’s when Alpha Phi representatives introduced Angela Guillory, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Greek Life, and the laughter stopped as Dodson Auditorium filled with 
clapping.
“How awesome does it feel to be an Alpha Phi? Whoo!” The laughter erupted once more.
“Well, alcohol is one of my favorite topics,” she began discussing LSU’s policy on alcohol usage and Greek Life in the community. “LSU is like Disney World for alcoholics.”
Guillory’s stage presence reflects her office life.
She isn’t Ms. Guillory in the Greek Life office. She’s Angela.
Guillory oversees 21 percent of the student body, including members of the Pan-Hellenic, Infraternity and National Pan-Hellenic Greek communities. She also directly advises the Greek Board of Directors and the Pan-Hellenic Council on campus.
“A person makes the position,” she said as she explained the importance of leadership in any field. “By virtue of a position you’re given a lot of responsibility. It’s how you handle the responsibility that makes you a great leader.”
Guillory said she maintains her leadership roles by rarely compromising and sticking to her morals and values. She feels all leaders posses an internal compass that allows them to do so.
Guillory explained the need to walk with, not in front of, followers, whether at church or school. The former shows a leader’s willingness to cooperate and earns more respect than the latter.
She prides herself on this self-described servant-leadership style, making her accessible to each member of LSU’s Greek community. More than 5,000 students depend on Guillory to resolve 
conflict within the Greek chapters.
Guillory leadership role didn’t come naturally.
Her first leadership position was in high school where she addressed a 500-person crowd. Although she experienced normal pre-speech nausea, she appreciated the experience and hasn’t looked back.
She felt like having the ability to deliver a message she was so passionate about to so many people was cool. She uses that same passion to create each new speech and engage in each new 
opportunity.
OFFICE LIFE
“I like to be an informative and entertaining speaker. I like for them to be clever, funny and entertaining.”
The newest member of the Greek Life department, Assistant Director of Greek Life for the Pan-Hellenic Council Beth Newell said Guillory is the reason she immediately felt at ease with her new job.
“I started working at LSU and Greek Life July 1, and she has made me feel like I’ve been here for years,” she said.
Newell described the humble nature of Guillory’s leadership, whether she’s giving a speech or refereeing a disagreement. Guillory motivates the office staff around her, Newell said.
Teresia Greer, Assistant Director of Greek Life for the National Pan-Hellenic Council, knew Guillory prior to becoming a co-worker. She was Guillory’s graduate assistant. Greer described her experience working with Angela as humbling and gratifying.
Greer often sees others interacting with Guillory and laughs to herself. Others treat Guillory like she’s the director of Greek life and not the modest leader Greer knows.
Both women shared Guillory’s secret talent, singing and playing the guitar. 
 “She loves to sing and dance, and she can play the guitar,” Greer said. “When no one is watching she’ll have a little party to herself, something she doesn’t highlight in front of students.”
Newell said Guillory comes out of her office playing the guitar when she’s in a really good mood.
Guillory drove up and down sorority row during fall 2013 formal recruitment blaring and singing along to one of her favorite artists, Whitney Houston.
HOME LIFE
Guillory devotes a significant amount of time to LSU, spending only four to five afternoons a month with family. She described the difficulty of budgeting her time.
“The majority of my time is spent on campus. I travel a lot to give speeches [and to go to] leadership workshops. It takes up a lot of time. Where the time is disproportionate during the semester, we make up for time during the holidays,” she said.
Guillory spends rare free time with family. She’s “Aunt Angie” to her 11 nieces and nephews, a term she finds endearing because they couldn’t pronounce Angela at a young age.
“No one else can call me Angie,” she said.
Guillory spends three to four days every summer with her nieces and nephews doing activities around Baton Rouge. Each summer the activities change with the ages of her nieces and nephews.
This summer she and her nieces and nephews spent hours riding go-carts and playing putt-putt at Celebration Station.
Guillory later bought pizza dough, cheese and toppings of each child’s choice and taught them how to make homemade personalized pizzas. While the pizzas cooked, Guillory and her family filmed an interpretive dance to Sarah Bareilles’ “Gravity.”
Guillory’s nephew, Matthew 
Guillory, described Camp Angie as a feeling of anticipation. His cousin Bethany Guillory describes it as a scary, fun feeling. They never know what’s going to happen. One year Camp Angie turned into driving school.
“It’s really just quality time. They teach me things and I appreciate them,” Guillory said.
Whether it’s her home life, work life or Greek life, Guillory strives for excellence and accepts nothing less.