USJ Welcomes U.S. Treasurer — Who Happens To Be An Alum

University of Saint Joseph

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford Monday welcomed back a friend from a very high place — President Biden's administration.

An audience of more than 200 filled the Hoffman Auditorium to hear U.S. Treasurer and USJ alumna Lynn Malerba speak at the inaugural Deans’ Lecture Series.

The lecture, “This was not a part of my plan, but here I am!” detailed the twists and turns in Malerba’s career that took her from nurse to chief of the Mohegan tribe, to her current post as Treasurer of the United States.

The 1983 USJ grad was welcomed to the Deans’ Lecture by USJ President Rhona Free and was introduced by Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Studies Ahmed Abdelmageed.

“There is an old Yiddish saying, ‘Man plans, and God laughs.’ I had a plan for my life,” said Malerba, a member of the Mohegan Tribe who grew up in Uncasville.

That plan, she said, was to become a nurse.

One of seven children of “financially challenged” parents, Malerba received a scholarship from her high school, allowing her to attend Hartford Hospital’s Nursing School and get her RN diploma.

She later attended USJ— when it was the College of Saint Joseph— which had started a new nursing degree program.

“The College of Saint Joseph really changed my trajectory,” she said. “I knew I needed more education than just an RN diploma. Saint Joseph College gave me the space to learn new skills.”

With her new degree, Malerba left her job as an ICU nurse at Hartford Hospital to join Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London, where she eventually was named director of cardiology and pulmonology.

But three subsequent “twists” took her in new directions.

“The first twist was when I was on the tribal board working on economic development on our tribal land. I was asked to work in health and human services for the [Mohegan] Tribe,” she said. “It was a leap of faith and I said ‘Yes.’”

Malerba became director of Mohegan Health and Human Services and served as vice chair of the Mohegan Tribal Council.

The second twist was when she received a call from tribal elders who asked her to consider becoming Chief of the Mohegan Tribe.

She decided to follow in the footsteps of her great-grandfather and mother, both of whom held leadership roles in the tribe and became Mohegan Chief in 2010.

Twist number three was the call from President Joe Biden’s administration asking Malerba to serve as U.S. Treasurer.

“The first thing I did was Google, ‘What does the Treasurer do?’” she joked.

But she said yes and now oversees the operations of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the United States Mint.

With her appointment, American currency now for the first time in history features the signatures of two women — Malerba and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.

“It has been quite an adventure,” Malerba said.

Over the years Malerba has maintained close ties with USJ. A former member of the USJ Board of Trustees, she praised the University and its founders, the Sisters of Mercy.

“USJ changes with the times and meets the needs of its community,” she said. “The Sisters of Mercy are kind of sassy…they don’t sit back and let things happen. They use their voices for good.”

For more information on U.S. Treasurer Lynn Malerba, click on this link.