Rhonda Hight: Member Spotlight (May 2016)

“I am happy to see that the organization is still thriving and still attracting young professionals and other African Americans in Human Resources.  I’m seeing it…the passing of the baton, and I’m proud to be a part of that.”  – Rhonda Hight, President & Founder, Let’s Talk, LLC

Members and friends, meet Rhonda Hight.  Maybe you’ve heard bone-chilling stories about the body count that she has racked up on the field with the Sweet Lady Kickers Kickball League here in Metro-Atlanta! …Or, for those of us who have been fortunate enough to make it to one of the Saturday morning Consultants Coalition sessions, we may recognize Rhonda as one of the co-coordinators running around getting everything and everyone situated.

Rhonda was introduced to the field of Human Resources via an administrative role in HR with her first employer while still in school.   She realized that she really enjoyed the parts of her job duties that involved helping and working directly with people.  She knew that she could be more of a change agent and employee advocate as an independent consultant.  Now here she is today, a registered Corporate Coach and President & Founder of Let’s Talk, LLC, a boutique Human Resources firm specializing in the creation of professional development programs for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and not-for profit companies.

Rhonda has been involved with NAAAHR from the beginning and recalls the early days of the Consultants Coalition.

“We were the Atlanta Human Resources Association at the time.  I was one of the founding members and I was also one of a small group of independent consultants on the board of the Association. I came up with the idea of an affinity group for our own development as independent consultants.  At the time, the general programming was for corporate HR but I envisioned this affinity group as being a little something extra for the HR consultants.” 

Thus, the Consultants Coalition was born!

“In the beginning we used to meet in my house! Before the internet became what it is now, I would make Xerox copies of magazines articles that I wanted to share with the group.  As work picked up I stepped away to travel and the Coalition faded away for a while but then another member, Brenda Haithco, picked it up and started hosting it in her home.  In 2015, past NAAAHR Atlanta President Eileen Gray asked us about resurrecting the Coalition and we moved the sessions to Herzing University’s Atlanta campus at Lenox Mall.  Current NAAAHR Vice President Sheree Knowles was brought in as board liaison and the rest is history.”

I asked Rhonda about what it is that keeps her coming back to NAAAHR.

“…the relationship-building; the connections.  I’ve got some pretty decent work that developed from connections made through NAAAHR over the years, but it’s not just about making money.  I enjoy the information sharing, colleagues to bounce ideas off of, the mentoring, and collaborations.  The relationships have been very beneficial for me both professionally and personally.  One thing that I like that I hadn’t even thought of until recently is the legacy that is being created.  At the time when the Atlanta Human Resources Association was created there weren’t a lot of groups like ours so we set the tone. I’m happy to see that the organization is still thriving and still attracting young professionals and other African Americans in Human Resources.  I’m seeing it…the passing of the baton, and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

Want to hear more? Then come out and say hi to Rhonda and meet other professionals in Human Resources and other industries at the next Consultants Coalition meeting! Click here for information about the upcoming Consultants Coalition session on May 21, 2016 and future meeting dates.