ATLANTA

Deretta cole rhodes, phd.

Strategic Advisor
Advisory Practice Leader

experience strengths

printable bio

Leadership Development, Executive Talent Strategy, Executive Assessments, Succession Planning, Change Management and Diversity & Inclusion.

Career Experiences

Atlanta Braves - Senior Vice President Human Resources
YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta - EVP/Chief Human Resources Officer
First Data Corporation - VP Human Resources, Financial Services
Turner Broadcasting - VP, Human Resources and HR Director
EY (Ernst & Young LLP) – Diversity & Inclusion Director
ADP and YUM! Brands - Human Resource Director & Diversity Director

education

The University of Georgia: PhD - Adult Education 
Clark Atlanta University: MBA - Marketing/Organizational Behavior 
The University of Georgia: BS - Hotel/Restaurant Managment

DeRetta Cole Rhodes, Ph.D., is the SVP/Head of HR for the Atlanta Braves where she supports the Major League, Minor League, Battery property development in all areas of People Capital initiatives.

Previously, DeRetta was the EVP/chief human resources officer of YMCA of Metro, the VP, Human Resources, at First Data, where she provided consultation on human capital and organizational development strategies for over 5,000 First Data colleagues within Financial Services and Consumer and Network Solutions, the Vice president of human resources for Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc., supporting Global Technology Operations. Before joining Turner, DeRetta held leadership roles with Ernst & Young, ADP, HomeGrocer.com, and YUM Brand.

Currently she is a board member of The Woodruff Arts Center, Goodwill of North Georgia, and Human Resource Leadership Forum (HRLF). She is also a member of Human Resource People & Strategy (HRPS), Board of Director member of 21stLeadership, Argyle Advisory Board, Hawks Atlanta Diversity and Inclusion member, and past president of the Alumni Board of Family and Consumer Sciences at UGA.

DeRetta has been a speaker and served as a panelist at several events such as; Argyle (Atlanta, Dallas), Marcus Evans, HR Strategy & Innovation Summit, Connect HR Leadership and TedXUGA (March 22, 2018); to name a few.

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Licenses & Certifications

DISC Model of Human Behavior Consultant
360 Degree Coach - Center for Creative Leadership 
HOGAN - Hogan Assessment Systems

Atlanta Braves - EVP/Chief People
Capital Officer

YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta - EVP/Chief Human Resources Officer

First Data Corporation - VP Human Resources, Financial Services

Turner Broadcasting - VP, Human Resources and HR Director

EY (Ernst & Young LLP) – Diversity & Inclusion Director

ADP and YUM! Brands - Human Resource Director & Diversity Director

The University of Georgia: PhD -
Adult Education 

Clark Atlanta University: MBA - Marketing/Organizational Behavior 

The University of Georgia: BS - Hotel/Restaurant Managment

Cole, D. (2010). Courage under Fire: How Black Women have learned to survive in Corporate America (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

Cole, D. (October 2012). The Storm is Still Brewing; Leadership Challenges for Women Leaders and their Corporations: A Call for Change in Leadership. Presented at the conference of International Leadership Association (ILA), Denver, CO.

Cole. D, Munley, A, Santana, L. (October 2013). Realities, Challenges and Leadership Resilience for the Female Executive: Practices Revealed from across the Globe. Presented at the conference of International Leadership Association (ILA), Montreal, Canada.

DeRetta has been a speaker and served as a panelist at several events such as; Argyle (Atlanta, Dallas), Marcus Evans, HR Strategy & Innovation Summit, Connect HR Leadership and TedXUGA (March 22, 2018); to name a few.

Published works include:

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