Rhonda Briggins, J.D.

Co-Founder and Treasurer – Atlanta, GA

Rhonda Briggins, J.D. has recently joined the executive management team at Jacobs Engineering as the Client Account Manager, Vice President. After retiring at the age of 45 from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), where she served as the Senior Director of External Affairs for MARTA for over fifteen years. Under her leadership, she led the Office of Government Relations and the Office of Community Affairs. She brings over 20 plus years of professional experience in the arenas of federal, state and local government affairs. She was primarily responsible for the development MARTA’s of public policy, and community outreach strategies. In addition to the aforementioned, she was chiefly responsible for the authority’s legislative initiatives amounting to billions of dollars in funding for the Authority’s operational and capital budget. She was instrumental in the passage of recent transit legislation amounting to over $10.9B in transportation funding. 
The Georgia Speaker of the House of Representative, David Ralston, recently appointed her to the House Study Commission on Transit Governance and Funding. The Commission goal is to provide transportation recommendations aimed at benefiting both urban and rural communities in the state of Georgia. In December 2016, Rhonda was elected as the first African-American woman President of the Georgia Transit Association (GTA) representing 128 transit agencies throughout the state. She played double duty also serving as the President of the Atlanta Chapter of the Conference of Minorities in Transportation Officials (COMTO). Under her leadership, both organizations grew in membership and influence throughout the state. Recently, she was ranked 11th after Keisha Lance Bottom, the Mayor of Atlanta as  one of  the “Top 100 Influential Women in Georgia”.  Rhonda has received several distinguished awards  and recognitions for her leadership  such as the 2019 Pinnacle Leadership Awards,  2018 March of Dimes Woman of Distinction Award, 2018 Atlanta Tribune Women Award, 2018 Who’s Who of Black Atlanta, 2017 Atlanta Business Lead 100 Most Influential Women in Georgia, 2017 Who’s Who of Black Atlanta, 2017 National Coalition of 100 Black Women Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter Catalyst Award, 2017 COMTO Woman On the Move Award, 2016 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Change Agent Award, 2016 Jack and Jill East Atlanta Suburban Mother of the Year, 2014 COMTO’s Gerald Anderson Sibling Award. She is a graduate of the 2015 Atlanta Regional Commission Regional Leadership Institute. She serves on several boards, including the Georgia Transit Association, Conference of Minorities in Transportation Officials, Women of Will, Vote Run Lead, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the DeKalb County Workforce Development Board. She also serves on several advisory councils such as American Heart Association’s Advocacy Councils (Chair), DeKalb Housing Authority Sufficiency Council, and Georgia Women Policy Institute. She serves as the Co-Chair of the National Social Action Commission for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of American, Inc. Southeastern Region Legislative Chair (2016-2018). She served for several years as the Chair of the Board for the historic Selma to Montgomery Bridge Crossing Jubilee. She has been featured in Glamour Magazine, Time online magazine, and other publications for her national and local political work training women to run for elected office. Mrs. Briggins is a graduate of Georgia State University with a B.S. in Law and Society and earned a Juris Doctorate from Jones School of Law. She has a talented 13-year-old son, Kai Ali.