The War for Talent

Panelist Tedra Cheatham is Director of Business Partnership Development for one of the largest, most diverse business schools in the nation, the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. Tedra works to identify business challenges and targeted solutions that are mutually beneficial for the business community and the student talent pipeline. Prior to joining the Robinson College of Business, she was Executive Director for The Clean Air Campaign, leading efforts nationally
for cleaner air, less traffic and more economic vibrancy. Previously Tedra served as chief operating officer and vice president of economic development for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce near Atlanta, Georgia. Her contributions to the success of North Fulton’s development helped foster numerous transportation enhancements and a thriving business community that is home to several Fortune 500 companies.

Panelist Angela Smart is a Senior HR Specialist providing HR best practice guidance to clients across the US with less than 30 employees. In her role, she has aided many companies in designing and implementing compliant recruitment and onboarding practices that attract top talent. Her passion is working with small businesses to create a culture of HR practices that will allow them to retain top performers. Prior to Insperity, Angela was a recruitment specialist for the Congressional Budget Office, where her primary focus was the recruitment of diverse candidate pools to fill analyst roles requiring a PhD in Economics or a master’s in Public Policy. She is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management, holds a Professional in Human Resources certification, and a master’s degree in HR Management from Marymount University.

Panelist Matthew Thomas is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Alpharetta. In this role he is responsible for the City’s business retention, expansion, and attraction programs. His past experiences include work with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the City of Canton, Georgia. He graduated from the University of West Georgia in 2011 with a B.S. in Economics. Matthew is a member of the International Economic Development Council, the Georgia Economic Developers Association, and is a recent graduate of Leadership North Fulton.

Panelist Nancy Wright Whatley was named the Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Veritiv in 2019. She is responsible for developing, leading and implementing strategies and metrics-driven programs in the areas of talent acquisition and development, leadership, organizational effectiveness, and diversity to foster a company-wide talent mindset by developing deep relationships with business leaders. Prior to joining Veritiv Whatley has spent over 30 years in the staffing industry including 20 years at Georgia Pacific becoming the company’s expert consultant in areas of supplemental staffing and employment. Nancy opened and operated VantagePoint Staffing Solutions -- a certified Women’s Business Enterprise from Sept. 2006 to Aug. 2010 when she successfully sold her company. After
the sale of her business she spent over 6 years working with small business owners and start ups at the Metro Atlanta Chamber and helped create IgniteHQ, a business incubator in partnership with Cobb County and Kennesaw State University. She is a graduate of the Terry College at the University of Georgia graduate and a member of the Terry Alumni Relations Board. Nancy is also an avid golfer.