Rhonda is the immediate past co-chair of the National Social Action Commission for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In this role, she was one of the founders of Delta 4 Women in Action, a 501c4 organization created by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to expand their political footprint beyond advocacy in the community. Also, she led the effort to politicalize the D9 by organizing a 2019 election march in Selma, AL, inviting more than 30,000 Greeks from across the country to participate by crossing the Edmund Pettus bridge symbolizing the power of our collective vote. This event was the catalyst that drove millions of African Americans to the polls during the 2019 presidential elections, and the Georgia US Senate run-off, saving democracy in this country.
She is a member of the executive management team at Jacobs Engineering as the Vice President, Client Account Manager for Transit Services. 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 more than fifteen years and led the Office of Government Relations and the Office of Community Affairs.
She brings more than 20 years of professional experience in the areas of federal, state and local government affairs. She was primarily responsible for the development of MARTA’s public policy, and community outreach strategies. In addition, she was 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 more than $10.9B in transportation funding. Within the first year of her employment with Jacobs, Rhonda secured a significant $3B program management contract within the transportation industry.
In 2021, she was selected as an inaugural fellow of the Herndon’s Directors Institute supported by NASDAQ. The inaugural class was honored by being featured in NYC Times Square on a billboard. In 2020, she was appointed to the MARTA Non-Represented Benefit Pension Board of Directors overseeing over $500 million in pension benefits. David Ralston, Georgia Speaker of the House of Representative, appointed her to serve on the House Study Commission on Transit Governance and Funding in 2018. In 2016, Rhonda was elected as the first African-American woman President of the Georgia Transit Association (GTA) while 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. Rhonda served as the Jack and Jill of American, Inc. Southeastern Region Legislative Chair (2016-2018); as well as the Chair of the Board for the historic Selma to Montgomery Bridge Crossing Jubilee.
In 2019, 2020 and 2021, she was ranked in the top 10 of “Top 100 Influential Women in Georgia”. Rhonda has received several distinguished awards and recognitions for her leadership such as the 2021 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Trailblazer Award, 2020 Distinguished Leader Award, 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 (Co-Founder and Board of Director), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Delta For Women in Action (Secretary-Treasurer) 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 has been featured in Grio online magazine, Blavity online magazine, Glamour magazine, Time online magazine, OWN network 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 14-year-old son, Kai Ali.