Courtney Rhodes (AB ‘05) is a powerhouse in the field of recruitment and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia in 2005, she went on to earn both her Juris Doctor and Legal Law of Masters (LL.M.) Taxation degrees from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Since then, Courtney has implemented and bolstered various diversity, equity, and inclusion recruitment initiatives in many different industries in companies including: the Charlotte School of Law, Wells Fargo & Co., Lowe’s Home Improvement, Microsoft, and in her current position at Credit Karma.
At Credit Karma, Courtney works as a DEI Business Partner. In this role, Courtney is responsible for managing the recruitment and retention of senior Credit Karma positions, developing and maintaining DEI measures, and educating other departments on Credit Karma’s internal DEI processes. In all, Courtney works to ensure that the company avoids disparate treatment of all employees.
When it came to choosing UGA, Courtney said that it wasn’t initially on her radar. She began her undergraduate career studying at Young Harris College, and when it came time to transfer, her friends were the ones who encouraged her to go to the University of Georgia with them. She says that she had the grades to get in, but it was when she finally stepped on the campus that she knew this was the place she wanted to study.
Even now, Courtney confidently says that she “owes everything to the University of Georgia.” She describes the university’s alumni association as “the gift that keeps on giving,” crediting UGA’s strong alumni network with the numerous career opportunities that she had upon graduating with her degree.
Courtney has always admired the SPIA Alumni Board, and is excited to serve on the board because “it really helped to propel her career.” She credits her own excellence to the excellence bestowed upon her by the university, faculty, and her peers. To current students, she advises, “Don’t rush it. Don’t let any of it go by. Take it all in. Because I promise you, when you get out into the world, you can use it.” Courtney certainly has lived her own advice out, and will be a wonderful mentor to our undergraduate students.
