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ATA ANNOUNCES DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

ATA ANNOUNCES DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

ATA welcomes Natasha Pennington to their leadership team as the firm’s Director of Human Resources. Bringing more than 15 years of personnel experience to her role, Natasha will execute human resource strategies in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the firm, specifically in the areas of employee relations, compliance, HR administration, recruitment & talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, performance management, and HR technology.

“Natasha is an effective communicator and possesses many great qualities for her role at ATA,” said John Whybrew, managing partner of ATA. “I am confident Natasha will be a tremendous asset to help manage our team and streamline our operations.”

Previously, Natasha was an HR Manager with ATA Employment Solutions, ATA’s human resource management partner. Natasha’s career has provided ample opportunity for learning and development.  She is a member of The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and is a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). She is also a member of the West Tennessee SHRM chapter (WTSHRM).

“I am passionate about people and learning what motivates them in their careers,” said Pennington. “I’m excited to be part of ATA to support and further develop its human resource strategies.”

Natasha earned a Master of Science degree in Human Resources as well as a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership and Human Resources Management from Chapman University System. She also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Industry Analysis from the University of Redlands.

Natasha received the Volunteer of the Year award in 2016 for her active involvement with Canine Support Teams and their Pawz for Wounded Veterans program. She previously served on the Obion County Chamber of Commerce board in 2020/2021. She is a graduate of the Class of 2019 Adult Leadership Obion County and currently serves on the board as vice president.

Pennington moved to Tennessee from Southern California in 2017. Natasha said, “My husband and I love Tennessee, and we love living and working in Obion County. Moving to Tennessee is one of the best decisions we have ever made!”

Natasha values her faith and family above all, but in her free time, she enjoys fishing, hiking, kayaking, working on her hobby farm, and doing anything adventurous or outdoors.

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About ATA

ATA is an advisory firm that works with clients on all aspects of their business needs. ATA guides its clients towards success by providing consulting services that are not traditionally associated with the accounting industry. For example, Revolution Partners, ATA’s wealth management entity provides financial planning expertise; ATA Technologies provides trustworthy IT solutions; ATA Digital focuses on growth through the design and development of marketing and digital products as well as offers video, social media, and digital content for small businesses; ATA Capital is an investment banking firm dedicated to providing clients with M&A brokerage services; and lastly, ATA Employment Solutions is a comprehensive human resource management agency.

ATA has 16 office locations in Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Mississippi. Recognized as an IPA Top 150 regional accounting firm, it provides a wide array of accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services for clients ranging from small family-owned businesses to publicly traded companies and international corporations. ATA is also an alliance member of BDO USA LLP, a top five global accounting firm, which provides additional resources and expertise for clients.

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Helpful Articles

Getting Acquainted with Multi-Generations

Many of today’s businesses employ workers from across the generational spectrum. Employees may range from Baby Boomers to members of Generation X to Millennials to the newest group, Generation Z. Managing a workforce with a wide age range requires flexibility and skill. If you’re successful, you’ll likely see higher employee morale, stronger productivity and a more positive work environment for everyone.
Generational age ranges are the following:
  • The Baby Boomer generation were born from 1946 to 1964
  • Generation Xers were born from 1965 to 1979
  • The Millennial generation were born from 1980 to 1999
  • Generation Zers were born after 1999
Certain stereotypes have long been associated with each generation. Typecasts of the generations vary slightly, but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation defines them as follows: Baby Boomers are assumed to be grumbling curmudgeons. Gen Xers were originally consigned to being “slackers.” Millennials are often thought of as needy approval-seekers. And many presume that a Gen Zer is helpless without his or her mobile device.
But successfully managing employees across generations requires setting aside stereotypes. Don’t assume that employees fit a certain personality profile based simply on age. Instead, you or a direct supervisor should get to know each one individually to better determine what makes him or her tick.
Best practices
Here are just a couple of best practices for managing diverse generations: Recognize and respect value differences. Misunderstandings and conflicts often arise because of value differences between managers and employees of different generations. For example, many older supervisors expect employees to do “whatever it takes” to get the job done, including working long hours. However, some younger employees place a high value on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Be sure everyone is on the same page about these expectations. This doesn’t mean younger employees shouldn’t have to work hard. The key is to find the right balance so that work is accomplished satisfactorily and on time, and employees feel like their values are being respected.
Maximize each generation’s strengths. Different generations tend to bring their own strengths to the workplace. For instance, older employees likely have valuable industry experience and important historical business insights to share. Meanwhile, younger employees — especially Generation Z — have grown up with high-powered mobile technology and social media.
Consider initiatives such as company retreats and mentoring programs in which employees from diverse generations can work together and share their knowledge, experiences and strengths.
Encourage them to communicate openly and honestly and to be willing to learn from, rather than compete with, one another. A competitive advantage Having a multigenerational workforce can be a competitive advantage. Your competitors may not have the hard-fought experience of your older workers nor the fresh energy and ideas of your younger ones. Our firm can help you develop cost-effective strategies for hiring, retaining and maximizing the productivity of employees through our ancillary company, Center Point Business Solutions. Click here to learn more. © 2020