The Story of Athena
Truthfully, it all started over a glass of wine! We had been friends for years and collaborated on various HR activities. When time would allow, we would get together for lunch or a glass of wine to catch up on life and would invariably end up talking about our respective HR dilemmas – or “opportunities” as we like to call them! We have always shared a passion for advancing the HR profession and helping organizations understand the importance of embracing HR as a strategic partner.
“Bev was a very important mentor for me when I moved to Rapid City in 2010 and was learning to navigate HR in a new town,” says Alexis. Bev states, “I quickly learned that Alexis has an excellent mind for HR, is a strategic thinker, and shares my passion for our profession. I told my manager shortly after meeting her that I would love to have Alexis on our HR team.”
Serving on the Black Hills SHRM Board together while Alexis was President further confirmed our compatibility and that we are both firmly aligned with the SHRM Code of Ethics, which states, in part:
Well first, it is very difficult to find a name that is not already being used, so we started to research people, names, words, symbols, etc., that we felt depicted some of the skillsets we want to share with organizations. We came upon Athena and the more we read about her, we realized many of her qualities represent what we want to bring to our clients.
Athena symbolized wisdom, courage, bravery, and resourcefulness, especially in warfare (or times of struggle), and she was also considered to be the wisest of the Greek gods. The owl, Athena’s sacred animal, represents wisdom and alertness as well as truth, symbolizing her insight and critical thinking which allowed her to see the entire truth of a matter. She was also known as the strategist and advised warriors before battle, which showed her intellectual, resourceful, and civilized side, versus aggression and brute force, and her shield symbolized her protection and strength. Athena was empowering and gave warriors courage and is famous for being an ally of many famous heroes. The olive tree, or more specifically the olive branch, has long been a symbol of peace and friendship and is, in Greek Mythology, the reason Athens was named after Athena; because she presented the people with an olive tree to ensure its future prosperity.
And so, Athena HR Consulting, LLC was formed to provide you with strategic and empowering human resources solutions and assist your organization in becoming increasingly successful, regardless of the HR “battles” you may encounter.
Welcome to Athena HR Consulting! We look forward to learning about your organization’s goals and objectives and how we can assist in your continued success!
Why the name Athena?
“As HR professionals, we are responsible for adding value to the organizations we serve and contributing to the ethical success of those organizations. We accept professional responsibility for our individual decisions and actions. We are also advocates for the profession by engaging in activities that enhance its credibility and value.”
One of the areas we have excelled in working together is our appreciation for how we see things through different lenses, which allows us to view every situation from multiple perspectives and consider all the possible “what if” scenarios. Our strengths complement one another. Bev has an exceptional way of mentoring and advising with a supportive yet empowering approach. She has impacted so many of those she has worked alongside. Alexis has a unique way of seeing a situation from all sides and is not afraid to play “the devil’s advocate” so we can anticipate various influencing factors and work toward the best solution.
So yes, we had “lightly” talked for several years about someday working together in a consulting capacity. With the start of a new year ‘2023’, it felt like the time was right to act on our vision of starting a consulting business, only this time we began planning over a cup of coffee!