Company Owner

Rhonda Coast, President of International Development Resources, combines more than 20 years experience in cross-cultural awareness training and coaching as well as international human resources management.

Rhonda is a trainer, consultant, and keynote speaker in the areas of: Intercultural communications, how to adjust to overseas assignments, cultural differences and learning styles, how to do business in other countries, cultural differences in negotiating, and skills for the global employee. Her programs enable participants to understand, communicate and work more effectively with people from other cultures.

Her international experience includes extensive on-site work in foreign countries to help establish startup manufacturing operations for a Fortune 100 global company. Ms. Coast has written and published guide books for business travel to other countries, and conducted focus group interviews and quality standards assessments in Spanish at foreign manufacturing sites.

Ms. Coast is also a certified cross-cultural trainer for Prudential Financial Global Workforce Development Group, Berlitz International Inc., and FGI.

She is known for her work with the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Team, Bayer Corporation, Pittsburgh International Airport Authority, University of Pittsburgh, Marconi (formerly FORE Systems), Society of Automotive Engineers, Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors (PCIV), Development Dimensions International Inc., Pittsburgh Human Resources Association, National Association of Purchasing Management, Ketchum, Magee Womancare International, Mellon Financial Corp., and U.S. Dept. of Energy.

When PCIV received its first grant from the U.S. Government to send business representatives from Pittsburgh to Ukraine as part of their Community Connections program, they chose Ms. Coast. She conducted presentations on business topics for local entrepreneurs, lectured at universities, and observed daily operations of local businesses. Rhonda also has been a featured radio talk show guest and has written published articles on cross-cultural issues.

Ms. Coast holds a B.A. and an M.A. degree in education and foreign languages from Geneva College and the University of Pittsburgh, respectively. She is past president and member of the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Western PA, Inc. She is also a member of the Pittsburgh Human Resources Association, Society of Human Resource Management, Pittsburgh World Affairs Council, Latin American Cultural Union, National Speakers Association, and the Society for Intercultural Education, Training & Research.