Business Roundtable: Nat Alston, President & Founder of The Horizons Group, Inc. and President and Founder of Ujamaa Business Roundtable

Each month HCLS co-hosts an online Roundtable focusing on a local business owned by a Person of Color in Howard County. The owner shares the experiences and challenges they face as a local business owner.

Learn what it takes to start your own successful business. Ask questions of people who own a local business. Maybe it will inspire you to start your own!  The Business Roundtable normally meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month and includes time for Q&A. 

This month our table is turned and we will be featuring Nat Alston as our February Roundtable guest. Many of you know Nat as the moderator of our monthly Business Roundtable, and as the President and Founder of the Ujamaa Business Roundtable, but Nat is a man of many talents, and we look forward to hearing and learning about his experiences.

About Nat Alston: Nathaniel Alston is the President & Founder of THE HORIZONS GROUP, Inc., a human capital consulting firm specializing in human resources strategic planning, succession planning, talent acquisition, executive search, business coaching, and management/leadership development training. 

Nat has over 45 years of executive level and mid-level human resources experience in a variety of positions covering such industries as financial services, health care, hospitality, food service, food distribution, and higher education, local and state government. 

Prior to the December 2000 founding of The Horizons Group, Nat was the Vice President of Human Resources for State Employees Credit Union of Maryland. In that capacity he directed the overall human resource function for the largest credit union in the State of Maryland. With over 450 employees and over billion dollars in assets, Nat was part of the senior management team that set the strategic direction for the credit union. 

Before joining SECU, Nat was the Regional Director for Human Resources for Service America Corporation, a major food service contractor. In that capacity, Nat supervised a team of 4 and was responsible for the company’s largest regional human resources function, which consisted of approximately 8,000 employees in 16 states. 

Nat has been employed by The Marriott Corporation as Corporate Manager of Employee Relations and Manager of Employment, by Holiday Inns, Inc. as Manager of Employment, by Baptist Memorial Hospital Health Care System as Manager of Human Resources, by PYA Monarch a division of Sara Lee Corporation as Manager of Corporate Employee Relations, and by The HBH Corporation as an Overseas Recruiter. 

Prior to entering corporate America, Nat spent 10 years in Law Enforcement serving as a Maryland State Police Officer, a Prince George’s County Police Officer and as Director of Public Safety, Bowie State College (now Bowie State University).

ORGANIZATIONS 

In 1998, Nat along with twelve other senior human resources’ executives founded the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. In 2001 he was elected as the National President. This is an organization which represents over 7,000 African American Human Resource professionals in 30 cities and the US Virgin Islands. In 2007 Nat was bestowed the Lifetime Member Emeritus designation by the organization.

In 2013, Nat was elected Chairman of the National Board of Directors of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. 

Nat is the President & Founder Ujamaa Business Roundtable, a board member of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum and a Commissioner of the Howard County Maryland Equal Business Opportunity Commission. 

Nat served on the Economic Development Transition Team for the 2018 elected Howard County Executive, Calvin Ball. 

He was a frequent presenter at the “Moneywise Empowerment Seminars “with Kelvin Boston. 

Nat was also the 2010 – 2012 President of The University of Maryland University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus) National Alumni Association. The Alumni Association represents over 120,000 UMUC Alumni. 

Nat is also a member of the Past Presidents Alumni Advisory Board of University of Maryland Global Campus. 

Nat was a weekly contributor to radio station WEAA, Morgan State University on Mondays on the Sandy Mallory Show with his “Tips to Elevate Your Career”.

He has spoken before numerous Civic Organizations, Colleges, and business organizations. 

Nat received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus). 

Nat is a member of Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship and a Founder of Groove Phi Groove SF Bulldog Chapter at Bowie State University.

In partnership with Ujamaa Business Roundtable, a roundtable of African-American business owners from the counties of Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Baltimore and Baltimore City.

If you have questions or if you are business owner that would like to be featured at one of our monthly Roundtable discussions, please email us: HCLS.BusinessRoundtable@hclibrary.org.

Register with an email address to receive the link to join the webinar and a class reminder.