For Iona Harding, the shift from finance to human resources was not simply a career move — it was a turning point that reshaped the way she understood people, leadership, and belonging.”This is what I was meant to do,” Harding said to herself when, in the late 1980s, she began working in human resources and diversity programs at AT&T.
In college, Harding majored in business education and began her professional career teaching at Somerville High School. In the early 1980s she was fortunate enough to land a systems analyst position at AT&T, just as the microprocessor was changing the face of computing and business. After a few years in finance, she shifted careers again, this time into human resources. Her CFO, Al Grorud, sent her to a five-day executive diversity program that changed her life by enabling her to see, for the first time, that she was privileged simply because of the color of her skin. This realization moved her career path away from numbers and toward people. At the same time, the corporate “personnel department” was being transformed into the “human resources department,” reflecting a recognition that people are assets to be valued and that a diverse workforce is not only the right thing to do but good for business.
Harding grew up in Mount Holly, New Jersey, a racially and economically diverse community not far from Fort Dix Army Base and McGuire Air Force Base. In the 1960s and 1970s, Fort Dix was one of the few U.S. Army bases that permitted interracial marriages — a policy that contributed to the diversity of her local high school, Rancocas Valley Regional. There it was normal to be alongside people of different ethnicities, cultures, religions, and backgrounds every day, including notable figures such as Franco Harris. Somerville, New Jersey, was a similarly diverse community, but the corporate world was altogether different — very white and very male, particularly in management.
Working in HR at AT&T and Lucent became her life’s work. After twenty-two years in industry, Harding started her own consulting practice, helping nonprofits with HR strategy, policy, recruiting, and development — always with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She also became an adjunct instructor in the MBA program at Saint Peter’s University and at Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration in Bangkok, Thailand.
Harding is in her sixth year as a board member at the Center for Modern Aging, where she chairs the human resources committee. In this role, she draws on her knowledge and experience to support CEO Drew A. Dyson in developing staff policies and ensuring the well-being of Center staff.
As the Center for Modern Aging Princeton continues to grow, Harding recognizes that mindfulness toward staff remains paramount. “I see nothing but opportunity,” she says. “It is a joy to work with Drew, the leadership team, and the staff at CMAP.”
