Covenant Coordinator
Capital Consultants Management Corp.

Carla Hatter’s favorite job to date was one in Logistics Technology. She just didn’t know it at the time. “I was a marketing assistant for restaurant food equipment, assembling catalogs to pack and ship them all across the United States and Canada,” she says. “That was in the ’80s, before the Internet. Back then you had to call an 800 number to be able to track a box. Now that technology’s outdated, but I loved that job — how independently I was able to work within a big company.”

Fast-forward a few years. After Carla earned an associate degree at Eastfield College, she moved to Irving and ran across information on the Logistics Technology program at North Lake College.

“I thought, ‘I need to check into that,’” she says, “because I realized that it was really what that favorite job of mine was all about. Plus, I had already earned an associate degree, and I only needed the core Logistics courses to earn another degree. That transferable credit is one reason I always tell people to go to community college.

“I always wanted a career that has a variety of functions and unlimited opportunities, which is why I got an associate degree in Logistics Technology. The best part of the program is that you’re able to learn skills that can be applied to a real job. The logistics industry is so huge — it’s everywhere. Still, a lot of people don’t know much about logistics: the flow of materials, distribution, warehousing, even financing. If an item sits on a shelf, it costs you if it’s not moved in the right time frame. There’s a lot to figure out in logistics, and it’s all really interesting.

“The most important thing in your education is to keep taking on challenges, asking questions and learning. People aren’t always aware of new technology and growth opportunities. You can really better yourself and your company by bringing more knowledge to the workplace.”

Carla Hatter currently works as covenant coordinator for Capital Consultants Management Corp. in Irving, a deed-restricted community for which she is responsible for enforcing covenants of the association for about half of its 4,000 homes. 

In addition to earning an associate degree in Business Administration from Eastfield College and another in Logistics Technology, she has nearly completed a certificate in Logistics-RFID (radio frequency identification) technology — the technology used to electronically tag and track goods.

She plans to check into using her RFID certification to land a job in the U.S. Army; the Department of Defense is one of the largest users of RFID technology after retailing and merchandising giants such as Wal-Mart.