Toyota’s Gilyard inducted into Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame

BOSTON — A high-ranking Toyota North America executive with more than two decades of experience in the auto manufacturing industry has been inducted into the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) Hall of Fame.

Rhonda Gilyard, vice president of administration at Huntsville’s Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant, was admitted into the Hall of Fame with nine other women at a ceremony in Boston on Sunday.

“I am humbled and grateful to be selected as an inductee in the WiM Hall of Fame,” said Gilyard. “To be honored with such awe-inspiring women and considered among the ranks of previous inductees is more than I could have ever dreamed or expected.  

“My career at Toyota has reinforced that no matter where in the world I work for this amazing company, the values are universal. Success is measured by working together, problem solving as a team, respect for people, and continuous improvement – the cornerstones of Toyota. I hope to share my expertise and these values to empower other women.” 

Gilyard began her career at Toyota in January 2000 as a quality engineer at Toyota’s Long Beach, Calif., plant, TABC. She was promoted numerous times and worked assignments in  at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Baja California, and at Toyota’s headquarters in Plano, Texas.

In 2023, Gilyard began at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing where she helps lead nearly 4,000 team members. She provides support to areas including safety, security, environmental, accounting and finance, human resources, production control, and purchasing. 

“These remarkable women have set new standards for future generations of manufacturing careers,” WiM President and founder Allison Grealis said. “We look forward to honoring these leaders and celebrating their commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces in the industry.”

Inductees were nominated by their colleagues and industry peers and selected by a panel of WiM Executive Committee Board Members. The inductees were chosen based on their significant contributions to the advancement of women in manufacturing.