products that would help defend our
nation and advance freedom around
the world. Such empowerment of
women built momentum for the kind of
inclusion we have today. It’s rewarding
to see so many women carrying on the
legacy of those women who helped
build the modern workplace. Today,
women represent more than half of
the professional workforce, and the
number of women leaders continues
to rise. I’m proud of how far we’ve
come and confident that there’s even
more opportunity ahead.
5. Who was your mentor?
When I began my career at Lockheed
Martin more than 31 years ago,
mentoring and talent development
played a huge role in getting my
career on the right track. When I was
a relatively new supervisor, the vice
president of operations nominated
me for the Lockheed General
Management Development Program,
which was a very selective program
with only four employees of 21,000
applicants accepted.
It required the vice president to
do more than just put forward my
nomination. He had to commit to
having a job for me when I graduated
from the program. It was clear that he
genuinely wanted me to be successful
at Lockheed, and he went out of
his way to support me. When I was
accepted into the program, he mapped
out where I should go and how long I
should stay in each rotation to ensure
my experiences were diverse and
that I would be prepared for my next
role. At the end of the two years, he
promoted me into my first department
manager role and I felt prepared to
be successful.
That experience turned out to
be one of many turning points in my
career. And it was all because a vice
president in my company recognized
my potential and was willing to get
involved.
6. What led to your decision to attend
The University of Alabama?
My family lived nearby the school,
so I was aware that The University of
Alabama had an exceptional business
program. It aligned with my academic
strengths and career aspirations, and
I was working full time in Tuscaloosa
to pay for my college education, so it
was a natural fit.
7. What is the biggest lesson you
learned from your time at the
Culverhouse College of Commerce?
I enjoyed my time at the Culverhouse
College of Commerce and learned
many important lessons that I’ve
carried with me throughout my
career. I couldn’t point to just one
lesson; however, the diverse and
interesting people I met and their
willingness to share their knowledge
and experiences so openly was
a highlight.
8. What is the best piece of advice given
to you by a teacher?
There wasn’t only one. The faculty
was top notch, and they consistently
challenged me to remain intellectually
curious and to perform my best on
every project and assignment. Also,
they showed me that great leaders
never stop learning.
9. What do you enjoy doing in your
spare time?
While my role at Lockheed Martin
doesn’t leave me with a lot of spare
time, my husband I and do love to
play golf, so we try to work that
in regularly.
I enjoy traveling with my family.
My husband and two sons and I take
a family vacation every year. It’s an
opportunity to spend time together
and explore a new part of the world.
10. What would you do differently?
Because I feel very fortunate to have
a supportive, loving family and a
rewarding and fulfilling career, there
isn’t anything I would do differently.
The breadth of experiences I’ve had
personally and professionally have
allowed me to continuously learn
and to grow as a wife, mother and
business leader. I believe strongly
that if you stay true to your values
and surround yourself with others
who share those values, you will
rarely have regrets.
11. What are the latest books you’ve
read?
I recently enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s
“David and Goliath.” It’s all about
ordinary people who have taken
on huge, oversized challenges,
some driven by emotion or passion,
others just by circumstance. What
you learn from these stories is that
the outcome is not always what you
might expect, and, sometimes, one
person’s adversity or suffering can
be a catalyst for positive change in
the world. I gave copies of it to my
entire senior leadership team as
a reminder that challenges can be
a good thing, and when we work
together, we can overcome them.
12. What is your favorite quote?
I grew up in a very patriotic family,
and I consider myself a patriot. My