Sue Steele, a distinguished alumna of Momentum’s Executive Class Two, is a trailblazer in the male-dominated fields of construction and engineering. Throughout her career, Sue has excelled in both C-suite roles and on corporate boards both in the U.S. and internationally. Now celebrating her 20th year as an alumna, Sue recently shared how Momentum’s Executive Program transformed her career and personal life. She remains a loyal, Lifetime Member of Momentum, generously supporting our mission.
“Any investment I’ve made in Momentum has been multiplied and magnified.”
Sue initially hesitated to participate in Momentum due to her past observations of the gender-neutral nature of most leadership courses. However, after meeting Momentum founder Barbara Royal and hearing from alumnae of the first class, Sue decided to participate and quickly realized that Momentum was not a typical leadership program.
Sue found the program to be “life-changing and worth every minute invested.” She credits Momentum for helping her develop both her internal leadership strengths—by addressing her strengths and weaknesses—and her external network, connecting her with women across industries and learning about their shared challenges as female leaders.
“It was incredibly effective for me to openly discuss the areas where I have weaknesses and could improve. This is something I wouldn’t have been comfortable sharing in other settings, but because the group was made up of women who were open to vulnerability, it felt safe to be honest.”
Luminary Women 2023
After 10 years of working in Greenville, Texas, and then in Abu Dhabi, Sue reconnected with Momentum in 2015. In 2023, she became involved with Luminary Women after her return to Alabama from Austin, Texas where she served as the CEO of a consulting firm. Sue shared that she’s grateful to Momentum for offering programs that support women at every stage of their career.
“When I look at the quality of the programs, the depth of the preparation, the attention to detail, I feel like contributing to Momentum is such a very, very smart investment. I’ve been blown away by the programs, especially the ones Momentum has just initiated for underserved communities.”
Sue went on to urge the importance of supporting other women through Momentum’s mission, whether through advocacy, giving, volunteering, or supporting others in the programs.
“I just would encourage other people to get involved. They’ll never regret it.”
The Momentum team is incredibly grateful for Sue’s support, generosity, and unwavering dedication to our mission throughout the past 20 years. She has truly paved the way for female leaders in our community, and her exceptional leadership and giving spirit continue to inspire us all.
