REPORTER
August 26, 2014
Linda Hudson
Linda Hudson, recently retired from BAE Systems
in Washington, DC and previously the president of
Charlotte-based General Dynamics Armament &
Technical Products, has returned to the Queen City
to start the next chapter of her life. She spoke about
her personal journey and what it taught her about great leaders and the
importance of successful business and personal transitions.
The daughter of two schoolteachers, Linda grew up in Florida in the 50s and 60s
able to see Cape Canaveral space launches from her front yard. She dreamed of
flying planes and was inspired by a seventh grade teacher to pursue engineering.
Even if flying planes was out of reach for a female in those days, Linda vowed she
would design them if she couldn’t fly them.
She earned a degree in systems engineering from the University of Florida, one
of only two women in all of the engineering disciplines in her class. The volatility
and unfairness of the times brought discrimination against blacks and women, but
Linda channeled her outrage into focusing on doing her job better than it had ever
been done before.
She married, moved to California, had a daughter and her career began to soar.
“As my career successes multiplied, my marriage deteriorated,” she said. She
divorced after 24 years of marriage and while her daughter, with whom she is still
very close, was a senior in high school.
Fast forward through a 41-year career in the national security industry, being
named one of Fortune magazine's 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and
leading a company (BAE) with more than 43,000 employees and $14 billion in
annual revenues to (what she planned to be) her perfectly-planned retirement
earlier this year.
As all well-laid plans often go, a sudden drug-resistant eColi infection cut her final
days at BAE short, leaving her in kidney failure and fighting for her life in a
Charlotte hospital. Grateful that there wasn’t a large “funeral-like” retirement party
and lengthy goodbyes, she realized that her illness made her leaving the corporate
world easier. Six weeks later she was well again to pick up her plans.
Some of the things Linda learned along the way was how to balance her inside
persona, her outside persona and her “authentic me.” Helping people hone their
own versions of these three elements of life is the basis for her new consulting
practice, The Cardea Group. Cardea was the Greek goddess of threshold and
change; Hudson believes the ability to adapt, change and move forward is the
most important attribute of continued success.
“The most successful people I’ve known have been well-read, well-traveled and
engaged in challenging personal activities,” she said. “There is no such thing as a
work-life balance, but there is a way to effectively integrate work and life.”
Throughout her career and life, she has learned how to embrace change,
constantly evolve, value diversity, cherish family and friends, enjoy work, care
deeply about the community and country, share good fortune and have fun along
the way.
She closed with a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.; “I find the great thing in
this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. We
must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and
not drift, nor lie at anchor.”
Written by: Jill Santuccio
MEETING PARTICIPANTS
Head Table: Saeed Moghadam, David Veach, Tom Bartholomy, Mike Hawley, Karen Steffens,
Erskine Harkey; Invocation: Jim Kelley; Guests & Visitors: Denise Hallett; Health, Happiness &
History: Bill Bradley; AV: Jessica Dupree & Nikki Keith; Photos: Bert Voswinkel
_______________________________________________________________________________
Club News
Saeed Moghadam introduced, David Veach as the club’s eighth new member of the
year. David is a business banking relationship manager at NewDominion Bank and can
be reached at [email protected]. Welcome, David!
Superior Court Judge Bill Constangy has been selected as an honoree for the 2014
Leaders in the Law Award; Rick English (Natalie’s son) was the smiling face on CO.com
for the opening day of CMS; check out the August edition of Greater Charlotte Biz to learn
more about Mike Hawley and K&L Gates Charlotte; Bill Allen announced the club
donated $3,000 to support Classroom Central and School Tools!
NEEDED…..golfers/sponsorships for the Rotary 9/11 Scholarship Golf Classic, 9/24/14 at
the Club at Ballantyne. Registration brochure at www.charlotterotary.org.
UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS (9/2/14 – 9/8/14)
09/02 Jenn Jackson
09/03 Ed Driggs, Meg McElwain
09/04 Martin Waters, Sean Preston
09/05 Robert Freeman, John Lassiter, Dusty Holcomb, Frank Watson
09/06 Paul Wyche
09/07 Nick Simonette
09/08 Wes Jones, Patricia Shafer
UPCOMING ANNIVERSARIES (9/2/14 – 9/8/14)
09/02 Kimberly & Todd Owens
09/03 Nancy & David Roberson, Rose Marie & Gene Bratek
09/04 Tamara & Bill Griffin
09/05 Marti & David Head
09/06 Ty & David Hands
09/07 Harriet & Bill Barnhardt
09/07 Barbara & Darrell Holland
09/08 Heidi & George Wilson
ATTENDANCE
Visitors & Guests
Club Members
Total Attendance
Percentage
25
161
186
55.9%
MEMBERSHIP
08/26/2014
321
07/01/2014
317
Net Increase:
+4
New Members: Omar Kazzaz, Ryan Menzel, Ellen McIntyre, Dena Diorio, David Veach
Resignations: John Stedman
VISITORS ON 8/26/14
Exchange Students Jana & Raul, Katie Gunter; Mary Dowd, Dianne Stewart, Kristina
Cruise, John Bradshaw, Dale Halton, Fred Wagner, Frank Turner, Amanda Bryan, Susan
Boylston, Jim Hendery, Tae Lee, Bill Cummings, Brent LeVasselr
UPCOMING LUNCHEONS (www.charlotterotary.org and click on the events tab)
09/02/14 – Mike McGuire, CEO, Grant Thornton Global
09/09/14 – Lee Keesler, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
09/16/14 – Jay Bryson, Managing Director, Wells Fargo Securities (US Economic Outlook)
Photos from the Luncheon
Photos from our luncheons and other events can be found on Flickr Click here
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