Our beginnings go back to Texas.
In 1982, Texas Governor Ann Richards sought a pool of qualified women leaders from which she could appoint to various state positions, commissions and boards.
Governor Richards was unable to find this pool of prepared, qualified women leaders to take on these assignments. In order to fill this void, Governor Richards supported the work of the Foundation for Women’s Resources, who established Leadership Texas in 1983. Its purpose was to identify and develop the women leaders of Texas by providing them with essential information, an awareness of ongoing changes, sharpened skills, and an enduring network of women from diverse backgrounds. They developed a women’s leadership training program targeted at midcareer, professional women, to specifically prepare them for state leadership positions. This later became known as Leadership Texas. Southwestern Bell Corporation-Texas was one of the primary sponsors of this leadership program.
The Move to Missouri
In the late 1980s, Southwestern Bell employees who were graduates of Leadership Texas were transferred to St. Louis, Missouri. These women unsuccessfully looked for a program similar to Leadership Texas and decided to start a comparable program in Missouri. Southwestern Bell-St. Louis became the lead sponsor for this newly founded leadership program. The program was organized and the first Board of Directors for the newly formed Missouri Foundation for Women’s Resources included women from across the state from a variety of industries. The board selected emerging or established women for a year-long traveling symposium program through a competitive application process that examined the leadership roles applicants had in their profession or community. That process is still in place today.
Yearly Class Experience – the Challenge
During each year, a dozen session days are held when critical local, state, national and global issues are discussed with accomplished experts from a variety of fields during four geographic venues. Missouri’s most respected leaders stimulate breakthrough-thinking with a series of highly interactive sessions. Networking with the class, alumnae, sponsors, and presenters offers immense advantages in gaining different perspectives for the cohort’s business challenges. The year provides participants with unique enrichment opportunities and creates a more valued resource for their organization and community. Through interaction with other business and professional leaders, Greater Missouri Women bring back to their businesses and communities new solutions to help organizations and communities thrive.
Refocused and Renamed
In 1997 the organization was renamed the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation, Inc. Today over 1,000 prestigious alumnae from both rural and urban areas include corporate executives, lawyers, physicians, allied health professionals, journalists, education leaders, artists, financial service industry leaders, nonprofit executives, engineers, entrepreneurs and elected officials.
We applaud these outstanding women who have invested in their professional development and reinforcing commitment to their organizations and communities. And we celebrate the vision established by the founding women whose legacy endures.
What is a Greater Missouri Woman?
A Greater Missouri Woman is recognized as accomplished in her field of endeavor. The maturity and professionalism realized by reaching her level of success are demonstrated by her leadership, civic contributions and ability to inspire and support others. She is intellectually curious, interacts well with others, and while passionate in her beliefs, is open-minded when confronted with new points of view. She is committed to a life of learning and personal growth.
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Meet our Director
The Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation (GMLF) Board is pleased to introduce you to Katie Steele Danner, the organization’s Executive Director. Previous Executive Director Jan Grossmann had served in the position since 2013 and retired in 2019.
“We are so excited as Katie brings to this position decades of experience and over 25 years of involvement with GMLF as an alumna of the class, past member of the board of directors and a past President of the organization,” GMLF Board President Kim Becking said.
Danner comes to GMLF after serving as the Director of the Division of Professional Registration at the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance. She has also served as the Director of the Missouri Division of Tourism and Deputy Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development and as a member of the Senior Executive Service for the United States of America. In addition to her experience in state and federal government, she is an experienced and innovative collaborator with a significant background in public, private, and non-profit sector community development, destination marketing and sales, partnership engagement and investment, and educational programs serving urban, rural, economically and culturally diverse communities. She possesses a successful record of creating, implementing and revitalizing innovative marketing and sales programs as well as building and leading high-performance teams.
She was elected to three terms in the Missouri House of Representative for the 2nd Legislative District, which encompassed Kirksville, Missouri. She has a proven track record of working collaboratively on both sides of the aisle and her dedication and passion for our state can be seen through her multitude of professional and community roles she has served in throughout her career working in all areas of the state including the Greater Kansas City area and Branson and Springfield in Southeast Missouri.
Katie also has a proven record of leading with Clifton Strengths themes. The “Strength based” component was added to the class curriculum several years ago and has been a component that increases the return on investment for organizations that have empowered their women leaders to take the Challenge. Katie’s talent DNA matches her success as a committed active Missourian. As shown by her track record and her assessment, she is an Achiever and takes immense satisfaction in being busy and productive. She thrives by receiving Input and accumulating information, ideas, and relationships and is drawn to the process of gaining knowledge and skills. She also celebrates Individualization and is intrigued with the unique qualities of each person and has a gift for figuring out how different people can work together productively. Katie is Strategic and creates alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, she can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues, a skill that will serve her and the organization well in this new role. And finally, Katie is characterized by her Intellectual activity. While introspective she appreciates intellectual discussions and dedicates time to reading, listening and scrutinizing facts as well as ideas and she will challenge the class to do the same. Consequently, people seek her counsel which will serve each class participant well as she mentors and as she gravitates to discussions where the participants are committed to searching for truth and reason during each session experience.
“The Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge empowers women across our state to be more engaged in their communities and in our state to address critical issues. I have seen first-hand through my involvement in Greater Missouri for three decades the impact that this organization has had in our state.” Danner said. “This is what led me to apply for the Executive Director position, to mentor and build relationships with existing alumna and those who will go through the program in the future.”
Since 1990, the Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge (GMLC) has been providing a unique introduction for exceptional women leaders across Missouri to the complex issues facing our communities, state, and nation. The Challenge is a statewide year-long leadership symposium (program) that provides a four-session, three day/ two night program (symposia) each year for selected women leaders. Participation in GMLC provides women leaders with unique personal and professional leadership growth opportunities. Greater Missouri is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization.