By Nikki Kallio, Katy Macek and Shayna Mace | Photography by Hillary Schave
From Community Connection to Children’s Futures
In 2021, Becky Steinhoff stepped down after 30 years as Goodman Community Center’s executive director. When she started with the organization, they had two full-time employees and one part-time staffer. When she left, they had 100. The community center serves people in the Madison area with event and meeting spaces, a food pantry, meals and activities for older adults, and programming for children and youth.
Artfully Creating Her Next Chapter
Working in the same field for an entire career offers a sense of comfort and stability, and Sue Moberly had that. But, she decided after a long teaching career that it was time to forge her next path.
A Delicious Start to a Charitable Finish
After 40 years in the hospitality industry, Lea Culver has finally had time in the last few years to reflect on her career journey. Back when she was working in operations at Culver’s, the fast-casual restaurant chain she co-founded in 1984 with Craig and his parents (and her in-laws at the time), George and Ruth, she didn’t have much time for contemplation. During those hectic early years, she was busy as a full-time, working mom of three.
Using “Gray Power” to Advocate for Human Health
When Dr. Susan Davidson, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies and fetal medicine, began seeing more women with babies carrying a very specific type of birth defect (gastroschisis, which causes a hole in the fetus’s abdominal wall) — it caught her attention.
Quick Qs
If you’re not from Madison, what has kept you here?
“It’s a wonderful place to live. One of the things that I have actually found during retirement is — I always had friends — but I am just loving the wealth of women friends around me. We have lunch, we do things and I meet new people. That sort of human capital is very wonderful. The other thing about being in Wisconsin is that it’s a small enough state that you can make a difference on a state level.”
– Dr. Susan Davidson
What advice would you give your younger self?
“I’m very comfortable with change, and I know it’s really hard for a lot of people. I’ve adjusted as I’ve aged, but I tend to always want to plow forward. [Now] I might be more intentional and be a little slower and more thoughtful. That’s something I learned along the way I would probably do differently.”
– Becky Steinhoff
What do you like to do in your spare time?
“I participate in Art Fair Off the Square. [And] from a recreation standpoint, you cannot beat going down to Brittingham Boats, renting a kayak and getting out on the lakes.”
– Sue Moberly
What inspires your work and life now, after having such a successful career?
“I’ve always wanted to be a good example for my daughters and leave a legacy of caring. We were very blessed with our business, and now it’s time for me to give back, and whenever I can, I do. I’m just going to keep making a difference and trying to make the world a better place, one day at a time.”
