At a recent BEYA ceremony, a vice president of program management received the Linda Gooden Legacy Award for exemplifying Gooden’s impact as a leader in the defense industry.
In his acceptance speech, the award winner described his journey from Ohio, where his early interests in planes, trains, and rockets led him to after-school STEM programs. Although he initially worked as a mail handler before earning his industrial engineering degree, his persistence launched a career at GE Aviation and GE Transportation, fulfilling his childhood ambitions.
The Linda Gooden Legacy Award honors Linda Gooden, founding president of LM Information Technology, who had a 40-year career in the defense sector and won the top award at the BEYA Conference in 2006.
In 2019, Gooden presented her namesake award to a senior administrator, recognizing her contributions to STEM outreach and enterprise resource groups.
During that BEYA award ceremony, Gooden expressed gratitude for being among the nominees during the 20th anniversary of BEYA in 2006. She emphasized that nominees pave the way for future generations, just as past recipients did.
Despite not seeing many role models in STEM as a young girl, she earned a degree in computer technology from Youngstown State and an MBA from the University of Maryland. As chair of the Maryland Board of Regents, she worked to expand access and excellence across 12 institutions serving over 170,000 students. At LM, she led more than 30,000 professionals and managed contracts exceeding $8 billion, delivering critical systems for NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Gooden viewed IT as essential infrastructure for national security, always anticipating challenges and leading with both technical expertise and compassion.
At General Motors, she contributed to the transition to electric and autonomous vehicles, and at ADP and Home Depot, she supported digital transformation and workforce development. Gooden brings cybersecurity expertise and a deep understanding of team building to every role. What makes Linda unique is that she doesn’t just open doors—she holds them open. She represents the best of STEM excellence, and she’s a beacon for all who want to lead with values and vision.