Steve Gardner’s career took a major turn one day in October, 2014. He had been presented with an opportunity to attend leadership training at the Center for Creative Leadership. The week had been intense. Working with other executives from around the country the team had “run” a fake glass company, pretending to be CEOs and other senior executives. It had been a grueling week with frank evaluations and hard to hear feedback.

At the very end of the training each participant was asked the same question, “Someday when you retire, what do you want your professional reputation to be? Professionally, what do you want to be remembered for?”

Steve realized that the most satisfying moments of his career had been when he realized that he had helped others with their careers. The best compliment he had ever received was when one employee left his organization for a new job and said on his last day, “I know the only reason that I got this job is because I worked for you.”

That realization of what mattered to Steve set him on a new career course. Steve said, “I realized that I was helping other people achieve their goals, but I wasn’t sure that I had done it enough. And I wasn’t sure that I had made helping others enough of a real focus of my career.”

From that point on, Steve managed people differently, working to coach and mentor better and to prioritize the development of his team.

Over Steve’s career, he’s worked with CEO’s from Fortune 50 companies. He’s created and led global teams. Steve has had the opportunity to travel the world in his various jobs, speaking publicly, managing campaigns and operations from the Premier of China visiting a facility in Shanghai, to events on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange stories on 60 Minutes and more.

“I’m fortunate that I found such a great fit with NOSSCR.” Steve said. “NOSSCR is going through such amazing changes. Every day is challenging, but also gratifying. I love the team we’ve put together here. This team is the main reason that I wanted to be here. I can’t wait to look back in a few years and see everything that we’ve been able to accomplish for the members of NOSSCR.”

Steve has lived on Capitol Hill for nearly 14 years with his wife Cheryl Levine, the Director of Innovation at the Health Resources and Services Administration. They travel as much as possible and Steve knows all the best places in DC to get a glass or bottle of wine.