Terry Gerton You are in an interesting spot there at the Senior Executive Association. The last year has been a tough one for senior executives across the federal service. When you think about all of the things that that group is navigating, retirements, leadership gaps, changes in performance management, we can talk about all them. But when you look at that environment, what on earth possessed you to say, yes, now is the time that I want to jump in and take on a leadership responsibility?

Michelle Sutter Sure. So I honestly saw this as a pivotal moment for the senior executive community. Agencies are being asked to move faster, operate leaner, manage uncertainty, and still deliver results at a very high level. And at the same time, we are seeing a tremendous amount of transition, right, like you just noted across government, whether that is retirement, leadership turnover, or evolving workforce expectations. So for me, this role was an opportunity to help strengthen the infrastructure around executive leadership at a time when that support truly does matter. SEA has credibility, history, and a strong mission. And what drew me in was the chance to help position the organization, not just as an advocacy voice, but as a practical partner for executives navigating real operational and leadership challenges every single day. And I also felt strongly that my background across operations, workforce strategy, and organizational leadership positioned me to really help SEA continue evolving in a way that is not only sustainable, but also member focused and execution driven.

Terry Gerton Let’s talk about your background a little bit, because you have served in a variety of federal positions, you’ve been in military leadership, you’ve been in non-profit management. How do you bring all of those different perspectives to the work that’s in front of SEA, and how do you wanna help senior executives today kind of build their profile as well?

Michelle Sutter Sure. So what I will say is that my experience really does shape almost everything about how I lead. One thing that I have learned from being in those environments that they all have in common is accountability. And at the end of the day, leaders are responsible for execution outcomes, and most importantly, people. My experience taught me that leadership is not just about strategy conversations. It’s about translating strategy into action, building trust, managing through ambiguity, and keeping organizations moving even when resources are scarce and priorities shift constantly. So that perspective aligns closely with the reality that senior executives are facing every single day. SES leaders are balancing mission delivery, workforce Issues. political transitions, operational pressures and public expectations all at the same time. So my approach at SEA is very practical. I want the organization to be responsive, credible, solution-oriented and deeply connected to what executives are actually experiencing across government.

Terry Gerton You just walked through a lot of coordinated pressure on the SES corp, plus it’s about 1,000 people smaller than it used to be. When you think about all of the challenges, all of pressures that SESs are facing today, are you seeing them shape their work or their approach to federal leadership differently?

Michelle Sutter Sure, absolutely. And I think that’s because pressure is coming from multiple directions simultaneously. Like I said previously, there is the operational pressure of delivering results in an environment that’s very complex across government right now. There’s workforce pressure around recruitment, retention, morale, and even readiness. And there’s also the broader expectation that agencies modernize and adapt faster than they were ever expected to before. So what that means for SES leaders is that the role has become even more dynamic. Executives are no longer just managing programs. They’re also leading organizations through constant change while maintaining continuity, accountability, and most importantly, mission focus. I also think executives are being asked to communicate differently. Employees want transparency, and rightly so. Stakeholders want responsiveness, and rightly so, and agencies are under heightened scrutiny. So leadership today requires both operational discipline, but also a very human approach to leading people through uncertainty.

Terry Gerton I’m speaking with Dr. Michelle Sutter. She’s the executive director for the Senior Executive Association. Michelle, let’s shift a little from describing the environment to talking specifically about the Senior Executive Association. You took over as the executive director just back in April, so you haven’t been there very long at all. As you’ve gotten your feet under you, where do you see the biggest opportunity for SEA to support the SES community that’s facing all of those challenges you just walked through?

Michelle Sutter Sure, absolutely. I think the opportunity is in being very intentional about where SEA adds the most value. We don’t have to be everything to everyone to have impact. For me, that means focusing on three major things, which is strong advocacy, meaningful executive engagement, and targeted professional development and support opportunities that reflect the realities of not only what executives are facing right now, but also senior leaders and aspiring leaders. So it also means building smarter partnerships and creating programming that is very strategic and sustainable rather than trying to scale too quickly. One of my priorities is making sure SCA remains both influential and operationally sound. If we’re thoughtful about alignment, partnerships and membership engagement, we can continue growing our impact while still protecting the long-term sustainability of the organization.

Terry Gerton Not only have you just been there a short time, but SEA is also preparing to onboard a new president. How will the two of you, as a new leadership team for this organization, set a new agenda, divide the work, focus your efforts?

Michelle Sutter Sure. So I think, of course, transitions are a very important moment for any organization. And I think the key alignment between myself and Mary Kate [Whalen] is communication. Mary Kate brings a strong leadership background, a deep understanding of government and a true passion of advocacy and executive leadership. My role as executive director is to ensure we have operational continuity, strong coordination and a clear path as we move into this next chapter. And I view the relationship between the board of directors, the president, and the executive director as a partnership. Everyone has distinct responsibilities, but we have to remain aligned around the mission, priorities and membership value. And if we focus on membership and providing what our members need, the goal should be sustainability. Momentum and confidence that SEA is continuing to evolve in a thoughtful and strategic way.

Terry Gerton You describe this transition as moving into a new chapter. What will be different, do you think, over the coming six to 12 months as SEA reshapes and reorganizes a little bit? What are you gonna try to do differently, certainly given all of the disruption over the past year?

Michelle Sutter Sure. I think the focus for us and what we’re going to continue to do is ensure that SCA is viewed as a trusted professional home for executives at every stage of leadership. So for current SES members, that means advocacy, community, and meaningful engagement with peers who understand the complexity of executive leadership in government. For aspiring leaders, I want SEA to help kind of demystify leadership at the senior level and create opportunities for mentorship, development, and connection. And most importantly, I want people to feel supported. Leadership, as we know, can be extremely isolating, especially in high pressure environments. SCA has an opportunity to help executives, senior leaders and aspiring leaders to stay connected, informed, and grounded while continuing to lead through change and delivering services to the American people.

Terry Gerton What sort of professional development opportunities do you think are most essential for both current SES leaders and those who might aspire to executive leadership that the federal government is not providing for them?

Michelle Sutter Well, in this environment right now, as we know, the federal government is doing so much more with less and that puts agencies in a predicament to where they’re not able to pay for training as they would in the past. So the key focus is hard and soft skills. So providing developmental opportunities that are focused on hard skills related to specific job series and also the support aspect of it too, the soft skills — being able to ensure that executives and senior leaders and aspiring leaders have the tools that they need to lead in a way to where they have that human touch, to where employees don’t just feel like a number, they feel like they’re genuinely cared about. And that’s really important for us at SCA is to provide the tools for our members to be successful running day-to-day operations.