It is with much sorrow that I announce the passing of my good friend and business partner Steve Alltop. Many of you knew Steve as a leadership instructor and coach. He truly enjoyed working with our clients to help them become more effective leaders.
Steve and I have been friends since high school and we both completed long careers in the U.S. Air Force. In fact, Steve was responsible for my initial entry into the service, but that’s another story. After retirement from the Air Force we both started companies to provide leadership development. In 2014 we decided to combine our companies to form The Daedalus Group.
As a project manager, he tailored our programs to specifically address the unique challenges project managers face as project leaders. When we began working with clients in the aviation industry, his experience as a pilot was instrumental in developing new programs for industry clients.
Many of you may have noticed that Steve was not as visible in the last couple of years. That’s because he was hired to use his project management and leadership experience to help a high-tech company fix a problem that was threatening that company’s future. He was so successful they hired him as an executive leader. Many of his experiences in that position are reflected in our leadership programs. Although he enjoyed the work, I assure you he missed the chance to personally interact with our clients.
One of the loves of Steve’s life was his powered paraglider. He delighted in telling me stories of his adventures flying around Colorado. But even more, Steve loved having his family, and especially his grandchildren visit.
I and The Daedalus Group will miss Steve. But I’m richer for being one of the lives he touched.