Alice Lessmann’s story is one of perseverance, service, and leadership across the military, healthcare, business, and civic life. Rooted in North Alabama, she has built a career and a reputation defined by resilience, quiet grit, and a steady commitment to serving others.
Definitional accomplishments
When asked what she is most proud of, Lessmann doesn’t hesitate to start with her family.
“One of my greatest accomplishments, of course, is my family and my kids,” she said, describing her daughter’s determination to earn a place at the U.S. Air Force Academy and her son’s growth as a young man at Florida State University.
“You’ve got to teach them how to live without you… They’re independent, and that’s something I’m very proud of.”
Her path has also taken her far beyond family life. Lessmann served 21 years in the Alabama Army National Guard, rising to lieutenant colonel and commanding a medical detachment. She admitted she never expected any of it when she was young: “I never thought I would someday be a commander in the Army National Guard… I never thought I would be a CEO or a business owner.”
The military, she said, pushed her out of her comfort zone and taught her to lead under pressure.
Neurosurgery and entrepreneurship
Before stepping into business leadership, Lessmann worked as a neurosurgical nurse practitioner—long hours in surgery, frequent on-call shifts, and the kind of responsibility that leaves little room for family life. When her husband felt called to launch a defense contracting firm, she encouraged him to take the leap.
“Let’s do it! Do it now,” she told him. To help the startup qualify for federal work, she trained to become a certified Facility Security Officer (FSO), completing intensive coursework in Washington so the company could obtain the clearances it needed.
What began in a detached garage grew into Signalink, a thriving small business. Lessmann spent years behind the scenes—handling contracts, invoicing, and operations—while also serving in the PTA and volunteering in her children’s schools.
In 2016, with the kids older, she stepped fully into leadership as CEO of Signalink.
“Maintaining a business for 20 years is not easy,” she reflected. “To make it through all the ups and downs and still be here—that’s a major accomplishment.”
In 2022, she and her husband were approached to acquire Cepeda Systems & Software Analysis. After “lots of thought and prayer,” they moved forward, keeping the two companies separate so she could focus on Cepeda while he led Signalink.
Since then, Cepeda has secured major wins—a recompete NASA contract and a new U.S. Army EXPRESS award—while Signalink marked its 20th anniversary. Together, the two firms now employ more than 140 people across North Alabama.
Inspired by women of strength
Lessmann credits her mother—who immigrated from Korea and worked custodial jobs—as a defining influence. Her example of dignity and excellence in every task left a permanent mark. “
She always ingrained that you do the best you can with anything you do,” Lessmann said.
Her mother‑in‑law modeled grace and encouragement which taught her how to interact with those she worked with in a way that was both encouraging and productive. In uniform, mentors including Major Craft and Colonel McGuinness stretched her as a leader and helped her see potential she hadn’t yet recognized in herself.
Purpose in serving others
Ask Lessmann what gives her work meaning, and she points to service.
“Serving brings purpose to me,” she said. From PTA halls to military command to the C‑suite, she’s most fulfilled when she’s helping others succeed. “If I can help someone else or even inspire them—show them that if I can do this, they can do it too—that fills my heart.”
From schools to city hall
Lessmann has carried that ethos into public service. Appointed to the Madison City School Board in 2020 and reappointed in 2021, she says the work deepened her perspective on education and community.
This summer, she was elected unopposed to represent District 5 on the Madison City Council and will take office in November 2025. “Anybody that runs for office—I have a whole new appreciation,” she said. “Just putting yourself out there is an accomplishment in itself.”
A leadership philosophy built on people
Leadership, to Lessmann, means seeing and developing the best in others. It’s also about decisiveness: the discipline to make a call, learn from mistakes, and keep moving.
“You have to make a decision… even if it’s the wrong decision, you’ll learn from it,” she said. She believes great leaders mentor, are patient, and make room for others to grow: “You have to let them fail… that’s when you learn the best.”
Why it matters to Alabama
Lessmann has spent nearly her entire life and career in Alabama—Huntsville City Schools, the Alabama Army National Guard, Huntsville Hospital, the University of Alabama in Huntsville—and she says the state’s opportunities and people shaped her path. Her advice echoes what she learned at home and in uniform: do excellent work, and doors will open.
“Do your best at anything you do… make it so people can’t help but notice you. Then you’re going to find yourself at the next level,” she said.
Resilience and legacy
From operating rooms to drill weekends, startup growing pains to major federal contracts, PTA meetings to city council, Alice Lessmann has led with humility, steadiness, and service. She credits family, mentors, faith, and community for lifting her along the way—and she keeps paying that forward by lifting others.
That’s why she stands among Yellowhammer’s Women of Impact: a servant leader whose quiet grit keeps making North Alabama stronger.
