At Radiance Technologies, Kelly Berger leads a culture she describes less in terms of policy and more in terms of relationships.

“It’s all about relationships,” Berger said. “If you ask any Radiance employee about how they feel about working at Radiance, it’s our community, our culture is so important to us. All of the decisions that I make are centered around our employees.”

Berger’s work building that culture — now as Vice President and Director of Human Resources at the Huntsville-based company — has earned her recognition as one of YHN Media Group’s 2026 Women of Impact.

The road to Radiance

Berger didn’t start out working in human resources, or at least what most understand as HR.

She joined the Air Force straight out of high school, and for eight years, managed personnel programs for more than 400 employees in an aircraft maintenance squadron at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina — a role that, in civilian terms, functioned as HR.

“My first job in the Air Force was really my overall experience in the Air Force — as an information manager,” Berger said. “That job title later became knowledge operations manager, but when translating that into civilian, it was an HR manager. I worked in a commander support staff for a maintenance squadron and did all functions of HR — think evaluations and decorations and drug testing and all of that. So it was, in quotes, HR.”

As she prepared to transition out of the Air Force, Berger had recently earned a bachelor’s degree in education and believed she was headed toward the classroom.

“I actually have a trophy, I was the most outstanding student teacher,” she said, and remembers thinking, “4.0, that works, right?”

But after her husband, also active-duty military, was stationed in Michigan, the plan didn’t hold. Berger applied for a local teaching position and was one of 800 applicants for two open spots, but what she thought would be her calling didn’t end up working out.

The setback pushed her to reconsider what she already knew how to do.

“I needed to think about what I did in the military,” she said, racking the experience she got in her eight years with the Air Force. That reflection led her to a role as an employment interviewer specialist with the Michigan Works Association, helping veterans — including disabled and homeless veterans — find employment.

“I ended up teaching veterans how to find work and did that for a few years. Those that can’t do, I guess, teach,” she said with a laugh.

When her husband’s next assignment brought the family to the Huntsville area, Berger briefly continued veteran-focused work with Still Serving Veterans before returning to the field she knew best.

By then she had earned her MBA, and she stepped into HR manager roles at Black Hall Aerospace and later, Aetos Systems, where she spent more than four years building out the company’s HR department before joining Radiance Technologies in December 2021 as lead HR generalist. She was promoted to deputy director of human resources in January 2024, and to vice president and director of human resources this past April.

“And kind of the rest was history,” Berger said.

‘It takes a village’

“It’s hard to say it’s this one thing,” she said. “Like, oh, I helped with Radiance, and we brought on two subsidiaries. But it’s more than that. It’s about creating a sense of community within our organization.”

She’s quick to share credit rather than claim it.

“It takes a village,” Berger said. “I can’t say it’s because Kelly works at Radiance that we have such an amazing culture, because it’s beyond me.”

To stay sharp across an evolving industry, Berger leans on her professional network — including a group of about 20 HR professionals who trade guidance over a shared email thread.

She’s also part of Leadership Greater Huntsville’s Connect Program, which she said connected her with people outside HR entirely.

“I think that gives us a cutting edge of understanding different industries,” she said.

Vision, at home and at work

Berger points to several people who’ve shaped how she leads. Bill Bailey, she said, is an incredible, strong leader who is deeply articulate about his vision — something she believes helps grow a company.

“He is incredible,” Berger said. “He’s a strong leader. He is very articulate about his vision, and I think that helps grow a company.”

She also points to Donna Coleman, CEO at Aetos Systems and Athens State University Board of Trustees Chair Pro Tempore, as a role model.

“She is a powerful woman who has done great things,” Berger said. “You can tell her vision isn’t even just for her company, but for the community, and how she gives back. That’s been great.”

Closer to home, Berger’s husband, who retired from the Army, has shaped her leadership by example.

“I look at him and his dedication to his team, and I’ve learned from him even,” she said.

Faith, family and leading by example

Balancing leadership with life outside of work, Berger said, comes down to boundaries and priorities — and her faith.

“Knowing when to say yes and knowing when to say no — you don’t have to be everything for everyone,” she said. “There’s a season for every part of your life. My faith and my family come first, and I lead by example.”

That philosophy extends to her team.

“Their family is important to me just as much as my family is important to me,” Berger said. “I want them to be able to spend time with their family. This job will continue, and I think because I have that mindset, there is a level of respect that we have for each other. We look out for one another, and we want to do a good job because we want us all to succeed.”

We Lead: Supporting women in a male-dominated industry

At Radiance, Berger points to We Lead — Women Engaged in Leadership Engineering — as one of the company’s strongest tools for developing future women leaders. The group organizes leadership series, technical events and community involvement opportunities that extend beyond Radiance itself.

“It’s not a competition,” Berger said. “We’re encouraging one another to advance in our careers, and not just even advancing in our careers, but giving back to our community, and creating avenues to do so.”

She said the culture extends well beyond the office.

“My friends will say, ‘Y’all are always doing fun stuff,’ and I’m like, I know, but we work really hard,” Berger said. “We have so much fun at work, and we enjoy being around each other. You can tell when you have a leader who really enjoys coming to work.”

Breaking stereotypes for the next generation

Looking ahead, Berger hopes the next generation of women entering STEM, defense and aerospace fields in Alabama will support one another rather than compete.

“There’s this competition, and I really think that we should be less in competition with each other,” Berger said. “Support one another. I do feel, especially in areas of STEM, don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t be afraid to take that first step to work toward something that is outside the norms.”

Berger, a military veteran herself, has experienced that firsthand. She recalled attending her children’s Veterans Day program, where a student assumed the veterans seating in the center of the room didn’t apply to her.

“I know, isn’t it crazy? I’m a girl and a veteran,” Berger said, laughing. “I think it’s about getting away from stereotypes and just not being afraid to do something that’s not typical. It’s okay.”

A legacy she can pass down

For Berger, making an impact isn’t about building a personal legacy — it’s about what she can pass down to her children.

“It’s not necessarily a legacy, but to be able to pass down something to my children that I am proud of,” Berger said.

She has served as a court-appointed special advocate — called CASA in Morgan County — working with children in the foster care system.

“I think about the kids that I have served doing that, and how one person can make a huge difference in that person’s trajectory,” she said. “Not everyone has an upbringing like I had, or can live the life that I have, and I understand that. For me, it’s giving God glory through the work that I do, and showing my kids how to live that way.”

She’s candid that she doesn’t always get it right.

“Do I get it right all the time? No, I don’t,” Berger said. “And showing myself grace in moments where I don’t get it right — I think that’s important.”

Evy Gallagher is the interim editor in chief for Yellowhammer News. You can contact her at [email protected]