Valerie Spicer had a simple reason for eschewing a well-established career to pursue opportunities in tribal gaming. During Tuesday’s “Women in Tribal Gaming: The Professional Journey to Excellence” session at the IGA Tradeshow & Conference in San Diego, Spicer, who has almost 40 years of experience in the gaming industry, summed up her outlook succinctly: If opportunity knocks, open the door.
“As time went on, the industry shifted,” said Spicer, Vetnos Chief Gaming Officer and a founding partner of the Trilogy Group, noting her previous work for companies in the pari-mutuel space. “And all of a sudden, tribal gaming came and to be honest, that was a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t I start following that road and see what I could do to try to make a difference?”
The session, hosted by Frances Alvarez, chairperson of the Tribal Gaming Protection Network (TGPN) and a board member of the National Native American Hall of Fame, served as a pep talk for tribal women who haven’t always been recognized and seek to advance their careers.
Alvarez recalled a function she attended about eight years ago where all the panel sessions, save the very last one, were populated by men.
“We were, like, wait a minute, something’s missing here and that’s us, the women,” Alvarez said. “We have just as powerful voices, experience, leadership, and we weren’t being recognized.”
From that slight, Alvarez said the TGPN Women Tribal Gaming Symposium was born. (This year’s event takes place May 2-3 at the Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Arizona.)
Kelly Myers, manger of client solutions for Gaming Laboratories International, says she initially didn’t focus on what was important to her career and earned the nickname “Party Kelly.”
“I was working on growing in the industry, I was representing my tribe, and that’s not what I wanted to be known for,” Myers said. “I kind of had to step back and realize that’s not what I’m here for.”
She added that it’s especially important for tribal women to develop a personal brand that reflects their talents. “What do you want to be known in the industry for? Do you want to be known as a tribal leader? Do you want to be known as knowledgeable on your industry? Or do you want to be, ‘Hey, it’s Party Kelly?’”
In order to advance her career, Julie Hakman, owner of background-screening company AmericanChecked, had to start from scratch. She knew little about owning a company or tribal gaming. But after immersing herself in those spheres, she launched a career that has spanned more than three decades.
“I was exposed to this world of tribal gaming and found inequalities between commercial and Tribal gaming,” Hakman said. “And the perception or misperception that tribal gaming was unregulated and chaotic and commercial gaming was so professional, and how wrong that all that was.”
“It changed me forever professionally,” she added. “I was supposed to be growing a business and working one hundred percent on sales. Instead, I recognized that it was more about being authentic, more about education and being an expert, really understanding the business.”
Myers admitted when she started speaking publicly, she was terrified, convinced that there were those who wanted to see her fail. Instead, she found that people were listening, wanted to hear her speak, and most of all, were supportive.
“If there’s something that you want to do in the industry, reach out to the person you know who’s doing that. So many people in this industry are willing to help,” Myers said. “All three of these ladies on this stage have been a part of that and many of you out here in the audience have been a part of my journey. And if that’s what you’re wanting to create, that’s my best advice.”
