2004 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven leader
Sheila Morago
Executive Director
Arizona Indian Gaming Association
Something good is happening In
Arizona—and the fact that the Arizona
Indian Gaming Association is run entirely
by women is only part of the story. "We
now have an all-female roster of tribal officers
for AIGA and there are currently seven
women who are leaders of their tribes,"
says Sheila Morago. "That's not counting
the many vice chairs and council members
who are women. So women are definitely
making inroads here!"
Morago herself is integral to the other
part of that story. Raised on the Gila River
Indian Community, she credits her parents
as the most influential people in her life,
and subsequently her career. "They always
encouraged me and my brothers and sister
to be and do whatever we wanted to be,"
says Morago. "I was also fortunate to have
a great role model in my aunt, who I was
extremely close to. She was the CEO of the
hospital at Gila River. Strong women run in
my family!"
Morago's impressive career is a reflection
of that strength, hard work and also,
as she says, "being in the right place at the
right time." She was the first marketing
director for the Gila River Indian Casino,
restructuring and developing the new marketing
department and opening several
gaming facilities. That job, which also
involved overseeing personnel and
employee procedures, allowed Morago to
create visibility—which she has continually
turned into opportunity. When Jacob
Coin, who most recently was the executive
director of CNIGA, left the AIGA to head
the National Indian Gaming Association,
he asked Morago to come along as Director
of Public Relations. "Then, when the 17
Arizona tribes took Proposition 202 to the
voters, they asked me to return to Arizona
to be the tribal liaison for this important
ballot initiative," she says. Morago was
vital to the success of Prop 202, coordinating
all efforts between the campaign office
and the 17-Tribe coalition; she also
designed and managed the campaign's
successful outreach effort in Arizona
Indian Country. Again, visibility and hard
work paid off: tribal leaders hired her to
succeed David LaSarte as executive director
of the AIGA. "I don't think that I could
have planned this career progression," says
Morago, "but (I) have been delighted to be
able to leverage each opportunity."
During her varied career, Morago says
she has found the gaming industry in general
to be very receptive and responsive.
"Of course there are always personalities
that must be accounted for," she says.
"Some men are not enlightened enough to
be open to working with smart women. In
those cases, it can be a tough work environment.
It is a fact of life that some men
hear or listen to men better than they do to
women. Sometimes, when faced with this
situation, it helps to have a male 'cohort'
who can back up your statements.
Hopefully, we will need less of this kind of
help in the future as more women assume
their places at the industry table."
Making that future happen depends
upon women themselves, Morago says,
and she is clear about how to develop herself
for success. "In general I've found that
women need to be professional, smart and
assertive," she says. "We also need to be
willing to listen well. One talent we need to
cultivate is to learn how to state our opinions
as effectively as possible, and not be
afraid to restate our positions if we are not
being heard," she continues. "One advantage
is that since there are fewer of us, we
women are more memorable. Which can
work to our advantage when we are
knowledgeable, professional and willing to
take on leadership roles."
Morago also offers some thoughts that
put a different light on the male-female
dynamic in business. "If anything, I think
it's harder to succeed and prosper in a
female dominated industry," she says,
"since non-American Indian women, as a
rule, unfortunately are less nurturing to
other women. Hopefully, this will change
as we see more and more women in top
positions in all industries."
From Morago's vantage point, this hope
is certain to become a reality. "Remember
that Indian gaming is still a relatively
young industry by corporate industry standards,"
she says. "As more American
Indian women executives and tribal leaders
emerge, I believe we will see more
women assuming leadership positions in
the industry. It is Indian Country's most
important growth industry so of course it
will attract more rising female stars.
Already we seeing this happen in Arizona,
where we have some excellent women
execs being mentored for top casino positions."
Morago only mentions her own attributes
in passing, but she is clearly smart,
open and experienced. Still, each day she
approaches her job as if it was a new challenge.
"As a female currently working in
this field, I believe that women need to do
our homework thoroughly to succeed," she
says. "I'm fortunate that my experience has
made me fairly visible so there is an
assumption that I know the business.
However, I make it a rule to come to the
table well-prepared, because I want to
make sure that I'm representing the tribal
leaders to the best of my ability."
Copyright 2011, Great Women of Gaming. All rights reserved.
