2004 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven leader
Lynn "Nay" Valbuena
Executive Secretary
National Indian Gaming Association
It is fair to say that Lynn Valbuena has
made a tremendous difference. That difference
cuts a wide swath from her hometown
on the San Manuel Reservation in Highland,
California to Washington, DC-and across the
entire gaming industry. Valbuena is currently
serving her seventh year as Chairwoman
of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian
Nations, her fourth term as Executive
Secretary of the National Indian Gaming
Association, and her 13th year as San
Manuel's Tribal delegate to the National
Congress of American Indians. She is a
member of the advisory council to the Board
of Directors for the American Indian
Chamber of Commerce, and consults with
the University of California-Riverside as
Chairwoman of the Native American
Advisory Committee. She also has served on
San Manuel's Tribal Council, including two
years as Chairwoman from 1994-1996, and
as both Secretary and Vice Chairperson of
CNIGA. This is to say nothing of her community
service, which includes 16 years
with the San Bernardino Police Department,
five terms as Executive Secretary of the San
Bernardino Valley Lighthouse for the Blind,
and nearly four years on the board of directors
of Riverside-San Bernardino County
Indian Health, Inc., or her numerous regional
and national awards.
Behind it all is Valbuena's "passion to
protect and promote tribal sovereignty and
preserve our rich cultural identity as Native
American people," she says. "It is so important
to me to preserve our cultural traditions
in our family and have it continue in the
next generations to come. It starts with
being role models for our children and educating
them about what family values really
are and what they mean so that they, too,
can become our future leaders."
It's not surprising that family is a main
theme for Valbuena; an enrolled member of
the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians,
she is the great-great-granddaughter of
Santos Manuel, who was the San Manuel
Tribe's medicine man, political leader, patriarch
and, ultimately, namesake. She speaks
reverently of her parents, George and
Pauline Murillo, as her mentors who
instilled the family values needed to be successful,
and her grandmother, Martha
Chacon. "My grandmother was the matriarch
of our family and tribal spokeswoman
for our Tribe in the early 1950s," says
Valbuena. "Through her leadership, our
tribe was able to improve its quality of life
with electricity in the 1950s and running
water in the 1960s. As their daughter, granddaughter
and great-great-granddaughter, I
chose to follow in their footsteps and strive
for that vision of success."
Valbuena looks at leadership realistically,
which is to say it's not easy. "There is a lot
of traveling involved that can become very
tiring and cumbersome," she says. "But as a
leader, you have made a commitment in
your leadership role and you have people
who are depending on you. You make yourself
available, at times on a moment's
notice. That is what a true leader is all
about.
"You also have to have a very strong
passion for what you do. I can attribute my
success to passion, personal commitment,
dedication, devotion, and strength. Also, my
success hinges on diplomacy, professionalism,
credibility, self-esteem, self-confidence
and self-respect. Without these traits, it
would be difficult for me to survive in a
leadership role."
Add being a woman to that formula, and
Valbuena acknowledges the extra challenge.
"Sometimes the first impression of a woman
in a leadership role is not always favorable
in a male dominated industry," Valbuena
says. " When women are in powerful roles,
there could be times when it is difficult to
prove to others that you possess the abilities
to excel in your position. We as women may
have to be just a little more aggressive when
in a male dominated industry such as gaming.
We must express our opinions, accept
criticism and be prepared to take on challenges
without feeling intimidated.
"(But) I'm proud to say that we are seeing
more women rising in the gaming industry,"
she continues. "I remember years ago
when only men were in powerful roles.
Now the women of today are emerging into
these roles too. More women are being recognized
for their leadership. We as women
have the qualities, skills and political influence
it takes to motivate us in the gaming
world of today.
"More women are becoming elected officials
of their Tribes, including the
Chairwomanship position. You used to see
the women staying at home and running the
family, being the homemaker and taking
care of the children. Not anymore! Today
there are a lot of brave women out there
who are very intellectual and show a lot of
compassion in their leadership and political
roles."
While Valbuena sees this as a sign of
positive progress, she also sees it as a clear
departure from tradition—and therefore,
another challenge. "Being away makes it difficult
to take care of personal business at
home," says Valbuena, who has a husband,
two children and three grandchildren.
"Women in today's corporate world of gaming
are always traveling, taking on another
journey that embraces gaming. We do this
because we are in leadership roles and have
to always look out for our best interests in
the world of gaming."
Valbuena acknowledges that survival
takes good communication skills, business
ethics and principles. She also says that it
takes commitment, knowledge, experience,
professionalism and at times, a lot of
patience. But she is mindful of the respect
she says the men in gaming have always
given her, and she is upbeat about women
in gaming-and in any business. "Women
strive to make their vision of opportunity
and success a reality," she says. "Hats off to
our great women leaders of America!"
Copyright 2011, Great Women of Gaming. All rights reserved.
