2008 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven leader
Libby Francisco
Chief Operating Officer
Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise
Elizabeth “Libby” Francisco knows the meaning of working hard and does it well. It began during her childhood, where she was one of seven children. She grew up in a one-bedroom house and began working at age 13. “My mother, Effie, and my father, Edmund, were amazing people with strong work ethics,” Francisco commented. “Neither had the privilege of education. Both worked manual labor their entire lives, yet both possessed the drive to do the best work possible.”
She said she promised her father she’d get her college degree and completed nearly two years at Stanford University on scholarships. After her experience there, which she described as a culture shock, she returned to Tucson and worked at the University of Arizona for 13 years, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in 1993. She was then recruited by then-Casino Manager Ned Norris to work at the Desert Diamond Casino and started as shift manager.
Francisco admits she first struggled with the nature of her new work. “I had to get over my own stigma of gaming, especially after leaving university employment to work for the Enterprise,” she explained. “Honestly, I voted against the gaming initiative when it was first presented by our nation. Now, I am proud of the work I do and the contributions I have made to the Enterprise.”
She would advise younger women looking to get in the industry to “not be afraid like I was initially. Women can do anything and everything.”
She has now been with the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise for 14 years, with the past three serving as COO. Delia Carlyle, former chairwoman of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, said Francisco is the personal “face” of gaming for her nation and state. “Extremely professional but always gracious, she sits comfortably at the table with the ‘boys.’ She makes it look easy—which it isn’t—for a woman to rise to the highest positions in what has traditionally been a man’s game.”
Francisco said one of her challenges was when she was promoted to poker room manager. “I was not welcomed by the players, management staff, or employees, each for different reasons,” she said. “I asked that they give me a chance to prove myself, and after three months I can say that I had successfully transitioned into an environment that was primarily male dominated.”
In addition to her rise up the professional ranks, Francisco has also been committed to mentoring. She supports and oversees three programs within the Enterprise that focus on mentoring and developing tribal employees. The Foundations program provides mentorship to management-level employees; an internship program reaches out to tribal members with degrees to bring them to the Enterprise; and the Pathways program provides mentorship to those in supervisory positions. She also personally credits Norris with her own professional mentorship.
Not stopping there, Francisco sits on the board of trustees for Tohono O’odham Community College, is on the American Indian Advisory Board to the President of UA and is a member of Tucson Leading Business Women.
“I absolutely love the opportunities and challenges that come from working for a dynamic and non-stop industry such as ours,” Francisco said about what she enjoys most about gaming. “In addition to ensuring that we operate a business of integrity, I also have opportunities to travel and meet many successful people in gaming.”
Much can be learned from this Proven Leader in gaming who has demonstrated in her own life that with dedication comes success. “I love to learn and to be challenged,” she said. “These traits push me to want to do better, and of course I do have the good work ethic that my parents passed on to me.”
Copyright 2010, Great Women of Gaming. All rights reserved.
