From left are West Sacramento City Councilmember Quirina Orozco, River Cats Manager of Baseball Operations Sabrina Aguiar, Athletics Senior Coordinator of People Operations J’ley Fagalar, River Cats Senior Director of Marketing Sarah Hebel and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero at the end of the River Cats’ Women’s Empowerment Night panel at Sutter Health Park on Aug. 9 before first pitch. Photo by Seth Henderson

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The Sacramento River Cats hosted a Women’s Empowerment Night on Aug. 9 before their game against the Sugar Land Sky Cowboys, featuring a panel of four prominent female leaders who spoke about their experience overcoming obstacles and provided insight. 

The panel featured West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, West Sacramento City Councilmember and Child Abuse Prosecutor Quirina Orozco, River Cats Manager of Baseball Operations Sabrina Aguiar and J’ley Fagalar, the Athletics’ Senior Coordinator of People Operations, moderated by the River Cats’ Senior Director of Marketing Sarah Hebel. 

More than 50 guests attended the pre-game event, including a group of about 20 women and children from the Sacramento-based nonprofit Women’s Empowerment organization. When women experience homelessness, the organization’s executive director Lisa Culp said, they feel alone and being invited as guests to a local sports team makes them feel special. 

“Empowerment is so critical for women, especially women who are experiencing homelessness in order to have the confidence and to reach beyond your comfort zone and seek employment that is going to be able to allow you to put a roof over your head and your children’s head,” Culp said. “Because minimum wage won't do it.”

At 5:30 p.m., the panel started with an introduction by Hebel, who moderated the discussion. The first topic revolved around leadership with the panelists sharing their backgrounds as to how they became leaders. Some spoke about their upbringing and others mentioned the obstacles they overcame and just how they did it. 

Guerrero said she was inspired to get into politics from the strong female leadership displayed in her Southern California community. In West Sacramento, she said, women are the majority voters and that the city is quite unique. Guerrero said her motto is that no one is left behind, learning from residents and business owners what matters most to them.

“In my years growing up in high school, I worked for an assembly member who was running as a candidate, Gloria Molina,” Guerrero said. “And Gloria Molina fought for her seat against a man and I was able to canvas for her. And when I canvased and knocked on every door, I felt that fiery passion to lead her community and that was a unique opportunity that I had.”

Orozco said that leaders should lead how they wish to be led.

“Just running toward the danger and always stepping up to do hard things really is an opportunity and I think there’s a leader in all of us,” Orozco said. 

Aguiar said there wasn’t a single aspect of her career that defined her as a leader but she wouldn’t be where she is if Aguiar hadn’t kept a business card from one of her mentors. 

“When I had to start making hard decisions that impacted everybody around me with 99% of them being male,” Aguiar said, “I was like ‘OK, this might mean I’m a leader’ but to me, honestly, being a leader is more than just doing;  I think it’s impacting how you treat other people and a reflection of who you are.”

Fagalar said that she learned to shift gears in being a leader, managing different personalities within the workplace. Fagalar worked to get over her fears and nerves, saying she’s not afraid to fail and that “failure is a good thing.” Fagalar said her boss was an important mentor when she began her career with the Athletics.

“I think a lot of people look at failure and fear itself is scary. A lot of people say, ‘I fear, fear itself,’” Fagalar said. “So, when I got here, of course I was nervous, I messed up on certain things and never once did I feel like it was a bad thing.”

The panelists discussed how they seized their leadership opportunities and the differences between ambition and well-being. They gave advice to the audience about leading in female roles and a work life balance, saying to let everyone have a voice, seize opportunities, lead by example and give back to the community. 

“My well-being is my ambition,” Guerrero said. 

Guerrero spoke about a diagnosis in her family that led to her brother and mother passing away from cancer. Guerrero said it prompted her to get screened more often and monitor her health more closely, mentioning that she was going to the gym after the panel but had also done some exercise before the event. 

In between “this and that,” you need to take care of your health, according to Guerrero. 

Orozco spoke about a late-stage cancer diagnosis that she experienced after putting herself last while handling a job and family life. Orozco said it prompted her to have an entire lifestyle shift, saying it was either “roll over or take action.” Stepping back from her high-profile job, Orozco said, it’s important to remember that nothing is forever and that anyone can be replaced.

There are numerous women working in professional baseball, Aguiar said, and she wants to be there for the girls behind her. 

Fagalar answered the question addressed to the panel about a work-life balance. 

“It’s a work in progress,” Fagalar said. “I call it the ‘turn on and off button.’ I’m slowly getting there, I’m not there. I’m one of those people that takes their laptop on vacation. I know I shouldn’t but it just doesn’t sit right with me.”

Guerrero said to constantly seek different opportunities for internships and that multi-tasking is a skill worth developing.

Culp said that she loves the fact that Sacramento’s local sports teams are acknowledging women and Women’s Empowerment. She said Women’s Empowerment participated in another women’s event with the Sacramento Kings in March. 

“I really believe when we strengthen and empower these women, we have stronger families and healthier, stronger, more empowered communities,” Culp said.