Her Story
About Betsy
My career has been rooted in leadership impact, and essentially breaking ceilings by navigating through spaces where decisions truly matter. I've had the opportunity to develop very green teams, and to know that they are successful, that they've learned procurement inside and out because of the things that I've been able to teach them. Any trainings that I got, any certifications that I received, I always gave back to my team, because procurement is never a one-person thing. It is always a team, and a team is built by the team you develop. Through my positions, being able to shape certain decisions, not only having a seat at the table, but using my voice to break barriers, break ceilings, and being conscious of how that's going to affect the next person in line, and bring women up, allow them to feel confident in themselves, even in male-dominated fields. That has been at the forefront of a lot of the decisions, making sure that they are intentional, to not only make a pathway for myself, but bring others along with me. I'm passionate about ensuring that I leave the system, the spaces, and the people better than how they were when I first joined them.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Betsy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the mentors who helped develop me early in my career, especially my purchasing agent at Hidalgo County, Ms. Martha Salazar. She is the reason why I learned to love procurement. She was a wealth of knowledge, I admired her, I looked up to her, and she helped develop me. Every now and then, we'll still keep in touch, just to let her know where I'm at, or what I've done. She's absolutely one of the people that I attribute the success in my career to. Beyond that, I believe success comes from being intentional about the decisions you make and focusing on impact rather than just titles. It's about leaving the system, the spaces, and the people better than how they were when I first joined them.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that if it is something that you are passionate about, you should know that in procurement, not everybody is made for this. You need to be adaptable, a critical thinker, and you need to be able to like puzzles and problem solve. If you fit that criteria, you may absolutely love this field. I would never tell anybody no - I would say try it, because procurement is different at every single organization. If you are a person that enjoys asking why or why not, and likes to solve problems, this could be for you. Beyond the technical skills, I need women to know that being first-generation Americans or having English as a second language are not reasons to feel inferior. You can be a confident woman, educated, bilingual, or trilingual. Learn to stand and take up the space that is necessary. You don't need to make yourself small, because there is enough room for everybody. Just be intentional, and know that you too can do it.
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