City Of Las Vegas: Women's History Month 2021

Press release from the City of Las Vegas:

Mar 28, 2021

Throughout Women's History Month, we will be adding responses from several women who are in leadership positions at the city. 

Dina Dalessio - Deputy Fire Chief 

Why is it important for women to be in leadership positions? What advice would you give women who aspire to be in your shoes one day?

All competent people should have the opportunity to lead; when we focus on differences rather than competencies, it hurts everyone. Women don’t add a different value than men; we are focused, passionate, and can take charge effectively. Our challenge is that most leadership positions are held by white men, and that can create the impression that leadership should look and sound a certain way. We need more women leaders to help expand perceptions around how leadership should look and sound. Women are inherently skilled in listening, collaborating and managing in complexity. This isn’t about celebrating women in leadership, this is about gender equality. According to a February 2020 report from the National Fire Protection Association, only 8% of the more than 1 million firefighters in the U.S. are female.

My advice to women who aspire to be in a position of leadership is to pursue it, and to find strong mentors along the way with whom they can confer and seek guidance as needed. Organizations, our communities, our country and our planet need them!

How do you empower other women in your field and in your life?

Personally and professionally I’ve always had the aspiration of helping others to identify and reach for their potential. As a leader, I am present and authentic; I put everyone on my team on an equal level. For more than 15 years, I’ve been deeply involved in a Women in the Fire Service Program. The intention of the program is to demystify what a career in the fire service includes in order to encourage women to consider the option. Often in male dominated industries, women aspire to fit in or to be validated by leadership. I’d like to encourage all women seeking leadership positions to lean in to their unique attributes and celebrate those as relevant and necessary skills in the department. Ultimately, fire departments should reflect the communities they serve.

Who are the women that inspire and empower you?

I am grateful for the women who came before me in the fire service, who served as examples of what was possible.  I am even more inspired by and hopeful for the women who come after me.  Their strength, intelligence and care elevate our ability to serve the community.  

I look up to so many of the friends that I have grown up with; Women who have established their own path and career. Empowering women means speaking up, especially when it’s difficult to do so, standing behind and alongside your team, and making decisions that remove barriers and create opportunities. 

Being in a leadership position means you have influence, and influence equals power to make decisions that can effect real change, like who is recruited, hired and promoted. Unless we have leaders who are actively working to create equitable opportunities and work environments, work places will not challenge the status quo.

Do you have anything else you would like to share about women’s history and/or the goal to achieve women’s equality?

It would be easy to feel discouraged about equality if you study women’s history, but in this moment in time, we are beginning to see real change. As this momentum begins to increase, we’re starting to see more women in positions of real power. We’re seeing women exert influence, even without the formal title. The reality is leadership is neither male nor female, we all have the opportunity to lead in our lives. I feel privileged to lead in my organization, to serve as an example to others who aspire to lead in theirs, and to expand the limited examples of what leadership is assumed to look like.

Dr. Lisa Morris Hibbler - Chief Community Services Officer

Tell us a little about yourself and your career journey that led you to become Chief Community Services Officer. 

I have a BA in Environmental Studies and a MA in Public Administration and Doctorate in Public Administration.  I’ve always been drawn to working in community and human services. I was able to get a job with the city of Las Vegas when I graduated college and it’s become a 24- year career in local government.

Why is it important for women to be in leadership positions? What advice would you give women who aspire to be in your shoes one day?

It’s important to have diversity of thought in organizations and definitely on the leadership team. As individuals we bring different perspectives and having gender and racial diversity make the team stronger.

The best advice I can give to the next generation of women in leadership is to invest in yourself both educationally and professionally. Take advantage of professional organizations in your field; for example, I am a member of ICMA and ELGL. Professional organizations provide great opportunities for network and professional development. Obtain your Master’s Degree, credentialing or graduate certificates to help expand your knowledge base. If you can’t get experience in the organization, seek opportunities outside of the organization.   

How do you empower other women in your field and in your life?

I am a proponent of mentoring. I work with young ladies to help them find their path and put a plan together to achieve it. As women we often doubt our “readiness” to move to the next level, so I try to encourage women to take the leap, just as mentors encouraged me.  I love the book “The Influence Effect: A new path to power for women leaders." I give the book to each of my mentees and would encourage any women looking to be in a leadership role to read the book!

In my personal life, I have a “girlfriend circle” that helps to keep me grounded, focused and motivated.  The saying, “It’s lonely at the top,” is even more true for women leaders. It important to have a tight knit group friends that can want the best for you.

Who are the women that inspire and empower you?

My mother was the first women that inspired me. I saw her tenacity and fearlessness as she became the first African-American Planning Commissioner and first African-American woman to serve as a City Council women in a small town in California. I was fortunate to have phenomenal mentors, both within the organization and in the community, that helped me become the woman I am today. Starting the city as a Management Analyst at the age of 22, I was very ambitious but “green." My mentors taught me how to be successful in a political environment and how to create my own opportunities.

Do you have anything else you would like to share about women’s history and/or the goal to achieve women’s equality?

Believe in yourself and go for it!

This press release was produced by the City of Las Vegas. The views expressed here are the author’s own.