
“Having been here now for 11 months, I can say that I truly understand what Creators were describing when they mentioned what a great employer we have.” Thriving at Light & WonderĪs the director of benefits at Light & Wonder, Tonia continues to lean into her Air Force background daily - primarily her empathy and adaptability.

“I had to see and experience the wonder that they described for myself before accepting an opportunity when it was presented,” says Tonia. Every Creator spoke highly of the benefits offered by Light & Wonder, and this spoke volumes to Tonia. She recalls being intrigued by how genuinely excited all of the team members (known as Creators) at Light & Wonder seemed about their jobs. “I had the pleasure of meeting the Light & Wonder Benefits team while I was working at a health insurance carrier,” Tonia says. Tonia explains that these interpersonal skills helped her to foster strong relationships throughout her career, and in tandem, open new doors - one of which would lead her to Light & Wonder. I learned that diversity is the art of thinking independently, together.” “I also found that I was very adaptable in the face of adversity and quite flexible when it came to working with my peers and managers with different ways of taking on challenging situations. “I was able to bring my ability to communicate with a variety of people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, demographics, and personalities,” she says. Leveraging her transferable skillsĬollege degree in hand, Tonia found she could now leverage many of the acquired skills from her time in the Air Force to excel in her corporate career. With a clear mission, Tonia enrolled at the University of Nevada to develop her business acumen and fill the gaps she’d pinpointed post-service, enabling her to bring a diverse skill set to healthcare. I wanted to learn as much as I could about everything related to healthcare,” she says. “I realized that, in the military, service members have very little choice about their options for care, but outside of the military, people have a wide array of choices to decide from. Tonia eventually landed a role as a statistician at a local healthcare company where she was impressed by the amount of care options in the market. While the Air Force had taught her to be organized, detail-oriented, and clear in her thoughts and execution, she found it hard to leverage these acquired skills without a college degree or external relationships. Tonia struggled to transition into the corporate world after leaving the service. From military service to corporate healthcare We sat down with her to hear more about her journey from the Air Force to corporate leadership and how Light & Wonder has supported her continued growth. Tonia’s story is a testament to the power of combining transferable skills with an empowering company culture. “As fate would have it, I ended up transitioning to the Medical Admin Specialist program,” Tonia says, a role that would set the stage for her career in the insurance industry and her current role as director of benefits at Light & Wonder.

She decided to join the Air Force, where she started as an air traffic controller. Thanks to her parents’ experience, Tonia had already witnessed the growth opportunities the military can offer.
