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T HE OFFICES AT THE downtown headquarters of the San Diego Padres aren't stereotypically male as one might imagine the average MLB team's would be. In fact, they're anything but average. Five women are in executive leadership roles: Sara Greenspan, SVP, People and Culture; Jaclyn Lash, SVP, Special Events; Diana Puetz, Vice President, Public Affairs; Terezka Zabka, Vice President, General Counsel; and COO Caroline Perry, who gained national attention upon taking the post in 2023 as only the second female COO in the league. ese dynamic female leaders are shaping the experience at Petco Park and at the same time making us say, "What boys club?" While her role is a big deal for the Padres, baseball, and San Diego, Perry says her place as a trailblazer isn't always top of mind. "I try not to think about it too much because I don't want to create that kind of pressure for myself," she says. Plus, while she says the reception to her in the role was overwhelmingly positive, it also served as a reminder that there is a certain novelty to it that isn't entirely welcome. "I was so flattered by the coverage when I was promoted. But on the other hand, I couldn't help thinking, 'I can't wait for the day when this is not noteworthy that a woman was promoted,'" she says. Perry has noted significant progress in her 14 years in sports when it comes to who's in the room. "We're right on the cusp of seeing so many of these young women start to move into more senior roles in sports, which is really great to see," she says. "You never want to create that world where women feel like there's only one spot and so everyone's got to fight for it and you've got to tear other people down on your way to try and get it. at's not how we grow as a sport, as an industry. We grow by creating more opportunities." It's a sentiment echoed by Greenspan. "I think that it's especially important for women leaders to ensure that other women in the organization are set up for success and advancement, and they're not held down just due to unnecessary competition, that by bringing people with you, as you rise, they rise, and the company gets better," she says. "All of us who work in sports have a natural competitive bone, but it's about recognizing that the competition is not with each other, that competition is with the world. 'How are we collectively better versus against each other?' at's something I always have in the back of my head." "I've probably worked the closest [with Caroline] out of anyone in organization over the last eight years, and >> @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE MAY 2024 41