The job’s difficulty is what drew Susana Sandoval to community affairs in the first place. The senior director of government and community affairs at First American Title Insurance says government affairs, corporate reputation, nonprofit partnerships, philanthropy, and disaster response all come under her national purview. That work relies on leveraging relationships with senior government officials, CEOs, nonprofit leaders, and other stakeholders across the U.S., often at moments that test how strong those bonds are.
“I’ve also always believed there’s something special about bringing people together for a good purpose. But what really drew me to community affairs was the realization you could take that desire to give back and turn it into something even bigger,” Sandoval explains. “There are real strategic imperatives behind this work, and that’s the part I love most. It’s about understanding what a community needs, recognizing where your organization can make a difference, and figuring out how to bring the right people and resources together to make it happen.”
The senior director says that, early on, she saw that there is far too much unnecessary suffering in the world. She couldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore. Her work allows her to help address those kinds of disparities from a few different vantage points.
Sandoval herself grew up shuttling between rural communities and Los Angeles. Living in such different environments taught her that people can experience the same world very differently.
“What feels like an obvious opportunity to one person may seem completely out of reach to another,” the senior director says. “You learn to listen, to be curious rather than make assumptions, and to pay attention to what someone might need but not know how to ask for.”
That perspective has been invaluable whether Sandoval is speaking to a local nonprofit, a business leader, or a government official.
Genuine Curiosity
Part of the reason that Sandoval is so good at her job is that she genuinely likes people. She’s interested in their stories, not just their titles. She understands that sometimes laughter is the quickest way to bring a room together, to make people comfortable, and to create real connections. She’s warm and willing to laugh at herself while still being focused on executing her work at a high level.
Sandoval says trust starts long before one needs to ask for help. She pays attention to what matters to people, tries to anticipate their needs, and follows through on what she says she will do. She aims for transparency, so that, whether or not they agree with her position, people understand exactly where she stands.
When it comes to seeing her direct impact, Sandoval remembers watching students get sent home to learn remotely during the pandemic. While everyone was learning to work differently, she kept thinking of children who didn’t have access to a laptop or the technology required to learn from home.
“The need was clear, but the hard part was that laptops were almost impossible to find,” Sandoval recalls. “So, we started asking a different question: Who do we know, and how could we work together to get these devices into students’ hands?”
Sandoval reached out across her corporate network, including contractors and suppliers, to explore purchasing laptops at discounted rates for donation. Her team focused on communities with significant needs, such as Chicago and Los Angeles. She found people willing to help.
“It’s moments like these where you realize what a network can really do,” Sandoval says. “When you bring the right people together around a need they understand, suddenly something that seemed out of reach begins to feel possible. And thanks to their generosity, over 1,000 school kids received laptops.”
Advice From a Pro
The leader implores younger professionals to build their network before they need it. Sandoval says she started building hers even before she knew what direction she wanted her career to take. She was curious about people’s stories, not what they could do for her. That kind of authentic engagement helped build lasting connections.
“Don’t confuse networking with collecting business cards. Get to know people,” the senior director explains. “Be helpful when you can. Follow through. Call someone just to check in, not because you need a favor. Relationships built that way last, and they’re the ones that can open doors when you least expect it.”
Sandoval is doing her best to pay her success forward through her work with organizations such as Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) and in everyday ways at work. It might be a conversation, an introduction, or a little encouragement at the right moment.
“And when an opportunity comes up, I try to think about whose name I can put forward,” Sandoval says. “One of the most rewarding parts of growing in your own career is reaching a point where you can help someone else grow in theirs.”
