{"id":893136,"date":"2026-06-26T02:22:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T02:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/893136\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T02:22:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T02:22:15","slug":"pickup-lines-usaa-executive-jenna-saucedo-herrera-reflects-on-leadership-resilience-and-giving-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/893136\/","title":{"rendered":"Pickup Lines: USAA executive Jenna Saucedo-Herrera reflects on leadership, resilience and giving back"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 Jenna Saucedo-Herrera\u2019s path from a working ranch in Elmendorf to the executive ranks of one of San Antonio\u2019s largest employers wasn\u2019t one she carefully mapped out. Instead, she says, it was built by embracing challenges, taking on difficult assignments and investing in relationships.<\/p>\n

Saucedo-Herrera, head of corporate impact at USAA, shared her story during an appearance on KSAT\u2019s \u201cPickup Lines\u201d with host Ernie Zuniga.<\/p>\n

Raised on a ranch just outside San Antonio, Saucedo-Herrera spent weekends helping her family work cattle before sports became a central part of her life. Alongside her sister, she found opportunities through softball, eventually earning a full scholarship to St. Mary\u2019s University. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents always viewed sports as an investment,\u201d Saucedo-Herrera said. \u201cIt was our pathway to education.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating, she began her career as an intern at CPS Energy, eventually becoming the youngest vice president in the utility\u2019s history. She later served as president and CEO of Greater SATX before joining USAA, where she now oversees corporate impact initiatives.<\/p>\n

Despite opportunities to leave Texas, Saucedo-Herrera said San Antonio repeatedly called her back. <\/p>\n

\u201cI got incredible opportunities right here in San Antonio,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery time I considered leaving, another opportunity came along to help move this city forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her career has included working on major economic development projects, helping recruit companies to the region and representing San Antonio around the world. While she takes pride in those accomplishments, she said developing teams and creating opportunities for others has become even more rewarding.<\/p>\n

Saucedo-Herrera also reflected on balancing executive leadership with family life, and she acknowledged there is no perfect formula for work-life balance. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day is different,\u201d she said. \u201cSome days I have to lean in harder as an executive, and some days I need to lean in as a mother and wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the defining moments in her life came during her junior year at St. Mary\u2019s, when she suffered a career-ending softball injury that required extensive rehabilitation. Rather than walking away from the game, Saucedo-Herrera returned for her senior season. <\/p>\n

\u201cI learned so much about resilience, my teammates and leadership,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to prove to myself that I could come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the conversation, Saucedo-Herrera stressed the importance of mentorship, crediting several leaders who helped shape her career. She also recalled advice from former CPS Energy CEO Doyle Beneby that continues to guide her. <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be a victim,\u201d she said, explaining that while people cannot control every circumstance, they can control how they respond.<\/p>\n

As one of San Antonio\u2019s most prominent business leaders, Saucedo-Herrera said she now feels a responsibility to inspire the next generation, particularly young women. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople invested in me,\u201d she said. \u201cMy career is because of those folks. Now it\u2019s my responsibility to invest in others.<\/p>\n

Watch the full Pickup Lines with Jenna Saucedo-Herrera in the video player above.<\/b><\/p>\n

More Pickup Lines episodes:<\/b><\/p>\n

Ernie Zuniga started Pickup Lines, a digital talk show, straight from his vehicle. The segments feature a diverse range of guests, including executives, small business owners, and everyday individuals, as they share personal journeys, news, and stories.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Jenna Saucedo-Herrera\u2019s path from a working ranch in Elmendorf to the executive ranks of one…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":893137,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5133],"tags":[5229,86952,7202,7203,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,139918],"class_list":["post-893136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-america","tag-pickup-lines","tag-san-antonio","tag-sanantonio","tag-texas","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-usaa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116814030894589445","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/893136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=893136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/893136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/893137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=893136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=893136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=893136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}