Sociology Alumna Unites LA County Cities with Passion and Purpose
The childhood recollection remains seared in Jalonda Watson’s memory.
She can still see her well-dressed maternal grandmother headed down the streets of her Compton neighborhood in kitten heels delivering food to a family in need.
Watson’s late grandmother, Mary Jean Mathis, believed in grassroots community activism and the importance of filling in the gaps for organizations that she recognized couldn’t reach everybody. Watson (‘21, sociology, ‘23, master’s in public administration) not only inherited her grandmother’s penchant for dressing well, she also took to heart the importance of lending a helping hand.
“I grew up with this duty to uplift and help other people,” Watson said. “I believe in giving back. I got that from my grandmother and from seeing the sacrifices my parents made.”
That desire to serve is evident in Watson’s efforts volunteering over the years in community organizations, such as the Red Cross, and local political campaigns. It’s also obvious in her work as the senior manager of strategic engagement for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), a role in which she helps to bring leaders from the county’s 88 cities, nonprofits and private partners together to get desired initiatives off the ground and promote events. Watson began working for LAEDC in January 2025 and became a full-fledged employee in March of last year.
Every day at work is different, something Watson said she enjoys about her job.
“It’s a very dynamic job,” Watson said. “It fit my personality very well. Every day, I wake up and I don’t feel like I am working. I feel like I am doing community stuff. I am able to help make initiatives come to fruition.”
She might be meeting with port officials one day and visiting with a city manager the next. The LAEDC also hosts several major events Watson has a hand in, including the annual 88 Cities Summit, a gathering of city officials, economic development directors and other stakeholders to collaboratively discuss how to tackle the county’s economic challenges. The agency also hosts the Eddy Awards (Economic Development Year-End Awards), a gala honoring individuals, businesses and organizations bolstering economic growth across LA County and championing equitable development, workforce advancement and community investment. Cal Poly Pomona was one of six CSUs honored in November for their impact on LA County’s economy and communities.
“My main goal in everything I do is to create a platform for our partners and connect them with like-minded leaders who can amplify regional impact. So, it’s what impact do you want to have and how can we facilitate that for you?”
Finding Passion and Purpose
Watson didn’t imagine she would have a job with such regional impact, but her parents worked hard to make sure Watson and her two sisters would grow up in an environment ripe with opportunity. They moved to the City of Industry where they decided to raise their children. Watson’s dad was a truck driver in Los Angeles overseeing transportation for the U.S. Postal Service. Her mother also worked for the Postal Service before transitioning to a part-time position at a local school district.
Watson attended Walnut High School. Her parents cultivated safety, Watson said, emphasizing that all she needed to do was work hard and get a good job after graduation. She worked and took business and accounting courses at Fullerton College, just trying to get to that “good job,” but she learned an important lesson from that experience.
“Your passion and purpose should be on the same paycheck,” she said.
While she was in college, she did volunteer work, attended various city council meetings and got involved in local campaigns, knocking on doors and talking to voters about candidates she supported. She learned the value of getting out in the community and talking to people, something she would apply to her career.
One of her sisters attended iPoly High School and being from the area, Watson was familiar with Cal Poly Pomona. She decided to transfer to CPP and study sociology. Watson said the professors at CPP made her feel empowered and helped her find her future path.
“CPP nurtured me in the right way I needed,” she said. “With everything I have achieved so far, CPP has truly been the catalyst, not only building on what I had done, but elevating me to the right place.”
Political Science Professor Renford Reese recalled Watson as volunteer in his Prison Education Project (PEP) when she was a master’s in public administration student at Cal Poly Pomona.
“Jalonda co-taught a virtual ‘Forgiveness and Healing’ course for PEP at the Halawa Correctional Facility in Hawaii,” Reese said. “Jalonda was uniquely able to enlighten, empower, and inspire the in-custody students in her class. I also sat on Jalonda's MPA thesis committee. Her project dealt with the role of municipalities in promoting social equity within ethnic minority communities. This was an engaging and thoughtful project that municipalities could find value in.”
Political Science Professor Brady Collins, who also serves as the director of the Master’s in Public Administration program, first met Watson when she applied and was accepted into the program and describes her as intellectually curious and hardworking.
“She cared a lot about her education and was driven to succeed, despite needing to juggle a lot of different responsibilities in her life,” Collins said. “Jalonda is a thoughtful person and reflective scholar. She is also passionate about social and economic justice and pays close attention to political issues.”
An Abundant Future
While pursuing her master’s degree, Watson discovered the Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute (LAAWPPI), a leadership organization focused on Black women interested in careers in public service or politics. The 10-month program based at USC helped Watson fine-tune her career interests and provided mentorship and connection.
“Just knowing that there is a sisterhood that you can rely on is powerful,” Watson said. “If there is a local initiative I want to engage with, I can rely on my LAAAWPPI sisters and gain direct insights to guide me.”
The CPP Black Alumni Association member is working on an initiative to determine how to expand the LAEDC’s efforts into cities that border LA County to make the region even stronger. Also on deck are major events, including the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, both of which the commission will have a role in promoting and supporting.
Because of her solid upbringing, her passion for community involvement and her strong educational foundation, Watson said she feels ready for it all.
“Everything I have learned in school and in my personal and professional life, I am using in this job,” Watson said. “I don’t have a job. I have a passion and a purpose and a paycheck, and I am so grateful for it.”