By Kathy Chouteau
Lucia Watson, who recently retired after a distinguished 37-year career at Chevron Richmond, is being recognized by her peers for leaving behind a legacy of advocacy, employee mentorship, and community service.
From spearheading Chevron’s long-running involvement in the San Francisco AIDS Walk to co-founding the refinery’s Black History Awareness Celebration and launching a scholarship program for local students, she is being recognized for helping to make the company more inclusive and community-connected.
The Oakland-raised Watson grew up to interracial Black-Latina parents who instilled in her the value of community service through their family’s volunteerism at St. Benedict Church. This foundation eventually inspired her to become actively involved in internal events at Chevron Richmond and external ones throughout the local community.
“It’s about making sure that we are continuing to make the world better, to be helpful to others.”
Her Chevron career kicked off in 1988 after graduating from Cal State Hayward, when she signed-on as a toxicology technician at the company’s Environmental Health Center in San Pablo. Over the years, she held various positions, culminating in her most recent role as the non-operated joint venture program manager, focusing on operational excellence, health, environment and safety. Her tenure at Chevron, however, was also marked by what she did to support her colleagues and also members of the Richmond community.
Community advocacy
During the late 80s and early 90s, the HIV/AIDS pandemic was rampant, and knowledge about the disease was scarce. Watson’s friend and colleague, Brian, a gay man, perished due to the deadly disease. This personal tragedy motivated Watson to become an avid supporter of the San Francisco AIDS Walk, leading to Chevron’s early involvement in it for nearly 40 years, by donating swag and giving/matching donations.
“I wanted his memory to live, to help educate others,” said Watson of her dear friend Brian, adding that since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, she’s “Just been continuing to do the San Francisco AIDS Walk with Team Chevron.” Usually dressing up for the Walk, Watson’s efforts have been instrumental in educating others about HIV/AIDS and raising funds for research and support.
Watson’s advocacy throughout the years extended far beyond the AIDS Walk. She was deeply involved in various employee networks within Chevron, including the Women’s Employee Network, Pride Network and the Black Employee Network—through which she served as a Chevron recruiter for The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Watson also participated in the Chevron Adopt an Intern program as a buddy/mentor for potential employees. She participated in these networks, supporting activities such as flag raisings and community events.
“You don’t have to be a veteran to be in Chevron’s Veterans Network. You don’t have to be Black to be in the Black Employee Network,” she said. “And I would say this over and over to people…You don’t have to be what it is…But at the same time, we want others to learn about other nationalities and traditions and those types of things.”
Chevron advocacy
Watson’s time at Chevron also saw her play a pivotal role in organizing events such as the Chevron Black Employee Network’s Black History Awareness Celebration by serving as its first co-chair. She recalled the first Celebration in 1999 featured notable speakers like Shannon Reeves from the Oakland chapter of the NAACP and Dennis Richmond from KTVU-TV. This event laid the foundation for the Dr. William F. King Scholarship Program, which has awarded more than $100,000 to students from West Contra Costa Unified School District high schools. Watson said, “We started a scholarship program, and we named it after Dr. William F. King, a Black PhD chemist who worked at Chevron Richmond. And when he retired, we named our scholarship after him and I became the scholarship chair.”
She added that’s just one piece of the continuation work Chevron did in this arena, since it also funded the Richmond Promise scholarship program for local youth pursuing post-secondary education.
Chevron’s United Way involvement—that went beyond the company’s walls—saw Watson and her colleagues get involved in the Richmond Food Drive, now known as the Bay Area Food Drive, to address food insecurity in the community. Their work—known today as Chevron’s Humankind program—has supported multiple organizations locally, including the Bay Area Rescue Mission, GRIP and the Richmond Emergency Food Pantry. Watson’s own efforts in organizing fundraisers and competitions among Chevron Richmond’s operating units helped raise significant contributions for these organizations. Meanwhile, the company further stepped up with employee-volunteers to pitch-in with tasks like volunteering, painting and more.
Watson and Chevron’s reach also extended to Yosemite National Park, where the then-employee used to volunteer for the Yosemite Project. Chevron would send volunteers to Yosemite to spend weekends removing non-native plants, repairing rock walls and performing general clean-up. The company covered the cost of lodging and food while Watson made many friends along the way.
Volunteerism
As if Watson had enough time, she also spent time uplifting Junior Achievement, educating students on financial literacy. You might also find her at Earth Day cleanups, neighborhood festivals, and volunteer opportunities at her church.
In retirement Watson, plans to continue her community involvement. She remains active in her church, participates in exercise classes, and supports individuals in need. Watson’s dedication to making the world a better place is a legacy that will, no doubt, inspire future generations.
“I think it’s about preserving humanity,” said Watson about her legacy at Chevron Richmond and her future plans. “It’s about making sure that we are continuing to make the world better, to be helpful to others.”