Servicon Leader Helps Los Angeles County

Laurie Sewell of Servicon with Ron Frierson, Past Chairman of LAEDC’s Board of Governors.

Key Takeaways:
• ISSA President Laurie Sewell leverages her extensive commercial cleaning expertise to champion economic sustainability and equity as Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).
• Cross-sector collaboration between commercial cleaning industry members and regional economic groups fosters community resilience and helps operations thrive.
• Actively participating in prominent local business and development organizations can elevate market presence and drive industry advocacy.

This is the time of year when I traditionally write a column about the current ISSA president and what they do in their free time. This might look familiar because current ISSA President Laurie Sewell is the only person who has served two terms, which makes it my pleasure to write about her two years in a row.

In addition to her involvement with ISSA, Laurie is the Board Director and Advisor of Servicon, a facility maintenance and cleaning services company headquartered in Culver City, California. Last year, I wrote about her involvement in the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” program, a national movement to end women’s heart disease. This year, I talked with Laurie about her service as Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), a non-profit organization working for economic growth, sustainability, resilience, and equity for a county of 10 million people.

Laurie got involved in the LAEDC at the suggestion of one of her colleagues.

“He had gone to some of the group’s events and said I should talk with the CEO and get involved,” she recalls. “I got into it without truly understanding what LAEDC did. Then I really started to see the focus of what they do.”

One thing that stands out about Laurie is that she embraces engagement. She gets a lot of that with LAEDC.

“The reason I like it is because I think we’re most successful when all groups are working together and have a common goal and understanding of how they fit in,” she explains. “It’s important that people of large and small companies, government and community groups, and labor organizations and non-profits all have the opportunity to understand each other’s challenges, while at the same time, find the nexus in which we can all pull together. I’ve always believed in that.”

While people might join an organization like LAEDC for networking purposes, Laurie says they quickly see the impact they can make on their community, and their involvement becomes more meaningful.

For example, when wildfires burned over 78 square miles of Los Angeles in 2025, LAEDC quantified the fires’ impact on businesses.

“We identified what the damage and financial impact were to local businesses,” recalls Laurie. “The LAEDC asked the larger businesses in the organization to help the small and medium businesses get back on their feet. We started with a modest goal and raised over $1.2 million.”

Along with the professional skills Laurie brings to the table, she also conveys the perspective of frontline workers.

“Most of the people in the workforce work for small and medium businesses,” Laurie says. “I love being the voice of frontline, essential, retail, and fast-food workers.”

This collaboration with workers requires strong communication skills, which Laurie has in spades. In fact, she once wrote an article about “plain speaking,” a topic which she knows well.

“Someone once told me I use ‘folksy’ language,” she recalls. “At first, it was offensive, but then I realized that if people understand me, that’s great!”

Laurie believes that when people understand and feel that they fit in, they can connect and engage, making the ability to communicate well with others a major asset.

“I work with a largely English-as-a-second-language (ESL) workforce, so I have always been thoughtful about the words that I use,” she explains. “My grandfather came to the United States from Poland to work in a coal mine. I have a heart for this work. I see in my company’s workforce the same pathway that my grandfather took when he came to America.”

When her term as ISSA President ends this November, Laurie won’t be kicking back and relaxing. She’ll be busy.

“I’ll be the incoming LAEDC Chairman during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Laurie says.

Gretchen Roufs, a 25-year janitorial supply industry veteran, owns a marketing and public relations company in San Antonio. To suggest someone you think should be featured in “Freetime,” contact her at Gretchen@GretchenRoufs.com.