Fil-Am media icon appointed as Commissioner on LA County Commission for Women
Photo from sojannelle/Instagram
In an era when gender bias is slowly and surely diminishing, another woman is making huge strides.
Meet Jannelle So, the Filipino-American broadcaster, writer, and mother who was just appointed as the commissioner of the Los Angeles County Commission for Women.
Janice Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, had chosen So for her significant contributions and unique portrayal as an immigrant, Asian-American woman, and communicator, according to a press release.
The Los Angeles County Commission for Women is a 15-member committee established to represent diverse concerns and interests of women from all walks of life.
It’s a fitting role for So given that LA County holds the largest population of Filipinos. Having her as the commissioner means that no one understands the plight of Filipino-Americans better than she can.
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“I am grateful for this opportunity to serve LA County as Commissioner. Thank you, Supervisor Janice Hahn, for the nomination and vote of confidence. I am deeply honored and humbled,” said the 46-year-old mother of two.
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Jannelle So: A journey like no other
From media guru to community game-changer, So’s journey goes way back to 2014 when she founded Janelle So Productions. In 2017, she launched SO Jannelle TV, a weekly magazine show about Filipinos in North America airing on a local Southern California channel KNET 25.1 and The Filipino Channel.
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“My mission is to highlight Filipino stories and personalities and talk about stories of immigration and representation. It’s important to me Bec not everyone gets to have a platform to share stories, and I believe every story is worth sharing,” she said on one of her Instagram posts.
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Apart from her appointment as commissioner, So is also impacting change as a trustee of the National Federation of Filipino American Board of Governors (NaFFAA).
She’s a formidable writer too, thanks to her newspaper publishing experience in Balita and The Philippine Star where she shared her journey as an Asian immigrant.
In 2021, she bagged the Television Journalism Award-Best Regular TV Program as part of the Migration Advocacy Awards from the Commission on Filipino Overseas.
