Hilda Watson joined the CalChamber team in November 2014 as a senior human resources generalist, moving up to positions of increasing responsibility in the HR Department. As senior vice president of human resources since October 2025, Watson oversees all aspects of CalChamber staff management, including recruitment strategy, policy administration, employee relations, benefits, compensation, organizational development, training and office services.
She acts as the CalChamber safety officer, establishing emergency response and training procedures, as well as handling workers’ compensation investigations and reporting. She also provides input on CalChamber HR compliance products and training.
Watson came to the CalChamber from Pacific Coast Companies, Inc., a Rancho Cordova company that provides a range of business services to the Pacific Coast Building Products family of companies and their customers. At Pacific Coast, Watson managed the payroll team and administered benefits, including managing leaves of absence, for eight years. Before her time at Pacific Coast, she was an HR administrative assistant at e-VentExe, a Roseville-based human resources consulting firm.
She holds a B.S. in business administration from California State University, Sacramento; the certified professional credential (SHRM-CP) from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); and her PHR from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).