Who is Eddy Polon?
Eddy Polon is a long-time Burbank resident, housing advocate, and transportation commissioner whose life and work have been guided by a simple principle: be part of the solution. For more than three decades, Eddy has brought a practical, values-driven approach to strengthening his community, supporting working families, and protecting the character of the place he calls home.
Eddy became involved in labor and community advocacy as a teenager, working alongside Catholic nuns and the United Farm Workers to secure fair wages and safe conditions for agricultural workers. He later built a successful career in film and entertainment, writing and producing television and interactive game shows including Tic Tac Dough, Jeopardy! Online, and You Win Live. That experience gave him firsthand insight into how central the entertainment industry is to Burbank’s identity, and how important it is for us to fight to protect entertainment industry workers as rising costs and land-use pressures threaten to push creative jobs and production out of the city.
In 2003, Eddy and his wife Emily became small business owners, purchasing Continental Kosher Bakery. For 18 years, they ran a neighborhood institution that reflected Eddy’s commitment to working families and economic fairness. The bakery was one of the few union bakeries in Los Angeles County and regularly donated unsold fresh food to those in need, reinforcing Eddy’s belief that local businesses play a critical role in community stability and improving quality of life.
Eddy’s civic leadership deepened after a serious bicycle crash in 2016, which made clear how closely public safety, street design, and neighborhood health are connected. That experience led him to advocate for safer streets and ultimately to his appointment to the Burbank Transportation Commission, where he is now serving his second term as a commissioner.
Eddy has lived in Burbank since 1991, when he and Emily purchased an affordable home where they went on to raise their two children who attended Burbank’s public schools. That lived experience shapes his urgency around today’s affordability crisis. Eddy understands how the narrowing path to homeownership threatens working families, small businesses, and the creative workforce that makes Burbank distinct. He believes Burbank’s future depends on thoughtful housing and transportation policies that support sustainability, protect neighborhoods, and preserve the city’s unique character – so the next generation can afford to stay, contribute, and thrive.
