In action on March 18, the Stanislaus Council of Governments appointed Amber Collins as the new Executive Director for the organization. Collins comes to StanCOG with over 17 years of experience.

She previously served as both the Executive Director and the Planning Director for the Calaveras Council of Governments. She also has private sector planning and engineering experience with Mark Thomas, a statewide consulting firm. At Mark Thomas, Collins served as the Senior Transportation Planning Manager and Planning and Funding Division Manager.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness, a Master of Science in Engineering, and a Master’s in City & Regional Planning, from the California Polytechnical State University (CalPoly).

“Amber is the right person to fill this position,” stated Supervisor Buck Condit, StanCOG Chair. “She is intelligent and thoughtful, and will be a great asset to the agency and the community.”

Riverbank Mayor Rachel Hernandez, a StanCOG board member, served as the Chair of the Ad Hoc committee charged with identifying potential candidates for the position.

“There were over 100 applicants, which were narrowed down to eight very strong candidates,” Hernandez noted, “and Amber was the obvious standout – not only is she from the Valley, but she has the credentials and leadership skills which are pivotal at this time for the agency.”

The Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG) serves as the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization and State designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency for Stanislaus County. StanCOG is a Joint Powers Authority made up of the cities and county of Stanislaus, including the cities of Oakdale and Riverbank.

StanCOG also administers Measure L, the half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.