City’s Transportation and Mobility Director Accepts New Position in California

Transportation and Mobility Director Erika Vandenbrande has announced she will leave the city on May 3 to become the Community Development Director in Walnut Creek, Calif.

In sharing her news, Vandenbrande indicated that she hopes to achieve a better balance between her professional life and her family.

“I have loved my time in Boulder and have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a committed community and talented colleagues,” Vandenbrande said. “For the past seven years, however, I have lived in a different state than my husband. This move will allow us to work and reside in proximity to one another and puts me in the same location as my mother, who is in need of my attention and care.”

Vandenbrande joined the city in September 2020 after a longstanding career in local government with the City of Redmond, Wash. In her time here, she spearheaded significant improvements in the Transportation and Mobility Department. Specifically, Vandenbrande has worked collaboratively with others to build a strong foundation of internal trust and teamwork; reimagined transportation improvements and work so that it is more responsive to, and inclusive of the community; addressed critical funding issues; and engaged in candid conversations about priorities and trade-offs in partnership with City Council, advisory boards, and the community.

“I am proud of all that Erika has accomplished here. She joined our team at a time when this department was undergoing some cultural challenges, and she is leaving it with a much stronger foundation,” said City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. “I am appreciative of Erika’s strategic thought partnership as well as the gift she has for coaching and mentoring others.”

One of the colleagues who has worked closely with Vandenbrande, Deputy Director Natalie Stiffler, has agreed to serve in an interim role as director, effective May 2. The city will release information about its plans to fill the position more permanently as those details become available.