Boulder Names New Director Of Transportation And Mobility

BOULDER, CO — Boulder's city manager has announced a new director of transportation and mobility.

Erika Vandenbrande will join the city Sept. 7, officials said. She has more than 20 years of experience in municipal government, and most recently served as the director of Planning and Community Development for Redmond, WA.

In a statement, Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam said that Vandenbrande "is the right person at the right time for this critical position in our organization."

“I am excited to see the results of her leadership to this department and to the city more broadly," Brautigam said. "Our community has adopted a Transportation Master Plan with many ambitious and important goals. Erika will join two excellent deputy directors, bringing a spirit of collaboration and innovation in support of one of the most important issues for Boulder.”

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Vandebrande started her career in public transportation organizations at King County Metro Transit and the Southern California Association of Governments, which serves as that region’s federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization and state-designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency.

Vandebrande guided a work program in Redmond that involved permitting for a $1 billion light rail investment, officials said. She also guided the planning, design and construction of two pedestrian bridges over a major freeway.

"She’s overseen department heads in areas of transportation planning and engineering, capital projects and roadway operations and maintenance," the city said in a news release. "She was directly responsible for the city’s transportation demand management and transit programs.

"Vandenbrande has a demonstrated history of working with colleagues and community to understand and identify priorities amid competing needs; of envisioning and implementing innovative and entrepreneurial solutions; and of cultivating work structures and environments that empower her colleagues and produce quality results," the release read.

"She also has expertise in outcomes-based budgeting, informed by significant staff and public engagement."

Vandenbrande has a master’s degree in public policy analysis and a bachelor’s degree in geology, both from the University of Rochester, NY.

“I have had a wide range of opportunities to enhance local communities through government leadership,” Vandenbrande said in a statement.

“But the focus area that has been the most satisfying and impactful for me is transportation and mobility. Across the country, and certainly in Boulder, communities are at a pivotal point in defining the future of how we get around town, connect with core services locally and regionally, and meet a variety of sometimes competing goals and priorities. I am honored to become a part of an award-winning team of individuals with dedication and passion around this fundamental and innovative area of work.”