June 6, 2025

CAMARILLO, Calif. – The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is pleased to announce that Vanessa Schoenewald has been selected as the agency’s new director of programming.

Schoenewald will oversee VCTC’s Programming Department, which is responsible for planning, administering and directing VCTC’s transportation program funds, including grant funding for multiple transportation programs and related government relations. The Programming Department works closely with local jurisdictions to secure state and federal funding for high-priority transportation projects and programs in Ventura County, and to facilitate development and delivery of these projects.

Schoenewald was selected after a comprehensive search and interview process. She joins VCTC from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), where she has served as chief of fund administration since 2023. Before that she spent more than 15 years in progressively responsible management analyst roles at SBCTA and the City of Riverside.

Schoenewald will join VCTC on June 9. She succeeds Peter De Haan, who retired in May after 26 years of service at VCTC.

“I’m honored to join the Ventura County Transportation Commission as director of the Programming Department,” Schoenewald said. “I’m excited to support the region by advancing strategic funding efforts that will help move high-priority transportation projects and programs forward. I look forward to working closely with our local jurisdictions and partners to secure and deliver state and federal resources that will strengthen mobility, access, and economic opportunity across Ventura County.”

VCTC Executive Director Martin Erickson said: “Vanessa comes with excellent experience in state and federal transportation and transit programming from one of our partner Southern California agencies. I am confident her relationships and experience with the California Transportation Commission as well as other agencies will allow her to advance VCTC’s goals and that she will be a great addition to the VCTC team.”