Stanislaus agency could hire new executive director after spending controversy
The Stanislaus Council of Governments is prepared to hire a new executive director months after a civil grand jury report resulted in the downfall of the previous director.
The transportation agency’s board could approve an employment agreement Wednesday with Amber Collins, who was executive director of the Calaveras Council of Governments from 2017 to 2022.
Collins has both public and private sector experience. She is the transportation planning division manager at Mark Thomas in Sacramento, a transportation planning and engineering firm. Collins was promoted to that position in November 2024, according to the firm’s website.
In June, a Stanislaus County civil grand jury report alleged that former StanCOG director Rosa De Leon Park spent lavish amounts of public funds on high-end rental cars, travel and hotel expenses and personal purchases. The report also alleged that Park mismanaged and verbally mistreated staff, resulting in high turnover.
The StanCOG policy board voted 9-0 in August to terminate De Leon Park’s employment.
Stanislaus County Supervisor Buck Condit, chairman of StanCOG’s policy board, said Friday that Collins was personable during interviews for the executive position and mastered the questions that were asked. She was chosen recently as the top candidate to negotiate a salary and benefits agreement with the agency.
StanCOG used an executive search firm to come up with candidates for the position.
“It is going to be exciting to get her on board and working on the issues that have been identified through the grand jury process and working with the interim executive director” during the transition, Condit said.
The proposed agreement with Collins includes a $265,000 annual salary with eligibility for annual merit increases. The executive director will have three weeks’ vacation annually the first two years, plus 90 hours of executive leave, another form of paid time off. The package also includes a car allowance of $5,000 per year.
Part of the grand jury investigation focused on an unexplained increase in vacation time for Parks from five to nine weeks, without record of how it was approved. Park’s base salary was $246,553 in 2022 and she received $318,000 in total pay, according to the latest information on the Transparent California site.
The proposed contract for Collins is for three years, with two optional one-year extensions.
Collins’ LinkedIn page says she works in transportation planning and policy, helping to “plan, fund and deliver projects” for communities. She holds master’s degrees in engineering and urban planning from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
Last year’s grand jury report recommended that the StanCOG board strengthen oversight of the transportation agency, impose limits on rental cars, hotels and flights, and clarify staff vacation policies.
