Jennifer L. Bergener, a veteran of OCTA and the transportation industry, has been promoted to the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
Bergener, who has served in a variety of management roles at OCTA and most recently as the Chief Operating Officer, takes over for Kenneth G. Phipps, who retired last month after nearly three decades at the transportation agency.
Bergener will work directly with CEO Darrell E. Johnson toward fulfilling OCTA’s mission of keeping Orange County moving through a balanced and sustainable transportation system.
“Jennifer’s experience and skills make her the ideal leader to take on this vital role at OCTA,” CEO Johnson said. “I very much look forward to working with her to continue enhancing Orange County’s transportation network.”
In addition to Deputy CEO, Bergener will continue her role as COO, responsible for all transit operations, including bus operations and maintenance, rail operations, OC Streetcar operations and maintenance, paratransit, microtransit, contracted services, and Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) oversight.
“I’m honored to take on the challenges of this new role along with our talented OCTA team,” Bergener said. “I’m fortunate to work with so many dedicated people at OCTA driven to delivering transportation solutions for the residents, workers and visitors of Orange County.”
In her first weeks on the job, Bergener has played a critical role on OCTA’s COVID-19 response. She’s helping lead the cross-divisional executive team and overseeing enhanced cleaning, safety measures and continued operations of Orange County’s essential public transit service.
Bergener has more than 20 years of experience as a transit professional, holding a broad range of positions in transportation programming, finance, project development and delivery, as well as governmental affairs.
For the past 17 years, Bergener has been at OCTA serving in roles with increasing responsibility, primarily in rail planning, project and program delivery and new transit services development. In addition, she served as the Managing Director for LOSSAN, which serves as the managing agency for the state-supported, Amtrak-operated Pacific Surfliner intercity passenger rail service.
