Industry veteran Jennifer Bergener has been appointed to the position of Chief Operating Officer, which completes OCTA’s organizational restructuring to meet the existing and future transit needs of the county.
In the newly created position, Bergener will be responsible for all transit operations, including bus operations and maintenance, rail operations, OC Streetcar operations and maintenance, Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) oversight, paratransit, microtransit and contracted services.
“This new position unifies all our transit operations and maintenance under one umbrella and sets OCTA on a course for success as we continue to reinvent the way we deliver public transportation,” said OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson. “Jennifer’s experience and skills make her the ideal leader to take on this role.”
Bergener has more than 20 years of experience as a transit professional in transportation programming, finance, project development and delivery, as well as governmental affairs.
During her past 15 years at OCTA, Bergener worked primarily in rail planning, project and program delivery and new transit services development. In addition, she served as the Managing Director for LOSSAN, the managing agency for the state-supported, Amtrak-operated Pacific Surfliner intercity passenger rail service. Bergener started her career at Amtrak, working on project development and cost controls.
“I’m excited to lead a team of talented individuals who demonstrate every day how dedicated they are to delivering innovative public transportation options for the residents, businesses and visitors of Orange County,” Bergener said. “OCTA is prepared to tackle the challenges and explore the opportunities presented in our rapidly evolving industry.”
In the past five years, OCTA has reinvented transit service in Orange County by redesigning the bus system, redeploying resources to the core of the county and introducing local transit options, exploring on-demand transit, enhancing the customer experience through technology, and implementing the OC Streetcar, a light-rail line set to break ground later this year.
In the Operations Division, Bergener will oversee more than 1,000 employees and an annual operation budget of approximately $375 million.
