On January 4, 2021, Diane Nguyen started the position as the Executive Director of the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG). The SJCOG Board of Directors unanimously appointed her at its October 22, 2020 meeting after a nationwide executive recruitment.“No project is too big, nor is any project too small, for Diane,” Assemblymember Jim Cooper said. “She has turned around situations by engaging directly with stakeholders. This kind of responsiveness to community needs is what has defined Diane’s career.”
SJCOG Chair and City of Stockton Councilmember Sol Jobrack said, “We welcome Diane Nguyen as the Executive Director. With 25 years of direct experience working in regional and city governments throughout California, she brings deep strategic and operational expertise that are extremely valuable to the region.”
During her 8-year tenure as SJCOG’s Deputy Director of Planning, Programming, and Project Delivery, Diane was a pioneer for many innovative projects in the San Joaquin region. She developed San Joaquin’s first Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy and first 7-public transit agency mobile ticketing application (known as EZHub). She oversaw the Measure K Capital Improvement Program which helped fund the first I-5 HOV lanes in the Central Valley and the first Diverging Diamond Interchange in California at State Route 120/Union Road.
“SJCOG looks forward to Diane’s guidance to the Board of Directors and continuation of efforts she led this past year,” Jobrack said. “This includes the Regional Early Action Planning Program for housing and the launch of a concept she created to bring electric bikes, electric cars, and work force development into Stockton’s disadvantaged communities.”
“As Executive Director, I will foster SJCOG’s purpose driven culture–one focused on the delivery of exceptional service to SJCOG’s member agencies, partners, and San Joaquin residents,” Nguyen said. “In 2021, I am thrilled to be able to grow creative concepts for more sustainable and cost-effective mobility options. I will also explore all opportunities to leverage transportation dollars for the region.”
About Diane Nguyen
Diane Nguyen has served as SJCOG’s Deputy Director of Planning, Programming, and Project Delivery since 2012. She originally joined SJCOG in 1995 and worked there till 2005. From 2005 to 2012, she was the Manager of Capital Programs and Public Policy for Interwest Consulting Group. Notable at Interwest was her financing and project management strategy which enabled two interchanges (on Highway 99 in the City of Elk Grove) to complete construction within a year of each other. Diane has a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Irvine. Also from UCI, she secured a Bachelor of Arts degree (with honors) in Social Ecology. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
About SJCOG
The San Joaquin Council of Governments is a regional planning agency responsible for transportation planning, habitat conservation planning, and a range of other responsibilities that include managing the Measure K transportation program as well as housing, air quality and airport land use planning. The operating budget for the agency is over $13 million and SJCOG programs and apportions out approximately $150 million in transportation investments annually.