Executive Director, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission
Stacey Mortensen is the Executive Director of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission and a visionary leader in the field of transportation. Stacey’s ambitious goal is to modernize the existing ACE train and dramatically expand service to cities in the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area. Stacey is a true consensus-builder and works with community leaders and elected officials to create partnerships for success in transforming the Valley’s commuter rail infrastructure.
Stacey has 23 years of experience in transportation planning, having started her career conducting traffic counts for the City of Vacaville. This sparked her initial interest in public works, road design, and transit, Stacey soon propelled herself into a managerial position, working in the Engineering and Passenger Rail Service for the San Joaquin County.
As founding Executive Director for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, Stacey helped launch the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) train service in 1998. The train runs from Stockton to San Jose on a limited schedule, but exciting plans are in the works to expand service and bring in sleek modern new trains. Stacey knows how to get things done and she played a fundamental role in the restoration of the once dilapidated, though iconic, Southern Pacific Station in downtown Stockton. This station currently serves as the northern terminus for the ACE train that carries passengers to San Jose. Many ACE train riders are commuting to jobs in Silicon Valley.
Stacey is now working in partnership with the California High-Speed Rail Authority to ensure that San Joaquin County and broader Central Valley’s issues are addressed in the development of the statewide high-speed rail system. Stacey often makes trips to Washington D.C. to brief Congress and transportation agencies like the Federal Railroad Administration about transportation priorities and progress being made in the San Joaquin Valley.
In addition to her dedication and achievements at the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, Stacey is deeply committed to the development of her staff and education of younger generations. Stacey understands the significance of mentorship and its profound effects on one’s professional development, and as such, continually provides guidance to her staff as well as seeks support and advice from senior colleagues practicing in private and public sectors. In order to foster awareness in younger populations about the complexities of transportation planning and management, Stacey is eager to engage, empower and educate young people – particularly females as transportation is still a male-dominant field.
Stacy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning and Management from U.C. Davis and currently resides with her thirteen animals in a quiet neighborhood, nestled between the City of Ione and Jackson. Stacey enjoys spending her free time outdoors and taking long-distance adventures on her motorcycle.