SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The City of San Bernardino has announced that Vanessa Carder has joined its leadership team as the new Director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services.
“Vanessa Carder has a long history of delivering impactful recreation programs and services to the residents of San Bernardino, said City Manager Eric Levitt. “We are thrilled to have her take the Parks Department to the next level.”
Carder has served as San Bernardino’s Acting Parks Director since May. She has worked for the City of San Bernardino’s Parks Department since 2021, serving as Deputy Director, as well as Community Recreation Manager.
“I am truly honored to step into the role of Director and continue serving the community that I care so deeply about,” said Carder. “This is more than a professional opportunity — it’s a chance to deepen the relationships that make our city strong and vibrant.”
In the role of Director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services, Carder will oversee youth, adult and senior programs, activities, and sports at San Bernardino’s thirty-five parks, four community centers, and two senior centers that span approximately five hundred acres of developed land and open space.
The Department also oversees senior services, aquatics, and a community garden, as well as community events such as Movies and Summer Concerts in the Park, Miracle on Court Street, Easter Egg-stravaganza, and commemorations of Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
An experienced professional with nearly twenty-five years working in parks and community programs, Carder spent fourteen years with the City of Baldwin Park prior to coming to San Bernardino. She is a member of the California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS), the National Recreation and Park Association, Women in Leisure Services, and the Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation. She is the recipient of CPRS professional service awards in 2010, 2013, and 2017.
