Overview: Vanessa Carder has been appointed as the new Director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services for the City of San Bernardino. With nearly twenty-five years of experience in parks and community programs, Carder has served as San Bernardino’s Acting Parks Director since May and has worked for the City of San Bernardino’s Parks Department since 2021. She will oversee youth, adult, and senior programs, activities, and sports at San Bernardino’s thirty-five parks, four community centers, and two senior centers, as well as senior services, aquatics, and a community garden, and community events.
Ellen Perrault
The City of San Bernardino recently appointed Vanessa Carder as its 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 her new role, 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.
“I believe that when we lead with heart and work together, we create lasting impact,” stated Carder. “I’m excited to build on the foundation of trust, collaboration, and shared purpose to help San Bernardino Parks and Recreation grow in meaningful and inclusive ways.”