County Administrator Sheryl Bratton appoints Janeene de Martinez as Director of Child Support Services

County Administrator Sheryl Bratton has appointed Janeene de Martinez to serve as Director of Child Support Services for Sonoma County beginning in September. 

De Martinez has more than 20 years of experience in state and local government, including most recently as the Assistant Director of the Solano County Department of Child Support Services. 

The appointment will now go to the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 14 for final approval. If approved, De Martinez is slated to begin her new post on Sept. 15.

“Janeene comes to the position with extensive understanding of best practices in providing high quality child support services and compliance programs,” said Bratton. “We are fortunate to have such an experienced professional join the County team.”

For the past 15 years, De Martinez has served as assistant director for the Solano County Department of Child Support Services, which earned the 2019 Outstanding Child Support Program award from the Child Support Directors Association of California. Prior to 2006, she served for four years as Director of Finance and Business Services for Big Blue Bus, the municipal bus service for the City of Santa Monica, and worked for seven years with the Amador Valley Transit Authority in Livermore, first serving as Director of Finance and Administration and later as Assistant General Manager.

“Sonoma County enjoys significant statewide recognition for its child support services, and I’m honored to be in a position to lead the department in its next stage of success,” said Janeene de Martinez. “These are essential services for our families and communities, and I look forward to working with the dedicated staff to continue to provide the most efficient and cost-effective service possible in protecting the rights of all Sonoma County children.”

The County of Sonoma Department of Child Support Services is responsible for providing paternity and child support services in Sonoma County, including the enforcement of court orders for child support, paternity and medical coverage, assistance with locating parents, collection and distribution of support payments, maintenance of accounting records, modification of court orders when appropriate, and legal and case management services to ensure child and medical support orders are maintained. 

As director, De Martinez will oversee approximately 100 child support professionals who manage more than 13,000 cases and the distribution of nearly $30 million to Sonoma County families each year. She will succeed current director Jennifer Traumann who will be retiring in September after 36 years with the County of Sonoma.

De Martinez earned a Master in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, both from California State University, Hayward. She is currently pursuing a credential for county senior executives through the California State Association of Counties.