Women’s History Month staff spotlight: Fleet Management

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In celebration of Women’s History Month, San Bernardino County is proud to highlight the women who help power essential services behind the scenes. Within Fleet Management—one of the largest public fleets in the nation—women are leading complex operational transitions, strengthening customer service across vast geographic regions, and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in public service and skilled trades. This month, we spotlight Deputy Director Melanie Eustice and Motor Pool Assistant Linette Cummings, whose leadership, resilience and dedication keep county vehicles—and the communities they serve—moving forward.

Melanie Eustice

Blonde woman in a beige blazer and black top smiling outdoors by a railing with the ocean in the background.

On any given day, thousands of moving parts work quietly in the background to keep county services running—mobile units and response vehicles fueled, equipment repaired and critical generators ready when the power goes out. But for Melanie Eustice, deputy director of the San Bernardino County Fleet Management Department, those vehicles are a backbone of county service. Every day, all 45 county departments rely on Fleet Management to keep operations moving across a region that stretches from valley cities to remote desert communities. As a San Bernardino County native and Hesperia High School alumna, Eustice is proud of her public service career—one that has brought her full circle back to the community where she grew up.

Her path to leadership began far from a garage floor. Armed with a Political Science degree and a calling to serve, Eustice launched her career through a transformative internship in Sacramento. Mentored by Dr. Sandra Sutphen, who led a statewide internship program that opened doors for California State University students to work in the state Capitol, Eustice found her entry point into public service. That opportunity became a catalyst, propelling her into roles across three counties and three cities. Over the years, she served in executive and administrative leadership positions, gaining experience in budgeting, transportation projects, capital development and organizational management — expertise further strengthened by her master’s degree in organizational development and leadership. Today, she brings that breadth of experience back to San Bernardino County, overseeing the teams responsible for Fleet Management’s fuel procurement and motor pool operations to environmental compliance and strategic planning for one of the largest public fleets in the nation.

As part of the department’s executive leadership team, Eustice is helping lead the department in navigating one of the most significant transitions in its history. California’s Advanced Clean Fleets requirements are reshaping how government fleets operate, mandating a shift toward zero-emission vehicles. This transformation extends far beyond purchasing electric vehicles. It requires building charging infrastructure, retrofitting service centers, aligning long-term funding and reimagining how vehicle maintenance operations function. County mechanics will develop skills that blend automotive expertise with advanced electrical and technical training. At the same time, Fleet Management continues its day-to-day mission—fueling vehicles in the field during emergencies, maintaining generators in mountain and desert regions, and ensuring that all county departments can stay focused on serving residents. As Eustice often reminds her team, they are the “unsung heroes” who keep vital resources operational when communities need them most.

For Eustice, building department infrastructure and operations is only part of the job; building people is equally essential to sustaining public service. Over the course of her career, she has at times been the only woman in executive meetings — a reality that helped shape her leadership philosophy. Rather than seeing that as a barrier, she views it as a responsibility to help create more inclusive spaces.

“We need women in these roles,” she said, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and pulling up other women. From launching youth-in-government programs earlier in her career to encouraging employees to seek growth and feedback, Eustice remains committed to ensuring the next generation of women leaders not only has a seat at the table, but the confidence and support to influence strategy, lead teams and advance the mission of public service.

Linette Cummings

Woman with long dark hair and glasses smiling softly indoors against a light brick wall, wearing a dark sweater and earrings.

At San Bernardino County’s Fleet Management Victorville facility, Linette Cummings is often the first point of contact when county employees bring vehicles in for service, helping keep essential operations moving across the High Desert and mountain communities.

As the motor pool assistant in the front office—and the only woman in the shop—she supports a high-volume operation with professionalism and strong customer service, dispatching loaner vehicles, scheduling service appointments, answering calls and guiding customers through everything from routine maintenance to urgent repairs.

Fleet Management’s Victorville site serves departments across a wide geographic area. The facility operates as a loaner vehicle site, light- and heavy-duty automotive repair shop, and fuel site. From oil changes to complex diagnostics and specialty repairs, the team ensures county vehicles remain safe and operational.

Cummings’ path to public service began years earlier in her own driveway, where her father taught her how to change the brakes and rotors on her Suburban, sparking her interest in automotive work even though, at the time, it was often viewed as a trade better suited for her brothers than for her. After moving to the High Desert and spending years raising her children, she rebuilt her life following a divorce, returning to the workforce after nearly two decades away.

She also found inspiration in women in media she saw breaking barriers in automotive and welding spaces— women demonstrating skill and leadership in industries where female representation has historically been limited. Their success in the field helped Cummings picture herself in a role she once thought was out of reach.

Through a county Welfare-to-Work training program, she completed a Vehicle Maintenance and Light Repair course and gained hands-on experience at Fleet Management’s Lena Yard in San Bernardino. There, department leaders recognized her skills, work ethic and determination, paving the way for her to join the department full time.

Cummings’s story is one of resilience—and of family. During one of the most uncertain seasons of her life, her children became her biggest cheerleaders, encouraging her when she wasn’t sure she could start over. Today, the roles have reversed. When they doubt themselves, she reminds them of the same words they once gave her: “Yes, you can.”

For women considering vocational training or stepping into a male-dominated field, Cummings offers simple but powerful advice: start learning, build your confidence and don’t be afraid to ask for help. She is grateful for the life she has built through persistence and for her rewarding career serving the community. “This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me… I’m proud to be a part of the county,” Cummings said.

Melanie Eustice

Linette Cummings

Additional County Update News – March 5, 2026