San Mateo County Superior Court Appoints New Court Executive Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hon. Stephanie Garratt
Phone: 650 261-5109

San Mateo County Superior Court Appoints New Court Executive Officer

REDWOOD CITY, CA - October 12, 2026 - The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeniffer B. Alcantara as its new Court Executive Officer (“CEO”), following the departure of former CEO Chad Peace.

Alcantara brings 25 years of experience in California trial court administration, including eight years in senior and executive leadership roles. She began her career with the San Mateo Superior Court in 2001, later serving more than a decade with the San Francisco Superior Court as a Staff Attorney and ADR Administrator and teaching as an Adjunct Professor in the University of San Francisco School of Law’s Mediation Clinic.

Alcantara returned to San Mateo Superior Court in 2018, where she has since assumed progressively broader leadership responsibilities. Alcantara’s leadership roles include ADR Program Managing Attorney, Senior Managing Attorney, Interim HR Director, Deputy CEO, and Interim CEO. In these roles, Alcantara has directed major administrative divisions, overseen multimillion‑dollar budgets, led labor negotiations, guided technology modernization, expanded community partnerships, and strengthened public‑facing services. Her efforts have supported initiatives such as the Court’s Firearm Relinquishment Program, which leverages grant funding to expand enforcement of civil restraining order prohibitions and has resulted in the removal of hundreds of firearms from prohibited individuals since the program’s inception.

As a strategic partner to ten Presiding Judges and five CEOs throughout her career, Alcantara is recognized for her operational insight, fiscal stewardship, and collaborative leadership style. She has worked closely with the Board of Supervisors, County Executive’s Office, District Attorney, Private Defender Program, Probation, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, domestic violence service providers, and statewide Judicial Council committees helping align court services with evolving community needs.

"Jeniffer (Alcantara) has demonstrated her commitment to driving results that advance the Court’s mission to provide equal access to justice that is impartial and strengthens public trust and confidence", said Presiding Judge Stephanie Garratt, "She is deeply invested in the Court’s role within the community and will ensure that our services remain responsive to the people we serve and accessible to all who rely on us."

In accepting the appointment, Alcantara expressed gratitude for the trust placed in her, reaffirming her commitment to advancing access to justice, operational excellence, and public transparency.

Alcantara assumes the role of Court Executive Officer effective October 12, 2026.