Vanessa Portillo feels confident as the city’s new Finance Director in tackling Ceres’ looming budget challenges for the 2026-27 budget cycle.
Portillo started Monday as a successor to Shannon Esenwein who resigned last month to be closer to family. She enters the role at a crucial time.
“We have the audit and we have the budget but that’s what makes it exciting,” said Portillo. “I am excited to embark in this wonderful opportunity with the City of Ceres. I look forward contributing to the city’s financial stewardship and working collaboratively with our stakeholders to support the city’s vision.”
At the year’s final Ceres City Council meeting held last week in which Portillo’s appointment was announced, Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez said he looks forward to working with her, noting she has a “busy road ahead.”
“I hope you enjoy your Christmas and you get ready to go in January,” Martinez told Portillo.
The new city department head served as the Chief of Fiscal Operations for Stanislaus County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, responsible for overseeing approximately 11 finance employees and a department budget of $253 million. She previously served as finance director for Los Banos from May to October 2024. Portillo also worked in finance for the cities of Livingston and Lathrop and was the finance director for the Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG) from May 2023 to January 2024.
“I feel that I have a very solid background in accounting and I am able to be strategic about our processes,” said Portillo, who comes to the job previously acquainted with City Manager Doug Dunford from his days as Livingston’s city manager. The two also served together on the Merced County Association of Governments.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business with a concentration in accounting from California State University, Stanislaus and also earned her master’s degree.
She also possesses her International County/City Management Association (ICMA) Certificate.
Having served in local government circles, Portillo said she gained a sense that Ceres is a family community which has experienced a lot of commercial growth in the past couple of years.
Portillo’s monthly salary range is set to start at $14,293.23, which equates to $171,519 annually. She will have direct oversight over three Finance Department employees, including Sonia Ledezma, the deputy finance director.
