Who's new

Greg Chavez, deputy division chief, Planning and Modal Program Management

Greg Chavez has been permanently appointed as a deputy division chief in the new Planning and Modal Program Management Division. Greg will oversee resource management, human resources functions, and business services.

He has been extremely active on the Change Management team to facilitate a positive process and transition to the new division. For those of you who may not know, this is a new Division in the Planning and Modal Programs.

Greg has been in the role of DOTP Office Chief of Administration and Resource Management for the past 5.5 years. He helped develop systems and update processes to help the districts and Headquarters in the realm of resources, workload management, human resources and, in the past year, workforce development.  He was instrumental in supporting DOTP through many changes including helping facilitate the most recent reorganization.

Greg has also served on several task forces within Planning and Modal Programs (PMP) and within the enterprise to help move Caltrans forward.

Prior to joining Caltrans, Greg spent the past 25-plus years working in the retail sector in corporate regional and district roles in both Southern and Northern California with a key focus on operational efficiency, change management, process improvement, and human resources.  He worked for such retailers as Gap Inc., DSW Shoe Stores, and Macy’s.  

In his spare time, Greg is an avid movie buff and an addicted foodie.  In his college days, he was a sous chef.

---

Scott Eades, District 5 director

Scott Eades has been selected as the Caltrans District 5 director.

Scott has a history of building strong internal and external partnerships and brings nearly 30 years’ experience working in transportation planning, engineering, and project/program management to this role. Since August 2020, Scott has served as the deputy director for Transportation Planning, Local Assistance, and Sustainability in District 5. 

Scott also worked at Headquarters as the statewide Senate Bill 1 program manager in an acting role in the spring of 2022. 

Previously, Scott served as the Santa Barbara 101 Corridor manager where he worked with internal and external teams to deliver a large ($700 million-plus) multimodal capital improvement program. In this role, Scott led teams through California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenges, Local Coastal Plan Amendment (LCPA) approvals, coastal permitting, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Major Project processes, and the first Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery in District 5. 

In earlier roles, Scott worked as a project manager in District 5, a transportation engineer in District 5 Traffic Operations, a transportation planner for the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG), and a student assistant in District 5 Transportation Planning. 

Scott has a bachelor of science degree in city and regional planning and a master of science in civil and environmental engineering, both from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He is also a certified project management professional (PMP) and recently completed Caltrans Leadership Training Program II.  

In his free time, Scott enjoys spending family time with his wife and three kids, backpacking in the Sierra, hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

---

Kathleen Hanley, Carbon Reduction Program manager

Kathleen Hanley has joined the Director’s Office of Sustainability as the department’s new Carbon Reduction Program manager.

In this role, Kathleen will be working closely with the Divisions of Traffic Operations, Transportation Planning, Local Assistance, and others to lead the development of the Carbon Reduction Strategy and to assist in the coordination of the state and local components of the Carbon Reduction Program.

Kathleen previously served in the Division of Transportation Planning, where she was the acting office chief of multimodal system planning.

She joined Caltrans in 2021 as the interregional transportation strategic plan manager. Prior to Caltrans, she worked as an associate planner at Placer County Transportation Planning Agency.

Kathleen has a master's degree in city and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in history of art and architecture from Harvard University.

Kathleen is also a WTS Sacramento Executive Board member and has an AICP certification.

Outside of work, she likes playing with her dog Maggie, working on her Oak Park bungalow, reading biographies, and hanging out at breweries. 

---

David Man, chief of the Division of Traffic Operations

David Man is Caltrans’ new chief of the Division of Traffic Operations. David will lead the department to the forefront of providing next generation mobility solutions and services that stimulate the economy, strengthen local communities, support climate action, and help save lives in our commitment to zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.

Over the past eight months as the acting chief of the Division of Traffic Operations, David has led the team to significant progress on key initiatives that will help maximize system performance and create a safer system, meeting dynamic and evolving demands while preparing the department for a technology‑dependent future.

David’s commitment to charting a new roadmap for Traffic Operations, establishing and expanding critical partnerships, initiating development of a virtual sandbox to test new technologies, forming a new Office of Transformational Mobility, and creating pathways to build on the skills of our workforce will allow our department to deliver on key objectives and to be incubators of new ideas with strategies and people to make them a reality. 

Prior to joining Headquarters, David spent most of his career with Caltrans in one of the most diverse and complex transportation environments, in the Bay Area.  He has been instrumental in pioneering and deploying Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), ensuring successful funding and completion of operational improvement and safety projects, and day‑to‑day management of traffic throughout the Bay Area’s nine counties serving 7.6 million residents and more than 20 million visitors a year.

David is a graduate of UC San Diego with bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Political Science, and he earned a masters in transportation management from the Mineta Transportation Institute. 

In his personal life, David enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter (currently going through a raucous bout of “terrible twos”) and, of course, the occasional round of golf.

---

Catalino A. Pining III, District 8 director

Catalino A. Pining III has been selected as the Caltrans District 8 director. 

Catalino has more than 29 years of service with Caltrans and his leadership experience spans three districts (4, 7, and 8), and multiple divisions. 

Catalino’s most recent assignment was as the District 8 deputy district director in Traffic Operations.  Under his leadership, Catalino was instrumental in the reorganization of the division, which efficiently managed the resources that addressed safety and operation of the State Highway Network in the Inland Empire. 

In addition, Catalino shifted the fivision’s focus to innovation by upgrading Transportation Management System (TMS) elements to help improve communication, data analytics, shift to electrification, and remote access to field assets.

In his new capacity, Catalino will manage a $5.6 billion budget and transportation investments in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. As the District 8 director, Catalino will lead nearly 1,700 employees and oversee a region that has an approximate 5 million residents with 49 incorporated cities over 28,000 square miles of roadway, 32 state routes, and 4 interstate routes adding up to 7,200 lane miles.

Catalino has a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona and is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE).  Outside of work, Catalino enjoys travelling the world with his wife, Roselle, spending valuable time with family and friends, playing with their two dogs, and also playing tennis. 

---

Caridad Sanchez, District 11’s deputy director for External Affairs

Note: The following announcement was made in early January by District 11 Director Gustavo Dallarda.

Caridad Sanchez is District 11’s new deputy director for External Affairs. 

In this new role, Caridad will lead District 11’s new Division of External Affairs and reports directly to the District 11 director.

Throughout her career, Caridad has demonstrated her ability to think strategically, to function as part of an executive team, to lead and motivate an effective team, to engage the public, and to resolve conflicts and negotiate complex policy issues. Caridad shows a personal commitment to build meaningful relationships with communities and elected officials, and a positive attitude and passion to showcase the department's work.

I am confident that Caridad and her team will continue leading the district towards the implementation of Caltrans’ Strategic Plan, and our foundational principles of Safety, Equity, Climate Action and Economic Prosperity.

Prior to this role, Caridad was the Caltrans District 11 Chief of Public Information and Legislative Affairs for six years, in the Division of Administration. She has also over 15 years of experience in the U.S. Congress, including 11 years as the San Diego and Imperial County director for retired U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

In her spare time, Caridad enjoys weightlifting and spending time with her family.

---

Jeff Wiley, division chief of Headquarters Project Management

Jeff Wiley has been selected as the Division Chief of Headquarters Project Management.

In this role, Jeff is responsible for leading statewide planning and management of the Capital Outlay Support program budget, schedule and risks.

Jeff joined Caltrans in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis. 

Throughout his 31-year tenure with the department, Jeff has taken on a wide range of professional challenges. While in the Division of Engineering Services (DES), Jeff managed the DES resources and delivery plans related to DES program allocations. He was also responsible for developing DES’ most innovative data and reporting tools.

In 2018, Jeff was promoted to Assistant Division Chief for Project Management. In that role, Jeff helped lead and guide the districts in the delivery of their Capital Outlay Project portfolios by emphasizing intelligent risk-taking, and fluid communication between districts and Headquarters. During his tenure as Assistant Division Chief, Jeff also took on the additional responsibility of assisting Caltrans Office of Civil Rights with a program review in 2020.

Since Feb. 28, 2022, Jeff has served as Acting Division Chief for Project Management.

When not working Jeff enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, taking day trips around the region, playing softball, and ensuring his dog is walked frequently.