All-in-one

Director's Corner

Catching up at Caltrans: Economic development, awards, etc.

Greetings, Caltrans family, and welcome to the latest edition of our employee e-newsletter. I want to take this opportunity to summarize a few intradepartmental announcements I made last month.

The first involves Caltrans’ partnerships with small businesses and how that collaboration helps ensure that all Californians have access to economic opportunities.

The hundreds of firms that we contract with every year provide us with essential services in fields such as construction, engineering, architecture and communications. As the second-largest state government agency in California, we recognize the outsized impact that the department can have on the businesses we work with – and by extension, the communities that those businesses serve.

In 2023, Caltrans participated in 384 hybrid outreach events, which attracted more than 8,100 participants statewide. In October, we will hold our fourth annual Disadvantaged Business Enterprises summit, which equips small business owners with a comprehensive range of tools and resources to foster development, expansion, and a deeper understanding of contracting opportunities with the state.

Learn more about our work with small businesses by visiting this Division of Procurement and Contracts internal webpage.

I also wanted to reiterate that in early May, we observed Public Service Recognition Week by honoring and celebrating the commitment and sacrifice of our workers at all levels who serve our communities with passion and commitment. Your contributions are invaluable and will have a far-reaching impact as we maintain and build a transportation network for all Californians.

Caltrans’ mission to provide a safe, reliable and climate-resilient system is at the core of every project and initiative we undertake. You play a crucial role in achieving this goal. Whether you are out in the field ensuring the safety of our roads; managing critical infrastructure projects; or supporting our operations behind the scenes, your efforts make a difference in improving lives and saving lives.

We offer a robust Career Development program designed to provide you with the support and resources you need to grow and advance with Caltrans and beyond. We're committed to helping our team members achieve their professional goals through personalized guidance and support.

Furthermore, I wanted to again share news about the Inaugural Director's Innovation Awards. The employees who earned this special designation are shown in the accompanying graphic.

Each of these winners exemplifies the spirit of innovation and has set a high standard for future initiatives. Their hard work and ingenuity are deeply appreciated and celebrated.

Lastly, I point you toward the groundbreaking achievement of Mina Pezeshpour, supervising bridge engineer/office chief for Bridge Design South. Earlier this month she became the first woman to ever win the California Transportation Foundation’s prestigious James E. Robert Award.

Other Caltrans winners at June 13’s 35th Annual CTF Transportation Awards were Kevin Murdock, senior transportation engineer, who won the Karl Moskowitz Award; Belinda Hon, supervising transportation engineer in the Office Chief of Innovative Design and Delivery, who won the Charles H. Purcell Award; and Marlon Flournoy, chief of the Division of Transportation Planning, who won the Bimla G. Rhinehart Award.

To all of you, thanks as always for your good work. Let’s keep it up! Enjoy the summer and stay safe.

News

Caltrans races to fix weather-wrecked Death Valley roads

By Christopher Andriessen
District 9 public information office chief

There was a pervasive feeling of disbelief in the offices of District 9 on Aug. 5, 2022, as pictures and videos came in from maintenance staff monitoring State Route 190 in Death Valley National Park.

The driest place in North America, known for its unforgiving temperatures and expansive salt flats, was being inundated with water. Record rainfall turned the dusty landscape into debris flows, cascading over the highway and ripping up many park roads. West of the park, a section of State Route 190 known locally as Upper Centennial Wash was washed away.

Meteorologists called it a once-in-a-1,000-year event. That was, as already mentioned, in 2022. It would be just 380 days until the region would see another “once-in-a-1,000-year event.” Only this time, the damage would be far more extensive.

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall on Aug. 20, 2023. That day, Death Valley National Park (DVNP) recorded a record 2.2 inches of rain, nearly 100 percent of its yearly average in a span of 24 hours. Like the previous summer, the record rain led to debris flows that washed away shoulders and tore up the highway.

The section of State Route 190 at Upper Centennial Wash that had been rebuilt the previous year was once again washed away. Segments of the highway over Towne Pass within DVNP broke apart and scattered with the flood waters.

Farther west, along Owens Lake in an area known as Lower Centennial Wash, the storm undercut the roadway, displaced culverts, buckled the highway asphalt and impacted the Coso Wash Bridge (pictured).

Repair work began almost immediately, and access to the bulk of the highway was restored on Oct. 15. But with two record-breaking weather events in less than 400 days, along with the other significant storms that followed, simply restoring the roadway wasn’t enough. District 9 would need to make State Route 190 more resilient, more able to withstand Mother Nature.

To keep State Route 190 scenic while enhancing its climate resiliency, engineers elected to go with gabions—wire mesh baskets filled with rocks, sand and soil that blend into the surrounding environment—and concrete slope paving at strategic locations. These elements are designed to protect the roadway from the type of erosion it experienced with these storms.

Some of the locations that will see these climate improvements include popular tourist destinations within Death Valley, including Furnace Creek Inn, Zabriskie Point and Emigrant Campground.

Outside of the park, gabion shoulder reinforcement will be implemented at Upper Centennial Wash. These climate resiliency elements for State Route 190 and more will go into construction after the Director’s Order Supplements that were drafted alongside the emergency work orders are approved by Caltrans Headquarters.

One piece of resiliency engineering was included in the original Director’s Order for Coso Wash Bridge. Hilary’s flood waters devastated the rock slope protection (RSP) that braced the bridge’s slim pillars. Rather than just repair the RSP as it did the year before, Caltrans sought an upgrade that would make the bridge far more resilient to erosion. The recommendation: a sheet pile check dam measuring approximately 150 feet wide and 36 feet tall, with the base driven 10 feet below the tip of the existing bridge piles. A 92-foot-long concrete slab with a 6-foot-high cutoff wall, native material backfill, and RSP would support the bridge structure.

According to Ali Ahmad Bahadori, a Caltrans transportation engineer who worked on the new facility’s design, the sheet pile check dam is a superior countermeasure over the original grouted RSP because it is embedded into the channel bed and banks, ensuring stability for the life of the structure. This is a considerable improvement over the grouted RSP that partially collapsed during the Hilary flooding.

Work at Lower Centennial didn’t begin until after repairs wrapped up at Upper Centennial and inside Death Valley National Park as Caltrans prioritized restoring highway access to isolated communities. The section of State Route 190 between the town of Olancha at U.S. Highway 395 and the junction of State Route 136 east of Owens Lake would remain closed throughout the winter and spring.

After months of roadway facility repairs and the construction of the new dam at Coso Wash Bridge, State Route 190 fully reopened in Inyo County on May 22, 2024. The dam stands out as a striking piece of hydraulic engineering among the dusty barrens that extend out of Owens Dry Lakebed, one that may become a blueprint for how Caltrans can protect its infrastructure from future climate change-driven superstorms.

Roadway obstacles dispatched efficiently in North State

By Manny Machado
District 1 information officer

No matter a major winter storm or wildfire, Caltrans District 1 dispatchers play an important role for Maintenance workers when responding to incidents on state highways, providing necessary information for scene arrival and roadway opening for the safety of the traveling public.

Located on the first floor at the district office in Eureka, the dispatch center employs seven full-time dispatchers (Amber Garber, Austin Bertucci, Kacie Hall, Nathan Moore, Renee Huett, Shannon Sullivan and Stephen Brown), covering more than 2,400 miles of highways in the region. Along with radio and phone communication, dispatchers also keep a watchful eye on the roadways with several large monitors displaying Caltrans live traffic cameras.

“We alert the public of road hazards, construction delays and closures,” said Joeinne Lingard, dispatch/emergency supervisor. “We answer calls from law enforcement, record road incidents and work closely with contractors and Maintenance crews that need traffic control.”

To better improve communication services, the center switched to providing 24/7 coverage in April 2023.

This was crucial last summer during the Smith River Complex Fires that burned more than 95,000 acres in Del Norte County. In the aftermath, repairs are still being made along U.S. Highway 199 with hourly weekday traffic delays.

“It’s really made a difference,” said Lingard. “Before, the CHP was answering calls after hours and the weekends. This has greatly improved our ability to respond quickly during emergency situations. We notify crews where they need to be, work with contractors with lane closures and give motorists real-time traffic safety information using our changeable message signs (CMS) on the state’s highway system.”

During another eventful winter storm season in the north region, rain, snow and wind caused havoc on the coast and in the interior. Route 20 in Lake County experienced road closures with snow, debris slides, downed trees and utility lines. Mike Dugan, a Clearlake Oaks Maintenance supervisor, expressed his thankfulness toward dispatchers for all they do when his staff responds to an incident.

“I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the District 1 dispatchers," said Dugan. “Their professionalism and dedication to the job is instrumental to our safety in the field and is very much appreciated.”

The responsibilities of a dispatcher extend beyond just communication. They also collaborate with various departments, including traffic safety and engineering, to purchase and scan electronic files, further streamlining processes and improving efficiency.

District 7 triumphs in annual golf tourney

By Tim Craggs
Retired division chief of design

The 60th Annual Caltrans Invitational Golf Tournament was held in Las Vegas on May 16 and 17. Five teams from Caltrans golf clubs from around the state participated in this event, competing for prizes, pride and bragging rights.

District 7 earned top honors, rocketing past second-place Headquarters on the second day of the two-day event to win by 19 strokes. Headquarters Operations finished third; District 5, last year’s champs, fourth; followed by the combined Bridge/District 6 team.

In addition to the team event, all players compete on an individual basis. Players are grouped into “flights” based on their handicaps, so each competes against players of similar skill levels. Mike Dom of the HQ Operations Golf Club; Dan See, District 5; Eric Garcia, HQ Operations; Chris Fisher, District 7; and Darryl Mays, also of District 7, won their respective flights.

The Palm Course at Angel Park Golf Club was long and narrow, with plenty of desert to be found, but beautiful and fun to play all the same.

Besides two great days of golf, a highlight of this year’s event was the awards banquet held to celebrate the 60th year of this great tournament. Mike Lew, District 5 Construction support office chief, served as a wonderful host and master of ceremonies, handing out individual and team awards and conducting a raffle for prizes which were donated by the various participating clubs.

Larry Orcutt, retired CT division chief of equipment, did the up-front work heading into the tournament.

All in all, this tournament was a great success, providing the opportunity for a large cross section of Caltrans employees and friends to build new relationships, revisit longtime friendships and working partnerships, have some fun, and of course engage in some much-needed stress relief. It’s also a great place to see in person those people you work with or only converse with on Facebook!

The 61st Annual Caltrans Invitational Golf Tournament is targeted for the week of May 12, 2025. While the exact location is yet to be determined, past locations have included Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Napa, Reno/Carson City and Fresno.

The Northern California version of this tournament, the Caltrans Fall Classic, is a one-day event held each year in October. This year we are going to Peachtree Golf and Country Club in Marysville on Oct. 6. Contact Larry Orcutt for more information at larryorcutt@gmail.com.

Participation in the Caltrans Invitational is open to all current and former Caltrans employees and members of the various Caltrans golf clubs around the state who have an established GHIN index (you golfers know what this means). The Fall Classic will provide an opportunity for those golfers who don’t have an established GHIN. All this fun is on personal time and the golfers cover all their own expenses.

Please watch for future announcements regarding upcoming tournaments or contact your local golf club representative for more information. We are always looking for more participation in these events. In the recent past, Districts 2, 3, 4, 9, and 10 have sent teams and it would be great to see them again! If you are in search of a Caltrans Golf Club representative in your area, contact me, Tim Craggs, at craggs57@hotmail.com, and I can put you in touch with somebody in your vicinity. You can also check out the Headquarters’ Golf Club website for more information.

With culverts, there’s an opening for maintenance

By Haleigh Pike
District 2 information officer

Beneath the bustling networks of roads and highways in District 2 lie a hidden yet essential component of transportation infrastructure: culverts.

Culverts serve as vital passages, allowing water to flow safely underneath roadways, preventing flooding and erosion, and maintaining the structural integrity of the transportation system. However, like any man-made structure, culverts require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure their continued functionality and safety, and that task falls upon the shoulders of the Culvert Inspection Team and the Culvert Maintenance Crew.

The District 2 Culvert Inspection Team and the Culvert Maintenance Crew bring distinct yet complementary skill sets to the table. While the Inspection Team specializes in evaluating structural integrity and identifying potential issues, the Maintenance Crew excels in implementing repairs and proactive maintenance measures, addressing concerns before they escalate into costly repairs or disruptions to roadway safety.

Culverts are susceptible to various forms of deterioration, including erosion, corrosion and structural fatigue. Over time, these issues can compromise the integrity of the culvert, leading to leaks, collapses or blockages. Inspections typically involve a systematic and comprehensive assessment of the structure’s conditions, utilizing a combination of visual observations, structural evaluations and advanced technologies.

The process begins with pre-inspection preparation by reviewing factors such as culvert location, usage and regulatory requirements. Documentation is also reviewed such as previous inspection reports, maintenance history and construction plans.

Once a site is picked, the Culvert Inspection Team goes to the location and begins by visually examining the culverts from the surface, looking for signs of deterioration, damage or blockages. Mapping tools, such as GPS and surveying equipment, are also used to accurately document culvert locations and spatial data.

The team then deploys the Rovver Crawler to inspect the interior of the culvert. This helps assess for sediment buildup, structural deterioration, joint integrity and any obstructions that may impede water flow. The Rovver Crawler also helps document the inspection with its front and back cameras and LED lights.

Following the field inspection, the Culvert Inspection Team compiles all their data, including visual observations, photographs, measurements and test results into a comprehensive report. This is used to make recommendations for maintenance, repair or rehabilitation. If the report determines maintenance is needed, the Culvert Maintenance Crew will step in.

The Culvert Maintenance Crew process begins by ensuring proper access to the culvert site and inspecting the culvert by evaluating sediment accumulation, debris blockages, structural integrity and any signs of deterioration. Various techniques are used to clear the culvert including manually removing debris, using equipment such as excavators or high-pressure water to clear debris that could be blocking the culvert downstream, and rodder hoses to clear the debris from the interior of the culvert.

In addition to the actual clearing of culverts, the Culvert Maintenance Crew also is responsible for monitoring culverts for effectiveness and maintaining records documenting their activities for future maintenance planning and regulatory compliance.

Effective culvert management requires seamless coordination between inspection teams and maintenance crews and within District 2, our culvert teams are excelling at this process. They’re ensuring proactive maintenance and timely repairs are being made, preserving infrastructure functionality, mitigating risks and ensuring the safety and reliability of our transportation networks.

Six tips for Californians to prevent water pollution

From Caltrans’ Let’s Change This to That
Stormwater Public Education Campaign

It’s a common misconception that rain washes dirt, bacteria and other pollutants from our communities, leaving them cleaner and safer.

The reality is pollutants are washed by stormwater runoff from our yards, sidewalks, roadways and highways into storm drain systems and flow untreated to local waterways, inevitably polluting California’s lakes, rivers, streams and the ocean.

After another rainy spring, managing water pollution is a top priority this summer where we live and recreate. Many Californians unknowingly contribute to stormwater pollution through their daily activities. Major pollutants include trash, metals, bacteria, pesticides, sediment and nitrates, and can have severe impacts on public health, causing various illnesses and diseases.

The good news is that Californians can play a part in helping reduce water pollution through simple actions. CleanWaterCA.com recommends these six tips:

Pick up and properly dispose of grass cuttings, leaves and other green waste or consider composting green material. Green waste carries nitrogen and phosphorus which can adversely affect local lakes, rivers and streams. As green waste decays in water, it can cause harmful algal blooms and deplete oxygen levels for aquatic life.

Consider using natural pest control methods instead of harmful pesticides. Pesticides made from highly toxic chemicals can have long-lasting effects on the health of our water and the environment. Choosing organic alternatives like companion planting or using beneficial insects like ladybugs, can make a real difference for water quality.

Pick up after pets. A common misconception is that pet waste is a natural fertilizer and can be left to decompose in the environment. Not so! Pet waste can contain harmful bacteria such as E. coli and fecal coliform, which can carry diseases that affect wildlife and contaminate waterways when not properly disposed of.

Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of using the hose and, if possible, wash cars at a facility. Washing cars and driveways at home can cause pollution as metals and fluids are washed off and enter storm drains, untreated, collecting more pollutants along the way and ending up in waterways. Try choosing car wash facilities that use advanced filtration systems to recycle water used for washing cars.

Take care to properly maintain vehicles. Vehicle fluids, oils and brake dust are made up of toxic heavy metals that end up on roadways and highways without proactive maintenance. Simple solutions to reduce the risk of rain carrying these metals to waterways include proper tire inflation, regular maintenance to check for leaks and wiping down wheel wells to remove brake dust.

Join a cleanup event to prevent frequently littered items, including cigarette butts, food wrappers, and more, from adversely affecting community recreation spots. Go the extra mile to protect against water pollution and visit CleanWaterCA.com for a list of upcoming events.

Safer-streets strategy a bit of a ‘balancing act’

By Meriah Miracle
District 1 information officer

“I ended up getting hit by a car and could have died. I got really, really lucky.”

One minute transportation engineer Steven Hopper was riding his bike on Market Street in San Francisco. The next thing he remembers is waking up in an ambulance with no memory of being struck by a Lexus whose driver fled without even checking to see if he was alive.

Hopper survived that collision in 2016 and is now one of the many District 1 staff tasked with making roadways more accessible to all users, including cyclists like himself, as part of the Complete Streets Branch.

When you talk to other members of this branch — in fact, when you talk to people who regularly travel on state highways or city streets either as pedestrians or cyclists — their stories are much the same. Pedestrians hurriedly seeking refuge on a curb or running through crosswalks to avoid oncoming cars. Drivers honking and yelling at cyclists to get off “their roads” or worse, ignoring their existence, and thus their safety, altogether. The Complete Streets branch is trying to change that.

The branch is made up of four multifaceted professionals responsible for providing input and direction related to walking, biking and transit, but staff in nearly every functional unit are working to implement that input in projects throughout District 1’s service area.

While complete streets may seem like a simple concept, it represents a generational shift in how Caltrans initiates, designs and builds projects on the state highway system. Climate change mandates and the Safe Systems Approach, which seeks to eliminate fatalities on state highways by 2050, are two of the biggest motivators for that shift.

When then Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin signed Director’s Policy 37 in 2021 outlining the Complete Streets policy, he said, “California must reduce dependence on driving without sacrificing mobility and accessibility.” That, Hopper said, is the challenge the branch is tasked with overcoming.

Hopper said the need for bike, pedestrian and transit access is often greatest in rural areas with little space for such facilities. “It gets tricky because when you build a roadway, things spring up alongside it, and there’s not enough right of way for a sidewalk or a buffered bike lane, for example,” he said. “So, we might have to take away some width from cars, so it’s a balancing act.”

Senior transportation planner and branch lead Alexis Kelso added, “We’ve designed our communities to be so car-dependent that right now many people have no choice but to drive. Complete Streets is about giving people options for how to get around.”

Despite the challenges, branch staff are motivated by the long-term benefits to the communities District 1 serves. Hopper said, “It’s just incredibly gratifying to know that the work that I’m doing every day has the potential to make people’s lives not just better, but also safer, healthier, more accessible and well-rounded in general.”

News flash: Modernizing how Caltrans learns

By the Division of Project Delivery

Project Delivery is excited to introduce CTLearns, a new Learning Management System (LMS) that will be a one-stop-shop for training.

CTLearns combines the interactions within Staff Central LMS and the Project Delivery eLearning Center (PDeC)— one of our existing hosts for online, self-paced training. In CTLearns, you request training, attend self-paced courses, view your training history, and more. It is also linked to the California Department of Human Resources and the State Controller’s Office through the EnterpriseHR system so that your training history follows you if you transfer to another participating State agency.

When you log into CTLearns, the learner dashboard appears, displaying active courses, assigned learning paths, completed in-house courses, and more. This eliminates the need to search through several different menu branches. In addition, managers and supervisors can easily track compliance with mandated training and enroll their staff in required courses.

A few exciting features in CTLearns include keyword searches within the course catalog, simplified course registration requests, and generating certificates of completion.

Learners can easily print or download transcripts directly from their dashboard by choosing “Print Transcript” from the menu on the left-hand side of their dashboard. Learners can also browse available courses through the “Register for Course” menu option.

Managers can build training reports, view their staff transcripts, and enroll them in courses by switching to the “Manager” role within one account.

Our CTLearns team will continuously strive to streamline and simplify the training process by updating the system. CTLearns has also partnered with the Equal Employment Opportunity Program (EEOP) to pilot required courses, including Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (SHPT) and Disability Awareness Training (DAT). In addition, we are currently utilizing CTLearns for PM Council meetings, a platform where various trainers and speakers present on topics of concern to Caltrans project managers in all districts.

As we continue to improve and build on our new system, our team will explore system integrations, report restructuring, and methods for tracking training compliance. This also includes ongoing training with the Districts’ and Divisions' point of contact that has already begun.

Finally, in partnership with the Learning Development Office, a new CTLearns resource page will be coming soon to Onramp. Watch for CTLearns guides and learning opportunities as we move into the upcoming fiscal year.

DOT Shots

The first of 82 steel girders is placed over U.S. Highway 101 in Agoura Hills on April 16 as part of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing project.

Health and Safety

Understanding the link between movement and mental health

By the Employee Assistance Program

Movement has a profound impact on mental health. Engaging in physical activity is 1.5 times more effective at alleviating stress, anxiety and mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression than taking antidepressant medications.

The connection between physical activity and mental health is deeply rooted in the intimate relationship between your mind and body. Below are ways exercise influences your mental wellbeing:

Elevates your mood: Exercise triggers the release of endorphins—natural brain chemicals that create feelings of happiness and euphoria. This biochemical response enhances your overall sense of wellbeing by uplifting your mood.

Reduces stress: Physical activity prompts your body’s systems to communicate more closely, particularly when responding to physical stress. This heightened communication helps you respond better to stressors of all kinds.

Keeps your mind sharp: Endorphins sharpen your concentration. Exercise stimulates the production of new brain cells, bolstering memory and helping prevent age-related cognitive decline.

Alleviates mental health symptoms: Regular physical activity can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety, leading to an improvement in mental health.

Builds your resilience: Embracing exercise as a coping mechanism builds resilience in managing emotional challenges. It’s a healthier alternative to avoidance strategies, such as alcohol and drug misuse or overeating.

If you haven’t yet incorporated exercise into your routine, don’t worry! Start with walking or any other low-impact exercise. Experiment with different activities until you discover one that brings you joy and is sustainable in the long run. Your mind and body will thank you!

For more information about mental health resources, call your Employee Assistance Program at 1-866-EAP-4SOC (1-866-327-4762) TTY: 711 or visit eap.calhr.ca.gov.

Who’s New

Andrew Baskerville, deputy district director for District 4 Construction

Andrew Baskerville is the new deputy district director for the District 4 Division of Construction.

In this role, Andrew will be responsible for ensuring on-time and on-budget construction contract delivery of more than 200 active construction projects each fiscal year, currently valued at over $2 billion.

Andrew will oversee the various field construction offices in the nine Bay Area counties, as well as the offices of District Office Engineer, Construction Support, and Construction Services. Andrew will also be tasked with developing our partnerships with local transportation authorities and our construction industry partners.

Andrew received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. After five years working in the private sector building hazardous waste landfills, Andrew started work at Caltrans in 1999 in the Office of Structures Construction on the seismic retrofit of the Benicia Martinez Bridge. Andrew devoted the next seven years to working on the existing bridge and the new main span of the Benicia Martinez bridge.

From 2006 through 2018, Andrew served as a senior transportation engineer in District 4 Construction, working on various high-profile construction projects in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. In 2018 Andrew became the area construction manager for projects in Contra Costa County and portions of Alameda County. 

Andrew has established strong working relationships with local agency partners, such as CCTA and ACTC, and with contractors during his 25 years with Caltrans.

Andrew is committed to safety, partnering equity and transparency to successfully deliver construction projects to the communities we serve in District 4.

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Allison Colburn, director’s speechwriter

Allison Colburn has joined Headquarters Public Affairs as the director’s speechwriter.

Her responsibilities include researching and drafting talking points, speeches and scripts, preparing presentations, and communicating the policies and priorities of the director for both internal and external communications.

Prior to joining headquarters, Allison worked in District 7 as a public information officer. Before that, she lived in Florida, where she served as the District 5 deputy director of public information for the Department of Transportation.

She also spent a couple of years as an award-winning reporter for a business news publication and received her master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri - Columbia. She went to the University of Colorado, Boulder for her undergraduate degree.

Allison comes from a multi-generational Air Force family and spent most of her life in Colorado Springs. Her favorite activities include skiing, hiking, biking, doing crossword puzzles, watching TV and reading. She has a miniature poodle named Moxie.

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Domoniquie Eagen, executive liaison in Legislative Affairs

Domoniquie Eagen has joined Caltrans in Headquarters as the executive liaison in the Division of Legislative Affairs.

Prior to joining Caltrans, Domoniquie worked at the University of California, Davis Hospital in an administrative role, supporting several surgeons for seven years.

As a recent college graduate, with a bachelor of science degree in administration management, she decided to explore career opportunities with Caltrans to further advance her administrative skills.

Domoniquie has a son who turns 2 in August and two Labradors that keep her quite busy.

She enjoys being outside, going to brunch, watching sports and spending time with family in the Roseville area.

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Mauro Weyant, senior transportation surveyor for District 6

Mauro Weyant has accepted the position of senior transportation surveyor for Central Region (District 6) Services’ Fresno office. 

Mauro will oversee field surveying activities for Tulare and Kings counties. .

Mauro has logged more than 26 years with Caltrans.  He graduated from Fresno State with a bachelor of science in surveying engineering in 1995.  His career started with Caltrans in February 1998 and has mainly been involved with field surveying. 

He has helped develop the feature code library used by all surveys for field data collection and help develop survey workflows for project delivery.  He is returning from Headquarters as the PDPD training coordinator and is looking forward to his new role as field surveys senior.

Mauro has been married to Laura for 21 years and has four daughters: Maritza, Mariah, Lilliana and Lauren. 

In his spare time, he and his wife love to travel.  The also enjoy going to the lake, having barbecues, going to the movies, spending time with their daughters and are soon to be grandparents.

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Wayne Wilson, Highway Safety Education Campaign manager

Wayne Wilson has joined Headquarters Public Affairs as the Highway Safety Education Campaign manager.

Wayne’s responsibilities include managing the contract, providing leadership and support educating the public on the campaign, and acting as a spokesperson.

Wayne comes to us from the California Board of Accountancy and the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Prior to state service, Wayne worked in the technology, real estate and finance sectors, and enjoyed an award-winning career in radio and media.

A true people person, Wayne earned a dual bachelor’s in marketing and management information systems from San Jose State University, and an MBA.

A Southern California native, Wayne enjoys spending time with his family, pets, cooking and gardening and most things Star Wars. His hobbies include travel, fight sports, good food, good music and sporting events.

He is also a voice actor, motivational speaker, ring announcer and mentor.

In January he completed his first 5K with RunDisney.

He is excited about this opportunity and looks forward to meeting everyone.

Obituaries

Wade Boeck, retired civil engineer

Note: The following obituary, written by Laurel Boeck, appeared in the Denver Post.

My beloved husband, Wade Boeck, passed away suddenly on March 29. He was born on March 19, 1965, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, to Dean and Patricia Boeck and he passed away just 10 days after his 59th birthday in Azle, Texas. We were just a few weeks shy of our 27th wedding anniversary on May 24.

Wade was a talented civil engineer with emphasis on highway structures and bridges. He went to work for Caltrans in Southern California after he graduated from Colorado State University and was instrumental in the emergency design of both temporary and permanent structures following the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, which resulted in the timely reconstruction of several heavily traveled highway bridges across Southern California.

He was the Caltrans resident engineer who along with CC Meyers was responsible for the successful early completion of the high-profile emergency contract to replace a washed out 100-foot section of the Interstate 5 double-span bridge over the raging Arroyo Pasajero creek in Coalinga, which shut down a 200-mile section of I-5 in March of 1995 during catastrophic flooding.

Wade went to work for the private sector in 1997. He worked as a construction manager and structure rep for Stimpel-Wiebelhhaus Associates in Redding from 1997-2008, when the collapse of the U,S, economy forced SWA to lay off their entire workforce.

From 2009 until his passing, Wade worked as a construction management consultant, resident engineer and structures rep for Mendoza & Associates, Jacobs and Bowman Engineering Consultants.

Wade loved sports but was most passionate about football and was a lifelong Broncos fan. He participated in the same fantasy football league for more than 25 years with a close group of friends from grade school. We were blessed to be able to attend many NFL games together, visiting Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City), Reliant Stadium (Houston), AT&T Stadium (Arlington), Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego), Qwest Field (Seattle), Candlestick Park (San Fran), and Lambeau Field (Green Bay) twice. And before we met, he had a blast with friends in New Orleans at the Superdome for Super Bowl XXIV in 1990, despite the Broncos loss.

Wade was preceded in death by his mother, Pat. He is survived by his loving wife Laurel, his father Dean and stepmom Joyce, his sister Brenda, nieces Margo and Grace and nephew Nate, as well as many other family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Wade’s name to your favorite dog rescue or shelter. There was not a better, more loving, more patient doggy dad on this earth than Wade.

There are some people in life that make you LAUGH a little louder, SMILE a little brighter and LIVE a little better. Wade was one of those people, without question, and he will be missed always by everyone that was blessed to have known him.

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Wendel Davidson, District 7 Construction resident engineer

Note: The following obituary was shared with District 7 workers on April 12.

It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the unexpected passing of Wendel Davidson, resident engineer for District 7’s Division of Construction.

Wendel started his career with Caltrans District 12 over 32 years ago and transferred to District 7 in 1999.

He served as an assistant resident engineer starting in 1999. He then accepted a resident engineer position in May of 2023.

Wendel is survived by his wife, Waheeda, and two daughters, Mikaila and Meghan.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses, bills, and necessities for the family. If you are interested in contributing, please use this link.

A funeral service for Wendel was held April 17 at White Emerson Mortuary in Whittier.

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Paul Gennaro, District 6 project manager

Note: The following obituary was shared with District 6 workers on April 11.

Paul Gennaro passed away April 9.

Paul worked for Caltrans for 33 years. He began his career as a designer in District 6.  He also took assignments in environmental and of course, Project Management.

Within Project Management Paul led as a project manager, and project management support unit chief.  Later he would come to Headquarters to be the project delivery coordinator for the Central Region.

Throughout his career, he carried a passion for helping others using his knowledge of design and project management principles and process to help the Central Region program and deliver projects.  He was always willing to leverage his experience to provide guidance. 

Early on he would help others studying for the PE exam, and later, as a PD Coordinator, would help teach modules for the Design Academy and the Project Managers Academy in addition to being ready to step in on other assignments to improve processes.

Outside of work he had two sons with his wife, Barbara, of 37 years.  He enjoyed cycling and fishing in his free time.

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Steve Gomez, retired Caltrans worker

Note: The following obituary appeared on the Emmerson Bartlett Memorial Chapel (Redlands) website earlier this year.

Steve Gomez, born on Jan. 21, 1958, in San Antonio Texas, passed away peacefully at home with his loving family on Feb. 27, at the age of 66 in Redlands.

He served in the U.S. Army for 4 years. Steve had a fulfilling career at the Southern California Gas Company and Caltrans.

Steve was a dedicated individual who enjoyed karaoke, dancing, casino nights and traveling in his free time. He will be remembered for his love of these hobbies and his commitment to serving his country.

 He is survived by his mother, Antonia D. Gomez, and his children: Frank Gomez, Anna Frietze, Antoinette Higareda, Mario Juarez, and Alicia Juarez. Steve was preceded in death by his father, Frank T. Gomez, and his brother, Tony D. Gomez.

A funeral service to honor and celebrate Steve's life was held at Emmerson’s Bartlett Memorial Chapel in Redlands. The burial took place at Montecito Memorial Park in Colton.

Steve Gomez will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him. May he rest in peace.

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Jose Torres, retired bridge inspector

Retired Caltrans bridge inspector Jose Torres, 66, passed away on Jan. 1 at his home in Rialto.

Born April 29, 1957, in Los Angeles, he resided in San Bernardino County the majority of his life.

He is survived by his wife, Josefina Torres; two brothers, Epifanio Jr. (Cathy) and Arthur Torres; five nephews; six nieces; and several godchildren.

Jose graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a civil engineer in 1984. He was a practicing bridge inspector for more than 20 years. Jose worked for Caltrans most of those years and retired from there in 2012.

Services were held at Montecito Memorial Park, Cypress Chapel in Loma Linda.