Who's New
Kelijo Boney, Clean California public education campaign manager
Kelijo Boney is the new Clean California public education campaign manager in Headquarters Public Affairs.
Kelijo comes to us from the Division of Traffic Operation’s Office of Talent Management, where she was the branch chief of career development and succession planning for almost three years. In that role, she hired the founding team members of the new branch, spearheaded the design and implementation of multiple talent management programs, oversaw marketing and communication campaigns for branch programs, and worked to improve the engagement and culture within the division to reduce employee turnover and promote career mobility.
Prior to working at Caltrans, she worked for California State Parks where she coordinated an employee wellness program and workplace violence program. Additionally, she worked for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration where she led employee programs related to wellness, engagement, and career development.
Prior to state service, she worked in a variety of positions in the human health and wellness space.
Kelijo has a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in history from Sacramento State and holds her master’s from CSU Monterey Bay.
In her free time, Kelijo plays on multiple recreational sport teams, watches scary movies, and enjoys some gardening. She and her partner, Samantha, are proud parents of two fur babies, Maggie (dog) and Potato (cat).
Tom Chorneau, Headquarters Public Affairs customer service officer
Tom Chorneau has joined Headquarters Public Affairs as the customer service officer.
He serves as the liaison between the public and the Division of Maintenance, Traffic Operations, and Equipment along with taking on other public affairs responsibilities.
Before joining Caltrans, Tom spent nearly 30 years in mainstream journalism, including more than a decade as a political reporter for the Associated Press and the San Francisco Chronicle.
He is the author of works in fiction and non-fiction. Most recently, he was editor of a pair of weekly newspapers in Napa County.
R.J. Hickman, META superintendent
R.J. Hickman is the new maintenance area superintendent for the Maintenance Equipment Training Academy (META) at Headquarters.
R.J. brings 18 years of dedicated service to Caltrans, having gained extensive experience across various maintenance facilities in District 8 before transitioning to META in 2018.
As META superintendent, R.J. oversees the academy’s training programs and leads a team of instructors in delivering essential training to Caltrans staff, from maintenance workers to superintendents. His leadership will be instrumental in ensuring that the training curriculum is effectively executed and aligned with the department’s mission, vision and goals.
Throughout his career, R.J. has been deeply involved in hands-on maintenance work, including desert and snow operations in the local mountains. His passion for teaching emerged in 2018 when he became an instructor, where he thrived in training and certifying operators, as well as teaching safety protocols to new employees.
In his new role, R.J. is committed to fostering a culture of safety and collaboration within the META team. He will work closely with instructors to ensure the curriculum is delivered with excellence, with a strong focus on safeguarding both staff and the traveling public. R.J. believes that effective collaboration is key to shaping meaningful training and safety initiatives that benefit all Caltrans employees.
Outside of his Caltrans responsibilities, R.J. cherishes spending time with his wife, Kellie, enjoying the outdoors, and seeking out new adventures on their Harley, often looking for the next perfect selfie spot. He is also thrilled to spend time with his new grandson, Alister, and values the time spent with his family, including his daughter Mariah and son Emil.
Please join me in congratulating R.J. on this well-deserved promotion. We look forward to the continued success of META under his leadership.
Andrew May, broadband media specialist
Andrew May is Caltrans’ new broadband media specialist.
Andrew joins the department after 15 years serving communities locally and internationally in various educational settings. He began his career as a high school teacher specializing in English and the humanities.
Most recently, Andrew worked as the marketing and communications director for a local private school.
With an extensive background in English education and teaching, marketing, writing, community-building, and storytelling, he brings an abundance of knowledge, passion, and skill to the Caltrans Public Affairs team and the mission to connect all Californians with reliable broadband services.
Rebecca Parnianchi, media public records coordinator
Rebecca Parnianchi has joined Headquarters Public Affairs as the media public records coordinator with the CPRA unit.
Before joining Caltrans, Rebecca worked for Intel, where she developed and executed global communication strategies across multiple departments.
Her most recent role involved planning and implementing a comprehensive internal communication program for the Sales, Marketing & Communications and Corporate Strategy & Ventures teams. In this capacity, Rebecca managed content and developed communication plans in alignment with Intel corporate strategy, brand, and legal guidelines, creating clear and effective communications for employees and customers worldwide.
Prior to joining Intel, Rebecca worked as a producer at ABC10, where she produced impactful broadcast and digital campaigns. Her role required close collaboration with clients, ad agencies, and public figures, ensuring high-quality, engaging content for broadcast and online platforms.
Rebecca holds a bachelor’s in digital media technology from Pacific Union College and master’s in marketing from the University of Phoenix.
Toniell Smith, Headquarters Public Affairs assistant public information officer
Toniell Smith has joined Headquarters Public Affairs as an assistant public information officer.
Toniell is a dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in customer service. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a degree in family and consumer sciences.
Throughout her career, Toniell has been promoted to various roles, including management positions, where she honed her leadership and communication skills.
She is excited to transition into the Caltrans Public Affairs team as the assistant public information officer, where she aims to leverage her background to contribute to the department while further developing her personal skill set.
In her spare time, Toniell enjoys staying active and spending quality moments with her family, friends, and dog, Zander.
Richard Stone, SHOPP programming office chief
Richard (Rich) Stone is the new SHOPP (State Highway Operation and Protection Program) programming office chief.
In this role, Rich oversees programming actions for preservation, repair, rehabilitation, and operational improvements for state highway system assets through the statewide SHOPP program.
With 25 years of experience at Caltrans, Rich brings extensive knowledge and expertise to this position. He served as the district liaison for Districts 7, 8, 11 and 12 in the SHOPP Programming Office. In this role, he was crucial in preparing book items for allocations and amendments and reviewing emergency projects.
Before his work in the Division of Financial Programming, Rich held various positions in Traffic Operations, Construction, and Office Engineering. He began his Caltrans career in District 3 as an office engineer, specializing in project management and design.
Outside of work, Rich is passionate about traveling, exploring new countries, and sampling diverse cuisines. He also enjoys cooking, gardening, and building and repairing computers.
Rich earned his engineering degree from Oregon State University. At home, he cherishes time with his wife, Amy, their daughter, Katie, and their son, Andrew, who is currently attending college.
Please join me in welcoming Rich to his new role. We look forward to his leadership and contributions to the continued success of the statewide SHOPP.