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Safety, compassion and clean roads are Jeff Miller’s priorities

By Haleigh Pike
District 2 public information officer

The role of a Caltrans homeless encampment manager is one of importance but often goes underappreciated and unnoticed.

This position is responsible for coordinating with outreach teams, contractors and local governments to execute a standardized response plan for unsheltered people living along state highways or on state property. The response includes providing advance notice to those living on state property before removing their items, offering outreach and shelter referrals, overseeing removal, and ensuring personal property is tagged and stored properly.

While Caltrans cannot solve homelessness, the role emphasizes connecting people to social services and treating them with dignity. Encampments can cause significant safety hazards, including fires, debris buildup and even undermining structural elements that can cripple major transportation arteries.

In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, California spent approximately $3.3 billion on various housing and homelessness programs, including those related to addressing homeless encampments. Across the state, homeless encampment coordinators help ensure consistent application of Caltrans policies, balancing public safety with compassion.

Jeff Miller has been serving as District 2’s homeless encampment manager since 2023. A Caltrans veteran, Miller’s career spans nearly two decades, marked by steady growth, a commitment to public service, and a willingness to take on new challenges.

Miller began his journey with Caltrans in 2006 as a Maintenance worker in Weaverville. After about four years, he promoted to equipment operator, then took on a leadworker role in Platina. In 2011, Miller moved to Redding East as leadworker, and by 2018, he was serving as Redding East supervisor.

When the homeless encampment manager position became available, Miller decided it was time to try something different.

“I like the job and I’m happy with the switch,” he said. “It’s a different type of work, but it’s still about serving the public and keeping our roadways safe.”

One of the advantages of this position being housed within Maintenance is the ability to coordinate with other crews on preventative work. For example, vegetation clearing can remove the cover that makes certain areas attractive for encampments, reducing the likelihood they’ll return. This not only limits repeat responses for Miller, but also decreases the number of times other crews must respond to the same areas, like the fence crew.

By leveraging Maintenance resources for proactive measures, District 2 can address problem areas more efficiently and help prevent future encampment-related issues.

On average, District 2 handles the removal of several encampment sites each month. Each removal involves close coordination with contractors, CHP and local outreach agencies to ensure residents are informed and offered available resources. The process often begins with a site identification and outreach notification, followed by “Notice to Vacate” postings 48 hours in advance, and ends with cleanup and debris removal.

Miller’s role is as much about people as it is about property.

“A lot of people tell me they don’t know how I deal with the people, but most of these people are not bad people, they’re just on bad times,” he explained.

He often hears comments like, “They’re just going to come back” or “I couldn’t do that.” His perspective is shaped by years in maintenance: “A lot of the work we do is repetitive. We maintain the roadways, so we maintain, and that includes repetitive work.”

While the job has its challenges, Jeff approaches it with steady professionalism and empathy, qualities that have defined his entire Caltrans career.

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Lovers Lane rehab project is well underway in Visalia

By Christian Lukens
District 6 public information officer

This past March, Caltrans was joined by dignitaries from Tulare County and the city of Visalia to celebrate the start of construction for the State Route 216 Lovers Lane Rehab Project.

The $44.9 million project aims to provide operational improvements at the State Route 198/Lovers Lane interchange, rehabilitation of roadway pavement, construction of new non-motorized transportation facilities, upgrading existing facilities to current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, remove and upgrade existing streetlights and upgrades to traffic signals.

Funding for the project was made possible in part through Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) and additional state funding.

The ground-breaking ceremony was held this past spring, and speakers included District 6 Director Michael Navarro, City of Visalia Mayor Brett Taylor, Vice-Chair for the Tulare County Board of Supervisors Amy Shuklian, Chairman of the Tulare County Association of Governments Board of Governors Rudy Mendoza and Commander of the Visalia Area California Highway Patrol, Captain Scott Goddard. The ceremony included additional certificate presentations from the offices of State Senator Melissa Hurtado and Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo.

The Lovers Lane Rehab Project began in fall 2024 and is expected to be completed in summer 2026.

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Often-promoted engineer has a backstory beyond belief

 Fadi Al Banna is honored as District 10’s Maintenance Engineering Employee of the Year as Jose Alicea, District 10 office chief, Maintenance Engineering, Tanya Sanguinetti, the district’s deputy district director of Maintenance, look on.

By Bob Highfill
District 10 public information officer

Fadi Al Banna was recently named District 10’s Maintenance Engineering Employee of the Year.

The recognition came just weeks after Fadi left District 10 for a position at Caltrans Headquarters in Sacramento, another rung up the ladder for an amazing person who has served as a gleaming example of employee excellence.

Fadi’s path to success has been anything but ordinary. He overcame extraordinary adversity, including escaping the grip of the terrorist organization ISIS, and courageously rebuilt his life in the United States.

Fadi said he was overwhelmed and deeply gratified when he received the recognition from his District 10 Maintenance “family.”

“Being nominated for this award by my District 10 Maintenance family is definitely the highest honor and greatest achievement in my professional journey so far,” Fadi said. “It’s a very special trophy that I will hold dear to my heart forever.”

To Fadi, “family” is a word not to be taken lightly. Fadi has been separated from his parents and siblings for many years due to unfortunate circumstances in his native country, Iraq. In 2004, Fadi graduated from civil engineering school and had started his career when terrorist groups forced him to quit his job and leave the country because his work involved projects funded by the U.S. Army. He left Iraq, moved to Syria, and started over.

“I received a very serious life-threatening message,” Fadi said. “I was called a traitor, and I was asked to leave the country, or else. So, I resigned from my job, left my family and friends behind, and moved to Syria.”

Fadi said he was lucky to receive a message. He knew many who were executed without warning.

Fadi’s family also fled the country after ISIS took over the city where they lived, seized their house, and destroyed everything they owned. Most of his family settled in Europe. Fadi wanted to live and work in the United States. In 2009, while living in Syria, he received refugee status from the United Nations and was informed that he would be moved to Florida.

“I, once again, had to start over,” Fadi said. “I didn’t have anybody, no family, nothing.”

Fadi worked in Florida while he waited for his green card. His goal was to work in civil engineering, his passion, but at the time, the economy was in a recession, so a civil engineering job was next to impossible, especially for a refugee from Iraq with limited proficiency in English.

Undeterred, Fadi worked his way up from the bottom. He took odd jobs he never thought he would have to take. His first job in the United States was at a fast-food restaurant, then he switched over to a graveyard shift at a gas station, hoping to go to school during the daytime. However, due to a lack of guidance and resources, things did not go as planned.

“But I was happy,” Fadi said. “There was always a calming voice inside me that kept whispering, ‘It seems like an uphill battle with no end in sight, but have faith, be patient, and never lose hope — things will work out in the end.’”

Two years later, and after receiving his green card, Fadi decided to move to California. He packed his belongings and drove his old car across the country. He was awestruck by what he saw on his two-week journey: the Mississippi River, the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas, for example. Again, Fadi had to start over in California, where he became a U.S. citizen.

He signed up for classes at American River College (ARC) in Sacramento to improve his English and sharpen his skills after being away from school for years. He passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) exam and earned his EIT Certificate in 2013, holding onto the goal of someday working as a civil engineer. He worked odd jobs while studying at ARC. Eventually, he accepted a part-time position in early childhood education with the San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento as a bilingual child development assistant, where he helped refugee families enroll their children in schools, assisted them in the classrooms, and shared available resources with them.

Fadi attended California State University, Sacramento, to work on his master’s degree in structural engineering. He also took some MBA and project management classes to get a broader understanding of civil engineering and how to manage projects and resources.

Fadi worked part-time for one of his Sacramento State professors, a senior bridge engineer who worked for Caltrans. At the time, Fadi had earned an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate and had civil engineering experience in Iraq. But it wasn’t enough in the eyes of employers. Fadi received hundreds of job rejection letters and was told that he did not have hands-on experience in the U.S as a civil engineer.

But the part-time job with his professor helped fill the gap in Fadi’s resume, and he landed a full-time job with Clark Pacific, a U.S.-based leader in prefabricated building systems. In 2018, Fadi accepted a full-time job with Caltrans after attending a mass hiring event in Sacramento.

Fadi was hired by Central Region Construction as the District 10 construction safety coordinator. He performed the same role in District 6 as needed. Two years later, Fadi joined District 10’s Maintenance Design team. He also worked a rotational assignment in District 10’s Division of Project Development that included a stint with the Utility Engineer Workgroup before he returned to Maintenance Design.

He became a licensed civil engineer in California in September 2024, and in November 2024, Fadi left Maintenance Design to work for Maintenance Engineering as the HM5/Facilities program coordinator.

Fadi consistently has achieved greatness, fulfilling several key roles with Caltrans, primarily in Maintenance Design and Maintenance Engineering. He has earned the respect and admiration of his supervisors and co-workers.

“I am not really surprised that he was nominated and presented the award,” said Edujie Imoisili, District 10 branch chief, Maintenance Design. “He deserves it. It is also great that he is being acknowledged and put up as a standard for what an exemplary employee should be.”

Fadi’s District 10 colleagues described him in glowing terms on his employee of the year nomination form.

“I, too, can attest that (Fadi) has always gone above and beyond,” said Jose Alicea, District 10 office chief, Maintenance Engineering. “Amongst all, (Fadi) has always been respectful and has continued to accept mentorship that has allowed (him) to progress in (his) career.”

This past June, Fadi left District 10 to work for the Division of Engineering Services in Headquarters. Now, he supports users of the AASHTOWare Project Preconstruction Software. Fadi was on the users’ side when he worked in District 10. Now, he provides support for some 2,700 users and 450 contractors who work with the software.

Fadi said he likes helping people achieve their goals, just as many people helped him along his journey from Iraq to the United States to Caltrans.

“Before moving to the United States, I was at the lowest point in my life. The atrocities I witnessed after the 2003 war had shattered my faith in humanity. But as I began to meet more Americans and share my story, I was deeply moved by their empathy, genuine kindness, and sincere desire to help me heal, succeed, and return to my career in civil engineering,” Fadi said.

“This country — my country — not only gave me the opportunity to rebuild a life bigger than the life I ever dreamed of, but also revived my hope in human goodness and restored my faith in humanity through the American people. For that, I will forever be grateful.”

Fadi Al Banna embodies Caltrans’ vision, goals, and core values. He has conquered unimaginable challenges to achieve his goals while helping those around him achieve theirs.

“I strive each day to give back to the country and people who gave me a second chance at life,” Fadi said. “They lit a path through my darkest days, and I will spend the rest of my life honoring that light.”

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First responders gain hands-on experience with propane trailer safety

By District 2 Public Affairs

On Sept. 16, the Redding Caltrans Maintenance Yard hosted a unique training opportunity led by AmeriGas Propane Transport International (PTI). The training was designed to help local first responders prepare for emergencies involving propane trailers.

The day began with a classroom session, followed by hands-on instruction using a specialized propane trailer brought in from Houston by AmeriGas PTI. This trailer allowed participants to step inside and examine the internal components of a propane tank, while also learning about the critical exterior features that responders must identify when securing a crash scene safely.

Attendees included Caltrans District 2 Maintenance supervisors and superintendents, the Redding Fire Department, CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity Unit/Shasta County Fire Department, and the California Highway Patrol. The training was well-received, and participants walked away better equipped to handle propane-related incidents in our region.

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Navigation Center to provide shelter, services in Stockton

By Bob Highfill
District 10 public information officer

The Henry and Carol Zeiter Navigation Center soon will provide shelter and services to families experiencing homelessness in the city of Stockton.

On Sept. 17, the navigation center celebrated its pending opening with an open house where local officials and representatives from numerous agencies gathered to tour the three-story facility that will accommodate 17 families, a fast-growing segment of the homeless population.

“Last month, we turned away 87 families and 160 kids,” said Krista Fiser, Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary’s Community Services, which operates San Joaquin County’s largest homeless shelter program. “This is pretty much the norm month after month after month.”

Caltrans District 10 has been a valuable partner in this landmark achievement. The navigation center and existing adjoining shelters and dining room are underneath the Interstate 5 and State Route 4 (Crosstown Freeway) interchange on property owned by Caltrans. District 10 has an air space lease agreement with St. Mary’s Community Services, which operates the facilities.

“There’s something very rewarding about being involved in a project like this, an altruistic benefit,” said Stephen Woodfill, District 10 Right of Way office chief. “At Caltrans, our top priority safety – whether it’s building a bridge, construction round-abouts, or improving the roadways, it’s about safety. However, when you’re involved in a community partnership project like this, it just hits differently because you get to see the benefits both immediate and long-lasting.”

The navigation center will provide safe, secure lodging and wraparound services for mothers and their children – some 68 individuals in total. Just feet away from the navigation center, the Pathways project is under construction and will add 268 beds for chronically homeless individuals.

Already on the St. Mary’s campus, adjacent to the navigation center and the Pathways development, are the longstanding men’s, women’s and family shelters, as well as St. Mary’s Dining Room, which serves three meals a day year-round.

Once the navigation center and Pathways are operating, St. Mary’s Community Services will be one of if not the largest single-site shelter program in California with 609 beds, Fiser said.

The nearly 12,000-square-foot navigation center, made of repurposed shipping containers, stands three stories tall with offices on the first floor and two floors of living space. The facility is some 10 years in the making and is slated to open this fall.

“The Henry and Carol Zeiter Navigation Center is more than just a building, but a beacon,” said Danielle Mondo, President of the Board of Directors of St. Mary’s Community Services. “It is a promise that no one in our community will have to navigate life’s toughest storms alone.”

According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, a total of 4,732 people in San Joaquin County were experiencing homelessness, an increase of 104 percent from the 2022 count. The figure includes 1,263 people in emergency shelters or transitional housing, and 3,469 living on the streets, in cars or other places unsuitable for habitation.

In addition to consulting with St. Mary’s Community Services in matters related to the airspace lease agreement, District 10 provided a letter of support to the county’s proposal for a California Interagency Council on Homelessness Encampment Resolution Fund Grant.

In 2023, the county received an $11.1 million ERF grant to fund outreach, service coordination, case management, and housing stabilization services. The grant is targeted to address District 10’s highest priority homeless encampment, which surrounds the St. Mary’s campus underneath the State Route 4 and Interstate 5 interchange.

District 10 is committed to being a good partner with agencies who share a vision in line with Caltrans’ core values of collaboration, equity, innovation, integrity, people first, pride, and stewardship.

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District 2 building a safer intersection in Tehama County

By Kurt Villavicencio
District 2 public information officer

On a bustling stretch of rural Tehama County, a small but significant intersection is getting a big safety upgrade.

The junction of State Route 99 and South Avenue, also known as County Road A9, has long been a cause for concern among both motorists and safety officials. Now, Caltrans District 2 is stepping in with a major construction project aimed at saving lives and easing traffic flow.

“The crash data here speaks volumes,” said Sara Hunt, Caltrans project manager. “This intersection has a collision rate nearly five times higher than the state average. It’s our job to analyze intersections with significant collision history and come up with a design solution that creates a safer intersection for everyone.”

The South Avenue Safety Project will replace the existing stop-controlled intersection with a modern single-lane roundabout. Construction began on April 28 and is expected to wrap up by late fall. The roundabout, supported by updated lighting, signage, drainage and realignment, is designed to slow traffic and reduce the chance of severe or fatal crashes.

“Roundabouts are one of the most effective tools we have in reducing the severity of collisions,” said Edward Worden, resident engineer for Caltrans District 2. “They force drivers to slow down and eliminate head-on and broadside crash patterns. We’ve seen this work across California and in other districts.”

The project is being delivered in five phases, with traffic control in place to minimize disruption. Motorists can expect short delays — up to 14 minutes when the surface is paved, and around 23 minutes during unpaved phases. Caltrans has pledged to keep the public informed every step of the way through updates, signage and outreach.

During a virtual public meeting held in April, community members voiced both concerns and support.

“We heard from residents who were understandably cautious about the impacts of construction,” Hunt said. “But we also heard from many who were happy something is being done to make this intersection safer for their families.”

Beyond improving safety, Caltrans is also taking care to protect the environment. The project team conducted a thorough environmental assessment and is working to minimize impacts to wetlands, riparian areas and nearby farmland. In all, about 2.75 acres of Williamson Act lands will be converted, but mitigation measures are in place to offset those effects.

“This isn’t just a construction project,” added Hunt. “It’s about improving quality of life for folks in Tehama County. When you know an intersection has a history of crashes — you feel a responsibility to act. We’re proud to be part of a solution.”

With work now underway, Caltrans encourages residents and travelers to plan ahead, remain patient, and stay alert through the work zone. The end result, officials say, will be a safer, more efficient route that better serves everyone on the road.

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Employee spotlight: District 2’s Jessica Santos

By District 2 Public Affairs

Jessica Santos works in District 2 System Planning as a transportation planner. She just hit her year mark and is happy to have completed her probation period.

Jessica drives to Quincy once a month to attend the Plumas Transportation Commission meetings, where she reviews Project Initiation Documents (PIDs), assists Advance Planning staff in development of Transportation Planning Project Information Sheets (TPSIS), and helps with the development of system planning documents such as comprehensive multimodal corridor plans (CMCPs) along with other corridor studies.

Jessica started her career with Caltrans as a staff services analyst in Local Assistance and was in that branch for two years. Before working at Caltrans, Jessica worked at CalVet as a pharmacy technician and worked in the medical field for more than 14 years.

Jessica met her husband, Christian, playing slow pitch softball out at the old Big League Dreams complex, which is now the Redding Sports Complex. Jessica and Christian currently own the softball league and host league three nights a week.

Jessica and Christian have four kids: Eva (14), Eli (12), Asianah (4), and Mateo (1). The Santos family stays busy with multiple sports including at high school, with Eva having just started her freshman year.

Jessica went back to school after having her last child and received enough credits to become a transportation planner.

She has lived in Redding 95 percent of her life and has grown up watching the city thrive. Jessica also has a passion for baking that came before kids and softball, and she owns a home bakery.

“It’s been a blessing since I was in my early teens to see smiles on everyone’s faces when I can create something that they dream about but in dessert form,” she said.

Jessica added she is a dreamer with goals but also love a challenge. She loves working at Caltrans and looks forward to many more decades and trying to make a difference for the better.

How do you spend your time when you aren’t working? Lots of coffee with friends.

What is your favorite food or restaurant? Bar food. Good burger or BBQ.

What’s the greatest bit of advice you’ve ever been given? Live in the moment and make memories.

What is your favorite movie or tv show? Beauty and the Beast

What is the one skill every person should have? Communication

What is your favorite thing about working at Caltrans District 2? Our employees and our agencies. I love interacting with our local rule counties and meeting new people, seeing what they are struggling with, and how we can possibly help. 

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You Time!

For the love of dogs: Environmental planner opens her heart and home

By Erin McQueary
District 10 public information officer

Brenda Powell-Jones, a senior environmental planner, has devoted over 15 years to raising and fostering Labrador retrievers — pouring her heart into dogs that were never meant to be hers.

Through California Labrador Retriever Rescue and Canine Companions, Brenda has fostered 10 Labs and trained two service dogs.

“I spend a lot of time with these dogs, and (letting go) is hard,” Brenda said. “But I think you just need to remember what the purpose is and who they're helping, whose lives they're improving by doing this work, and then handing them over. And I think the same can be said about fostering. It's helpful to know that there's another good place for them, and we’re sort of the intermediary step.”

Foster dogs usually stay with Brenda for two to six months. Service dogs, however, became a part of her life for nearly two years.

In 2018, her youngest daughter wanted a second Lab as a pet. Instead, they decided to raise a service dog. They were paired with Guinevere, a 2-month-old yellow Lab.

For two years, Guinevere graced the halls of Caltrans Headquarters in Sacramento, where Brenda worked at the time. Guinevere slept under Brenda’s desk while she worked, and they took breaks walking around the Capitol.

Brenda and her daughter also took training courses with Guinevere, where they learned to teach basic commands, sit, down, stand and wait.

Then they had to say goodbye.

After completing basic training with families, service dogs move to a six-month advanced training center where they are evaluated and undergo intensive training to determine if they are the right fit to serve people who are in wheelchairs, have post traumatic stress disorder, are hearing impaired, or to provide comfort to people in facilities like hospitals.

Guinevere learned to identify auditory prompts and then direct a person to the source of those sounds. She was partnered with a hearing-impaired man in March 2021.

Brenda got her second companion dog, Archie, in April 2020.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “We ended up with an overlap between sending Guinevere to training and getting a new puppy. It was a great opportunity for little Archie to have a mentor in the house.” Brenda said.

Archie trained as a PTSD support companion — learning to calm nightmares by lying across his owner, and create space in crowded situations. Archie was partnered with a veteran in Montana in July 2022.

Brenda says that of all the dogs she’s had to let go of over the years, it was hardest to say goodbye to Archie, but regular FaceTime check-ins let her see that Archie is helping his owner and thriving — especially when he’s romping through the snow.

She understands this type of volunteer work can be difficult for some, but she encourages people to help in any way they can.

Although Brenda last fostered in January, she’s still deeply involved. Now focused on her three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, her volunteer work centers on yard checks for adoptive families and driving dogs to their new homes in the “Lab Cab.”

She encourages others to lend a hand, noting even small acts have big impacts:

• Emergency fostering for a few days can save a dog from a shelter kill list or a Parvo outbreak at a shelter.
• Temporary care for about a week can support foster parents on vacation.
• Some shelters offer “day away” programs — brief reprieves that lower stress and boost adoptability.
• Donations of food, bedding, and time are always welcome.

To learn more about Brenda’s favorite organizations, visit www.canine.org and www.cc-labrescue.org.

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Health and Safety

Cope with financial hardships

By the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

It’s no fun when a nagging financial problem threatens your precious peace of mind. Money troubles can generate substantial stress and anxiety.

Although everyone’s situation is different, there are some generally accepted ways of improving your financial health:

• Take an objective look at your finances. This includes your income, savings/checking accounts, recurring expenses and any debts such as student loans or credit cards. Then you can start developing a plan.
• Establish a monthly budget so you know where your money is going and can identify areas for cost cutting. Decide what’s essential and what you can do without, at least temporarily.
• Proactively contact your creditors and service providers; they may offer hardship programs or options to adjust payment plans.
• Prioritize paying off high-interest debts as quickly as possible.
• Consult a professional financial advisor to get help with planning, saving and managing debt.

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Who’s New

Rene Fletcher, division chief, Right of Way and Land Surveys

Rene Fletcher is the new division chief of Right of Way and Land Surveys.

Rene brings a wealth of experience to this role, with 35 years of distinguished state service, including 31 years as a right of way professional. Over the past year, she has served as the acting division chief for Right of Way and Land Surveys within Project Delivery, where she led the division in implementing the new Airspace Program Guidelines in collaboration with the Governor’s Office and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Rene has more than 15 years of executive-level experience as a right of way agent, having led all Headquarters offices within the Right of Way and Land Surveys Division from Project Delivery and Real Property Services to Land Surveys. She previously served for eight years as deputy division chief and held an earlier acting assignment as division chief in 2020.

Additionally, she served as acting deputy district director for Right of Way and Right of Way Engineering in District 8 in both 2013 and 2015.

Rene earned her degree in criminal justice from California State University, Sacramento in 1991. She began her career with the Department of Justice in Sacramento before relocating to San Diego to join Caltrans in District 11. In 2009, she returned to Northern California to settle in El Dorado Hills with her family.

Rene is married and recently celebrated a milestone as she and her husband dropped off their daughter at Biola University in La Mirada. Go Eagles!

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Cecilia Gutierrez, chief executive liaison in the Director’s Office

Cecilia Gutierrez is the new chief executive liaison in the Director’s Office at Caltrans Headquarters.

Cecilia serves as a key coordinator and adviser, ensuring the effective planning, execution and follow-through of meetings, communications and high-level engagements involving the director of Caltrans. She interfaces with internal and external stakeholders to support the director’s priorities and initiatives.

Cecilia brings more than 15 years of combined experience in transportation, infrastructure planning and various support services. She most recently served as the chief executive liaison for Caltrans District 4, supporting strategic coordination across one of California’s largest and most politically active districts.

Cecilia’s Caltrans career spans multiple divisions and organizations, beginning in Caltrans administration at Headquarters, where she led statewide strategic planning and budget analysis. She went on to contribute to the Division of Project Management, chairing the Workplan Standards Guide Committee and the implementation of the PRSM workload scheduling tool.

In the Division of Business Operations, she managed the SHOPP Office Building Program, delivering capital infrastructure plans to the Department of Finance. Her work in the Division of Safety and Management Services focused on statewide policy development and performance assessment.

Before joining Caltrans, Cecilia worked more than seven years in the private sector as a sales engineer at General Electric (GE), specializing in electrical distribution systems across the San Diego and Sacramento regions. She is trained in Six Sigma methodologies and is a graduate of GE’s Leadership Training Program.

She holds a bachelor of science in management science with a minor in engineering science from the University of California, San Diego.

Outside of work, Cecilia enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the outdoors, and walking her pug.

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Kelli Hutnick, chief of staff for the Maintenance and Operations Program

Kelli Hutnick is the new chief of staff for the Maintenance and Operations Program.

Kelli has 11 years of state service and has worked for various departments including Fish and Wildlife, CalPERS, and Social Services.

Kelli most recently worked for the Division of Risk and Strategic Management within Caltrans where served for three and a half years. In DORSM she provided support to the Caltrans Strategic Plan development, tracking, and monitoring; the Statewide Leadership Summit; Strategic Action Planning; and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) reporting.

Kelli deeply values the partnerships she has established in her previous role and looks forward to further developing relationships within the Maintenance and Operations program, the department, and with Caltrans’ external partners.

Kelli graduated from Sacramento State with a B.S. in sociology. She lives in Sacramento with her husband, son, daughter and a generally well behaved bunny.

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Claudia Juarez, District 6 deputy director of Administration

Claudia Juarez is the new District 6 deputy director of Administration, following the retirement of Bill Etherton.

Claudia began her career with District 6 in 2001 as an office technician in Maintenance. She went on to support the Central Region Project Development Support team for two years, followed by seven years as a budget analyst with Central Region PPM.

In 2012, Claudia was promoted to a staff services manager I (SSM I) role in Administration, where she led the District’s Position Management and Project Control team. Most recently, she served as the office chief for the Administration Resource Management Office, overseeing Financial Management, Position Management, and Workload.

Claudia brings with her over two decades of experience, a deep understanding of District 6 operations, and a strong commitment to administrative excellence.

Outside of work, Claudia enjoys reading, listening to a wide variety of music, traveling, and spending quality time with her husband and 6-year-old grandson. She’s also an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys and a dedicated follower of college football.

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Sujaya Kalainesan, division chief of Project Management

Sujaya Kalainesan is the new division chief of Project Management.

Sujaya brings over 15 years of diverse experience across both Caltrans Headquarters and district operations. Most recently, she served as the acting division chief for the Division of Project Management at Headquarters, where she led the statewide Project Management and Capital Outlay Support programs.

Previously, Sujaya was the deputy division chief in the Headquarters Division of Local Assistance, where she oversaw nearly 50 local funding programs supporting projects valued at over $15 billion. These projects spanned local roadways, transit, rail, ports, and zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) initiatives. She played a key role in fostering statewide collaboration, building strong partnerships with FHWA, CTC, CalSTA, MPOs, RTPAs, local agencies, tribal governments, and community-based organizations to ensure effective funding allocation and successful project delivery.

During her tenure in Local Assistance, Sujaya led several strategic initiatives, including the delivery of local federal obligation authority, development of a grant management database, and integration of rail and transit programs into Local Assistance through change management efforts.

She also contributed to the Headquarters’ SB1 Office, supporting the Rebuilding California initiative and the development of Cycle 2 performance metrics in coordination with the CTC. Her earlier roles in District 7 included design engineer, design manager and project manager, where she successfully delivered key milestones on high-profile projects such as the Interstate 5 Segment 4, State Route 136 Corridor Development, U.S. Highway 101 HOV Lane Project, and the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing.

Beyond Caltrans, Sujaya has worked on research projects funded by the Department of Defense and Pennsylvania DOT and served as a technical and programmatic specialist for the World Bank on multi-billion-dollar international infrastructure projects. She is a licensed professional engineer and holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Outside of work, Sujaya enjoys traveling, staying active and embracing new adventures.

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Obituaries

Royce Clayton Hiner, 2021 Medal of Valor recipient

Note: The following obituary appeared in the Red Bluff Daily News.

Royce Clayton Hiner, 39, of Red Bluff left this life for his next adventure Sept. 10, in the arms of his loving wife, surrounded by family, friends and classic country music after a hard-fought health battle over the last year.

He was born in Red Bluff on March 7, 1986 to Tex and Trenna (Anderson) Hiner and was the youngest brother to Danny and Ron Hiner. Royce married his best friend Laura (Moon) Hiner on Oct. 9, 2010, and his greatest joy was their three beautiful children Leland (almost 13), Lyle (11) and Larissa (almost 8).

Royce graduated from Los Molinos High School in 2005, Butte College’s Welding Program in 2010 and had a long career with Caltrans in which he was celebrated for his dedication and awarded the California Medal of Valor in 2021 for an act of extreme heroism.

Royce enjoyed the outdoors and was rarely found indoors preferring to spend his time building, creating, hunting, exploring and just enjoying nature with his family and trusty Doberman, Runa.

He was a cherished son-in-law to Paul and CynDee Moon, grandson-in-law to Peggy Rusnak, brother-in-law to Kylie Hiner, Ethan (Elise) Moon, Sarah (Bob) Moon, Erik Moon and Ingrid (Mark) Moon, uncle to William, Ferris, Emma and Fintan, nephew and cousin to many, and friend to all who were lucky enough to have known him.

Waiting his arrival in heaven are his maternal grandparents Jack and Barbara Anderson, paternal grandparents Alvin and Alice Hiner, Uncle Ken Anderson, Aunt Karen Clark and cousin Michelle Clark.

He was a tireless volunteer, coach and mentor to many, known for his unmatched enthusiasm, can-do attitude and kindness. He lit up every room and his infectious smile, sense of humor, and legendary hugs will be deeply missed.

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Doug Mitchell, retired Maintenance superintendent

Note: The following obituary appeared in the Paso Robles Daily News.

Doug Mitchell made his way to heaven on Aug. 14 at the age of 81.

As a young teen, Doug migrated from his birthplace of Portsmouth, Virginia, to San Diego County. In his early twenties, he began a long career with Caltrans, District 11.

As a resident of Escondido for several years, he and his first wife, MaryAnne, became parents to two boys. Brian, age 60, resides in Carlsbad with his wife, SueAnn, along with their daughter, Summer, age 22. Doug’s youngest son, Bob, age 57, resides in Escondido with his mother, MaryAnne Miller.

Doug became a resident of Atascadero in 1990 when he accepted a job in District 5 as the Maintenance Superintendent at Caltrans in Templeton. He and his future wife, Debbie Mitchell, purchased a home in Atascadero and were married in September of 1991. Doug retired in 2004 as a Caltrans Maintenance Manager II.

Although Doug had a successful work career, his resume didn’t end with Caltrans. He was proud to be a father to Bob and Brian and “Poppa Doug” to his beautiful granddaughter, Summer. Doug was also Debbie’s protector, cheerleader, soulmate, and perfect life partner. She is heartbroken that dementia stole her husband and brought their love story to an early end.

Doug is also survived by his dog, Gracie, and his cats, Cheeto and Tuesday. Waiting for their fur daddy at the Rainbow Bridge are Jingles, Charlie, Sunny, Sneakers, Pickles, Cissy, Riley and Layla.

A deep appreciation goes to Angelita, Kevin, Loretta, and Julie at Irene’s Board and Care in Paso Robles, where Doug resided for the last 21 months. Debbie is also grateful for the Wilshire Hospice staff, especially Nurse Rochelle W., for her kindness and guidance. Thank you to Dignity Hospice for the care provided for the last month and a half.

A world of thanks goes to Bob Drue, Doug’s golf buddy and friend. Doug truly loved you, Bob. Thanks for keeping him entertained on the golf course where the scorekeeping was certainly unique. You provided him so much laughter.