Who's New

Kris Balaji, deputy district director for District 3 Program/Project and Asset Management

Kris Balaji has been appointed the new deputy district director for District 3 Program/Project and Asset Management.

Kris is returning home to Caltrans after spending 13 years in the private and public sectors.

Kris started his transportation career in District 5 in 1991 and moved to Sacramento to join the Structures Design Division. He has experience in almost every aspect of transportation infrastructure lifecycle as he has worked in the areas of planning, programming, environmental, design, construction, operation and maintenance. He also served as the Headquarters division chief for Traffic Operations. 

Kris joined the private sector in 2007 to manage transportation programs at two global Architectural & Engineering (A&E) firms. Since 2015, he has been serving the constituents of San Joaquin County as its director of public works.

A current board member of the California Transportation Foundation, Kris has served several industry organizations. He holds accountability, customer service innovation and partnerships as his core values, and is passionate about mentoring and developing the future leaders, on and off the work.

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Patrick Bishop, District 3 maintenance and operations deputy

Patrick Bishop accepted the assignment to act as the District 3 Maintenance and Operations deputy.

Patrick grew up in Carmichael and joined the Army at 17. He spent four years on active duty, and another five in the Reserves. During that time, he deployed to Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division, supporting their efforts repairing all types communication equipment.

He went on to graduate from the University of California, Davis, in 1996 with a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering.

Patrick worked for two years in the private sector designing steel pedestrian bridges and aluminum waste water clarifier covers before beginning his career at Caltrans in 1998.

He was a designer for North Region Project Development (NRPD) in the Gateway Oaks office in Sacramento before being promoted to senior transportation engineer in the district office.

Patrick has been a supervisor for Design Branch M7, the new Utility Engineering Workgroup and North Region Office Engineer. During that time, he also spent a year on rotation in Maintenance Design delivering the major maintenance program. 

In 2017, Patrick was promoted to office chief (Design B) in NRPD.

Patrick and his wife, Iris, have three children: Allyson, Joshua and Claire. A recent addition to the family is 1-month-old granddaughter; Jordyn. They love spending time together as a family at home, together on their boat and recreating in their RV.

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Gustavo Dallarda, District 11 director

Gustavo Dallarda has been appointed District 11 director.

Gustavo has a civil service career that spans nearly three decades. He served as chief deputy district director for two years with executive-level responsibility for the Operations and Maintenance programs, and a portion of the Capital program.Since September 2019, Gustavo has acted as the District 11 Director.

For more than ten years, Gustavo worked as corridor director for the Interstates 15 and 805 corridors in San Diego.He worked closely with transportation partners and local communities to deliver the innovative $1.4 billion I-15 express lanes project, the I-805 HOV lanes project, three new bus rapid transit lines, and active transportation facilities by using traditional delivery methods, design-sequencing, and design-build.

Earlier in his career, Gustavo was the project manager assigned to Imperial Valley and delivered goods movement projects such as the State Route 11 expressway project and the environmental document for the Brawley Bypass project.

Gustavo has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the George Washington University and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Stanford University.He is a licensed civil engineer. Gustavo lives in San Diego with his wife Rosanna and two adult children, Pierluca, and Sofia.In his free time, Gustavo enjoys spending time traveling, hiking and reading.

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David DeLuz, deputy director of civil rights

David DeLuz has been appointed as the deputy director of civil rights. David joins Caltrans with more than 20 years of progressively responsible executive leadership, policy and program management experience as a chief executive and senior leader in government and non-profit organizations.

He also is a recognized thought leader in diversity, equity and inclusion, having led civil rights and social justice organizations and campaigns to empower communities and change lives.

Most recently, David served as the director of strategic initiatives for the California School Boards Association, where he developed key relationships and partnerships focused on helping school districts ensure every child has access to a high-quality education.

David also served as the president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League; was appointed as a deputy appointments secretary and then as a chief community liaison in the Office of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; and assistant director in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Additionally, David served as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at Stanford, California State University, Sacramento, and California State University, Fullerton.

A native of Richmond, David earned a bachelor of science degree in broadcast journalism from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; a master of public policy and administration degree from California State University, Sacramento; and a master of arts degree in politics from the Claremont Graduate University. David and his wife, Denise, live in Natomas and have a son and are grandparents to two little ones.

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Ryan Dermody, District 9 director

Ryan Dermody has been appointed as District 9 director.

Ryan began his career with Caltrans District 9 in 2001. 

He has served as the deputy district director of planning and environmental analysis for District 9 since 2013. In this role, he led a team that articulated a long-term transportation vision while fostering local, regional, state and federal partnerships. 

In spring 2019, Ryan held an acting assignment as the division chief for Transportation Planning at Headquarters in Sacramento. Prior to these appointments, Ryan was office chief of local assistance for District 9 from 2007-2013, overseeing and assisting local agencies in procuring state and federal aid transportation funding. 

He has also held acting assignments as chief of the Eastern Sierra Environmental Branch and as a project manager.

Ryan is an Eagle Scout, holds both bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees from Oregon State University, and a certificate in project management from California State University, Sacramento.

Ryan lives in Bishop with his wife, Lori, and two children, Hunter and Reagan. In his free time, Ryan enjoys spending time in his big backyard with his family mountain biking, downhill skiing, paddle boarding, and kayaking.

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Elizabeth A. Dooher, broadband facilities program coordinator

Elizabeth A. Dooher has been appointed as the Caltrans broadband facilities program coordinator.

During her 29 years of state service, Elizabeth has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in project delivery, program management and business management while building strong and effective partnerships throughout the state.

Elizabeth has worked in the Divisions of Project Management, Construction, Design, Engineering Services, Environmental Analysis and in the Office of Civil Rights. She has held various management positions serving as the partnering program manager, ADA infrastructure program manager, stormwater program implementation office chief, and most recently as the chief, Office of Hazardous Waste, Air, Noise, and Paleontology.

Elizabeth graduated from the University of California, Davis, earning bachelor’s of science degrees in civil engineering and materials science & engineering. She has executive leadership training from Pepperdine University School of Business and Management and completed the Advanced Construction Management Program at the University of California, Irvine.

Elizabeth lives in Davis with her husband, Bryan, and two children, Zachary and Catherine. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

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Kristine (Kris) Escarda, assistant division chief of administrative services in the Division of Business Operations

Kristine (Kris) Escarda is the Division of Business Operations’ new assistant division chief of administrative services. 

Kris comes to Caltrans from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, formerly the Board of Equalization, where she oversaw a budget branch team that focused on coordinating the development budget change proposals, finance letters, and other budget preparation, oversight, and analytical activities.

Prior to that, Kris spent six years at the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) in administrative services and public participation. At the California Conservation Corps, she served in a variety of capacities, including supervisor of a small residential center in northern Mendocino County.

Prior to her state service, Kris spent 12 years working for community-based organizations including two AmeriCorps programs focused on fisheries restoration and youth mentoring, as well as an in-home care program for seniors and people with disabilities.

Kris earned a a bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University in recreation administration and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California.

In her spare time, Kris likes to read, go on hikes and bike rides, spend time with family and friends, and continue to learn. She also spent six years as a board member of the Natomas Park Homeowners Association, including terms as chief financial officer and chair.

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Shanna Everts, assistant division chief of Safety and Management Services

Shanna Everts has been appointed as the assistant division chief of Safety and Management Services.

Shanna will lead the Offices of Learning and Development, Employee Health and Safety, and Workplace Violence Prevention. Since joining the Caltrans family, Shanna has had many roles, most recently as the office chief over Employee Safety and Health. She focused on improving communication between the Headquarters and districts, and increased safety and health training statewide, including the creation of the Safety Officer Boot Camp and Cal/OSHA compliance.

Previously, Shanna was a strategic planning adviser to the deputy director of administration.

Her road to Caltrans, began at the Board of Equalization as a business tax appeals analyst in 2008. In 2010, Shanna took an opportunity to work as a legislative analyst to the assistant executive officer at the State Allocation Board. 

In 2011, she joined Caltrans and started in the Division of Engineering Services.  At the end of 2011, she joined the Administration Program working as the statewide out-of-state travel coordinator. She left briefly to work in the Director’s Office assisting with strategic planning, but returned to Administration to work in the newly formed Office of Enterprise Risk Management where she helped establish the Caltrans Enterprise-wide Risk Management Program. 

In 2015, she served as office chief over the Workforce Planning, Ethics, and Employee Recognition Programs. Helped by her team, Shanna created the Caltrans Mentorship Program and Leadership Series. She launched Caltrans Workforce Planning Brown Bags and created partnerships with districts and headquarters to grow her programs. 

Shanna holds a bachelor of arts degree in government from California State University, Sacramento. Outside of work, Shanna enjoys spending time with her two boys and is a recently converted fan of the San Francisco 49ers.

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Diana Gomez, District 6 director

Diana Gomez has been appointed as District 6 director.

For the past seven years, Diana has been a member of the executive team at the California High-Speed Rail Authority. As the Central Valley regional director, she was responsible for ensuring the high-speed rail project continued forward on the planned schedule and budget by developing and maintaining relationships with local residents, policy makers and consultants and by building strategies for communicating with local advocates.

Prior to her appointment at High-Speed Rail, Diana clocked more than 25 years of transportation experience with Caltrans. While at Caltrans, she served as a senior transportation electrical engineer and chief for the offices of traffic Management and Systems Management Operations. In 2011, Diana was appointed as the Caltrans District 7 deputy district director of Traffic Operations, then making her the highest-ranking Latina engineer with the department.

Diana earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at California State University, Fresno. She is also a registered electrical engineer and a certified project manager.

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KC Handren, division chief of budgets

KC Handren has been appointed as the division chief of budgets. (A photograph of KC is not yet available.)

KC is coming back to Caltrans from the Department of Developmental Services, where she has been the assistant deputy director of administration for the past two and half years.

She has been in state service for almost 20 years, 13 of those with Caltrans.  During her time with Caltrans she has primarily worked in the Division of Budgets managing the department’s local assistance and capital outlay portions of the budget totaling approximately $9 billion in state and federal funds.  She also served as chief of the office of innovative finance, managing all reporting aspects for Proposition 1B, the Division of Budgets resources management and administrative services, and the Public Private Partnership Program.

As assistant deputy director at the Department of Developmental Services, Handren gained valuable experience in developing and managing the state operations portion of the budget, as well as policy formulation and implementation, fiscal and program accountability for four state operated developmental centers, human resources, facilities planning, contracts and procurement in FI$CAL and business services. 

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Erin E. Holbrook, Legal Division’s chief counsel

Erin E. Holbrook earlier this year was sworn in as the department’s chief counsel. For the previous three years, she served as Caltrans’ assistant chief counsel. She replaced Jeanne Scherer, who retired.

“I am excited to step into this position under the new leadership of Director Toks Omishakin and Chief Deputy Jim Davis,” said Holbrook, who has been with Caltrans since 2010. “This is a time of bold, transformative change for the department and I am honored and proud to be a part of the Caltrans leadership team.”

Holbrook will continue to work out of Caltrans’ headquarters building in downtown Sacramento.

During her 10 years in the department’s legal team, she also has served as acting deputy director for administration and deputy attorney. 

Prior to joining Caltrans, Holbrook held several positions at Thurbon and McHaney LP from 2000 to 2010, including senior associate attorney and associate attorney. She earned a juris doctorate degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

She is a member of Women in Transportation International.

The Plumas County native was born in Greenville. She now resides in Elk Grove with her husband, Sean, and two children, Lincoln and Claire. She has two older children: Stephanie, who with her husband, Craig, and their two daughters live in Sacramento; and Johnathon, who is a Petty Officer 2nd Class in the U.S. Navy and is stationed in San Diego.

Holbrook’s father lives on the Hawaiian island of Molokai and her mother, brother and his family live in Washington state.

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Said Ismail, deputy division chief for system management, Division of Traffic Operations

Said Ismail has been appointed to serve as the deputy division chief for system management position in the Division of Traffic Operations.

Said has more than 30 years of experience in transportation engineering, which includes research and design of bridges and roadways, construction, information management, project/program management, and project delivery professional development.

Said has a master's degree in structure engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.  He has worked on several high-profile projects and programs such as downtown Boston’s central artery/tunnel project, commonly known as The Big Dig; the Interstate 15 reconstruction in Salt Lake City; the Carquinez Bridge seismic retrofit; the Traffic Congestion Relief Program; and the P1B Accountability website.

He also led the deployment of Workload Breakdown Structure (WBS) Guide, Capital Outlay Support (COS) Proper Charging Guide, Project Management Manual, and the implementation of Project Delivery e-Learning Center. 

Said held several rotational assignments with the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Division of Engineering Services, where he acted as deputy division chief for program/project management & office engineer.  Most recently, he has served as acting deputy division chief for system management in Traffic Operations.

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Ashley McGuckin, chief of the Division of Human Resources

Ashley McGuckin has been appointed as chief of the Division of Human Resources.

Ashley joined the Caltrans DHR team as a classification and hiring analyst in 2007. Over the years, she has proven to be an innovative, strategic and customer-focused partner, dedicated to supporting Caltrans’ most valuable asset, our people.

Since 2011, Ashley has served in a variety leadership capacities within DHR. In 2017, she was promoted to her most recent role as assistant division chief, Office of Examinations, Executive Selection (CEA & MSP), and Talent Management (Workforce/Succession Planning, Recruitment, Career Development & Employee Engagement). As assistant division chief, she successfully streamlined the department’s CEA and MSP examination processes, resulting in efficiency, transparency and substantial cost savings.

Ashley also spearheaded and developed a series of talent management symposiums, designed to equip Caltrans management with the tools necessary to recruit, develop and retain the most qualified workforce. In summer 2019, Ashley’s ability to innovate while providing exceptional service led to an opportunity to complete a six-month acting assignment as DHR division chief.

Ashley has a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento, in public relations and marketing and plans to use her background to advance DHR’s customer service, communication and partnerships.

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Aaron Ochoco, deputy director of administration

Aaron Ochoco is now serving as deputy director of administration.

During his 24 years of state service, Aaron has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in training and development and personnel management.

Aaron began his state career with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), working in multiple field offices and being promoted to a DMV training officer prior to coming to Caltrans.

In 2006, Aaron joined Caltrans District 11 to ultimately become the District 11 training manager. In 2013, Aaron completed an acting assignment as administrative branch supervisor for the Headquarters Division of Maintenance.

While in the Division of Administration, Aaron has served in various leadership roles in Labor Relations, Health and Safety, Workplace Violence Prevention, the Office of Driver Certification and Substance Testing, and as the acting deputy director of administration for District 7.

In 2017, Aaron was promoted to his most recent position as the division chief of Safety and Management Services, where he was responsible for the department’s review of its Leadership Program, playing a key role in the growth and development of future Caltrans leaders.

 

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Carlos Portillo, division chief for North Region Project Development

Carlos Portillo has been appointed division chief for North Region Project Development. 

Carlos has more than 31 years of engineering experience with Caltrans in construction, design (roadway and structures), engineering services, project management and environmental services. 

Carlos graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with a bachelor’s degree of science as a civil engineer. His first Caltrans assignment was in Sacramento in Central Design. After his two-year rotation, he moved to Eureka / District 1 where he become a resident engineer and worked on the construction of the Redwood National Park bypass. 

After the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred, he worked in the Bay Area for Structures Construction. 

He was promoted in 1997 to the area construction engineer responsible for the construction of projects in El Dorado, Placer, Sierra and Nevada counties. During this time, he oversaw the construction of the Truckee Bypass and the Delta projects. As a project manager, he orchestrated the team efforts in the delivery of the expansion of State Route 99 corridor from Yuba City to the intersection of State Route 70, East Nicolaus Bypass and the Sacramento HOV Program on Interstate 80, U.S. Highway 50 and Interstate 5.

Carlos has held several positions such as North Region environmental division chief, acting Department of Engineering Services program project management division chief, acting North Region engineering division chief, office chief of North Region Program Management and several other managerial and supervisory positions. 

Carlos and his wife, Judy, have been blessed with four children. He enjoys spending time with his family hiking, fishing and playing board games.

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William Segraves, assistant to the director

William Segraves has joined the Caltrans team as the assistant to the director.

William’s knowledge and experience comes with more than 13 years of administrative background, both in the private and public sector. Most recently, William served as the administrative assistant to the Director’s Office at California Housing and Community Development in Sacramento.

Prior to that, William was part of the administrative team that supported the chief executive officer of Maxim Integrated in San Jose.

William has a degree in office administration and a second degree in computer network technology from Mission College in Santa Clara. William also obtained a Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence from the American Society of Administrative Professionals.

William moved to Sacramento just over a year and a half ago and thoroughly enjoys the farm-to-fork foodie scene, the friendly locals, and the many outdoor activities.