Announcing 2025 Outstanding Management and Engineering in Transportation Award Winners

Bimla G. Rhinehart Award

Dara Wheeler
Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer (Acting)

 

Dara Wheeler serves as the Acting Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer at Caltrans, bringing over 34 years of distinguished public service in California. Her career spans a broad spectrum of leadership roles, including service under two California Governors and with a state legislative land use commission.

At Caltrans, Dara has held numerous key positions, including Chief of Staff, and has led major programs such as Rail and Mass Transportation and Research, Innovation, and System Information. Her experience also includes leadership in Transportation Planning, where she has consistently advanced strategic initiatives that support the Department’s mission.

Dara holds multiple national leadership roles, including serving as an appointed voting member of the AASHTO Special Committee on Research & Innovation, Co-Chair of the AASHTO Innovation Management Committee, Co-Chair of the AASHTO Innovation Community of Practice, and Co-Chair of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s Workforce Development Community of Practice.

She earned her degree in Political Science from San Diego State University and recently completed certification in Prompt Engineering to further support her leadership in emerging technologies.

The Bimla G. Rhinehart Award recognizes contributions to the transportation field by non-engineering Caltrans managers. This may include, but is not limited to, surveyors, architects, lawyers, planners, landscape architects, administrators, right-of-way agents, maintenance managers, rail, aeronautics, and mass transportation managers. Ms. Rhinehart was known across the state for her amazing ability to create strong relationships and partnerships that benefitted Californians and moved transportation projects forward. During her 27 years with the California Department of Transportation, she served as the Division Chief of Right of Way and Land Surveys, Acting Division Chief of Budgets, Deputy Director of External Affairs and Special Projects Manager. She also served as Executive Director of the California Transportation Commission and was a member of the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee.

Karl Moskowitz Award

John Jewell
Chief of Crash Test Operations
Division of Research, Innovation and System Information

 

John Jewell is a Senior Transportation Engineer with Caltrans and the Chief of Crash Test Operations in the Division of Research Innovations and System Information.

With 38 years working for Caltrans, 35 years has been focused on developing and researching roadside highway safety hardware. His team has performed countless crash tests and developed numerous products such as bridge rails, guardrails, and sign-supports.

He is the co-chair for the Highway Safety Features New Products Committee, a committee which has evaluated hundreds of products for use throughout California.

His experience in crash testing and in product evaluation has led to strong working relationships with Caltrans Legal, the Safety Program, Traffic Operations, and Engineering Services.

John also has a professional license in both mechanical and civil engineering, has been a member of pooled fund research groups, and has assisted in state-wide training for roadside safety hardware.

The Karl Moskowitz Award annually recognizes contributions by Caltrans registered engineers to the field of transportation engineering.  Mr. Moskowitz served as a Caltrans traffic engineer for 27 years.  Much of his work in freeway design and traffic flow appeared at the outset of the Interstate highway program and was used extensively by planners and engineers nationwide, thus becoming the national standard. 

Charles H. Purcell Award

Tina Lucas
Chief of Project Support
Division of Design

 

Tina Lucas is the Chief of the Office of Project Support in the Division of Design, which provides varied and extensive support for capital and permit projects statewide. Tina has 22 years of experience with Caltrans and nine years in private industry.

During her five years with Design, Tina has led multi-divisional teams of HQ and district representatives to improve project development policies, procedures, and processes, including a short-form project document for projects funded by others, statewide templates for encroachment policy exceptions, Undergrounding Decision Document to support electric utilities’ wildfire mitigation plans, implementation of the Highway Safety Manual, and support for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative.

Tina also serves on the Department’s condemnation panel and provides expertise on route matters. During her seventeen years with the Division of Engineering Services, Tina held positions, in design, hydraulics, consultant contract management, specifications, and contract awards.

Tina has an MBA from UC Davis, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from San Diego State, and a B.S. in Structural Engineering from UC San Diego.

 

The Charles H. Purcell Award recognizes valued contributions by Caltrans engineering managers to the field of transportation engineering and transportation program management.  Mr. Purcell served as California’s State Highway Engineer from 1928 to 1943 and as Director of Public Works until 1951.  He established California’s extraordinary record of leadership and integrity in transportation engineering and guided the construction of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge and the State Highway System.

 

James E. Roberts

Eric Olives
Office Chief of Bridge Design South
Division of Engineering Services

 

Eric Olives earned his Civil Engineering bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He began working in private industry performing duties as an assistant and lead structure representative on projects like the Lake Natoma Crossing and East Bidwell Overcrossing.

After joining Caltrans in 2000, he took on roles with the Truckee River Bridge and HQ Office for Structures Construction. During his Caltrans career, he has also worked for METS and PPM&OE where he is currently employed as the Office Chief of Program Management.

Private industry ignited Eric’s passion for efficiency and performance in engineering projects which would later drive his development of the Task Management/Project Management application, VISION. Inspired by creative project management business processes and web application computer technology, Eric began working to create a new tool that could stand the test of time, efficiently manage delivery schedules, and support costs. With the help and support of committed DES employees, VISION is established as DES’ premier project management application.

The James E. Roberts Award annually recognizes outstanding contributions by Caltrans registered engineers to the field of transportation structures.  Mr. Roberts served as a structural engineer and manager for more than half a century, including 15 years as California’s State Bridge Engineer.  He spearheaded Caltrans’ $4.5 billion seismic retrofit program and oversaw nearly $50 million in seismic research projects.  He was named to the National Academy of Engineering in 1996, and retired in 2001 as Chief Deputy Director.