I hope to see all of you at my first Director’s Town Hall, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, when Chief Deputy Director Michael Keever and I will answer questions you submitted. Also, I want to update you on our response to climate change, which remains a generational challenge for all Californians.
According to Susanville CHP, Tina Milberger was traveling on State Route 32 at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2 with her four dogs, when her vehicle left the roadway and went down a steep embankment. The vehicle overturned and then slid down the embankment, eventually coming to a stop about 130 feet down. Milberger was unable to get out of her vehicle, leaving her stranded and hanging upside down in her vehicle.
The Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor Award is the highest honor the State of California can bestow upon its employees and is awarded to individuals who have performed an extraordinary act of heroism above and beyond the call of duty to save the life of another person or State property. It is with great pride to announce four of our very own Caltrans employees have been selected to receive this prestigious award!
Ron Kosinski of District 7 has received special recognition from the Women’s Transportation Seminar-Los Angeles Chapter for his lifetime of work contributing to the people of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. WTS-LA named him the 2022 WTS-LA Lois Cooper Going the Distance Award winner.
“Thank you for your dedication, experience, leadership, wit and charm,” said Acting District 7 Director Gloria Roberts. “We are proud of you, Ron!”
On October 11, a rockslide / landslide occurred from a steep slope on State Route 23 (Decker Road) in Malibu. The road was closed for three weeks, during which rock scalers and workers using a manlift, a front loader and large dump trucks removed loose rocks, boulders and dirt from the slope. This project was supervised by the Caltrans District 7 Office of Geotechnical Design.
On Oct. 12, District 7 launched its first learning table discussion around digital equity. I spearhead the Digital Equity Initiative and it is supported by Acting District Director Gloria Roberts and the leadership team. Bridging the digital gap is urgent, but the means to address this issue is within reach through the Broadband Middle Mile Network.
SANDAG and Caltrans District 11 joined U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar, Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis, U.S. and Mexican dignitaries, and business leaders on Oct. 24 to celebrate a “California Day” reception in Mexico City where SANDAG, along with the state of California, signed a binational Toll Revenue Sharing Agreement with Mexico. The agreement is a legally binding document that will establish the revenue split between the U.S. and Mexico for the toll affiliated with the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry.
Thank you to all who joined us at the Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving Day – and those who supported online too! We exceeded our goal and raised $1,028 for Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, placing our team in the top 11 team fundraisers. What an amazing way to show the community how much we care.
It's not unusual for people to look forward to the change of seasons and the holidays but dread them at the same time. Shopping for gifts, decorating, and hosting and attending social events can be fun but stressful, especially when you already have too many things on your plate and feel pressed for time. Other stress triggers may be financial pressures, family conflicts, and travel.
Check out the latest photographs taken by and of Caltrans workers. CT News would love for you to share pictures you've taken out and about, or in the office. Please email them to us and we'll try to post them in the next issue.
Donna had been serving as the acting chief engineer and deputy director for Project Delivery since February. In this position, Donna is responsible for all guidance and policy for the delivery of Caltrans' statewide transportation projects. She manages six headquarters divisions and leads more than 11,000 Project Delivery employees statewide responsible for delivering the annual Capital Improvement Project program, valued at over $5 billion.
Sheilah Fortenberry is a new public information officer in District 12. Sheilah joined Caltrans in 2001as a dispatcher-clerk in the District 12 TMC. During her 21 years of state service, she has assisted the District 7 TMC on weekends, worked temporarily as the District 12 training coordinator, and more recently worked as the District 4 Clean California public information officer.
During his more than 16 years at Caltrans, he has promoted the department’s vision to the public and discussed a wide variety of transportation subjects with the media, including the need for stable state and federal transportation funding, sustainability efforts by the department, and projects that place California at the forefront in innovative transportation solutions.
Ron Tollison is District 3’s new division chief for North Region Project Development. Ron brings more than 20 years of engineering and project delivery experience to the North Region. Seven of those years were spent with private consulting and local government, and 15 years with Caltrans to date.
Ed wasn’t one to let grass grow under his feet for very long. He had a few careers before he retired. He made many friends during his careers in real estate, working as an appraiser at the Humboldt County Assessor’s office and finally at the California Department of Transportation as a right-of-way agent. Up to his last day, he was making friends as a volunteer working on trails in what is known as the McKay Tract.
Former Caltrans employee Rachel Prioleau Walker died on Nov. 6 in Ridgecrest. She was born in Kingstree, South Carolina,to parents, Charles Scott and Eliza Scott on Jab. 27, 1938. She loved her ministry and was well-regarded in her community for all that she did. She worked for Caltrans and then opened her own business as a day-care owner. Rachel was committed to helping anyone in her community
Some of California's state highways are just so doggone pretty, aren't they? There is nothing especially showcase-y about State Route 116, which ventures from Wine Country to the Pacific Ocean via several small towns scattered amid otherwise bucolic surroundings. But the roadway does have an undeniable, laid-back charm and gentle beauty that really appeal to CT News. Hop in and ride along!
Welcome to the sixth installment of CT News' "video game," players of which are ideally amused and engaged, and winners of which have zero chance of being awarded with any meaningful prizes. The game play is simple. CT News presents links to three narration-free videos, all under 40 seconds. They were shot recently alongside (or over) California roadways that are maintained by Caltrans. Email your guesses of roadway and location to CT News by Jan. 31.
Matt Rocco, Acting Assistant Deputy Director, Public Affairs
Sign up for CT News!
Would you like to stay informed of what's happening with Caltrans? If so, Sign up for our notifications and you'll be alerted via email whenever we release a new issue.
