Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday announced the following appointments:
Toks Omishakin, 43, of Nashville, TN, has been appointed director of the California Department of Transportation. Omishakin has been deputy commissioner for environment and planning at the Tennessee Department of Transportation since 2011. He was director of Healthy Living Initiatives in the Nashville Mayor’s Office from 2008 to 2011. Omishakin earned a Master of Arts degree in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $200,000. Omishakin is registered without party preference.
James Davis, 54, of Davis, has been appointed chief deputy director of the California Department of Transportation. Davis has been special advisor to the director at the California Department of Transportation since 2019. He held multiple positions at the Department of Transportation, including Senate Bill 1 program manager from 2018 to 2019, Bay Area district director in 2018, division chief of project management from 2013 to 2018, division chief of transportation planning from 2016 to 2017, division chief and deputy division chief of engineering services from 2004 to 2013 and multiple transportation engineering positions from 1988 to 2004. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $198,060. Davis is registered without party preference.
Garin Casaleggio, 42, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary for communications and strategic planning at the California State Transportation Agency. Casaleggio has been deputy secretary of communications at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency since 2015. He was deputy communications director at the State Controller’s Office from 2003 to 2015 and special advisor to the chief of staff in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 2000 to 2003. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $150,000. Casaleggio is a Democrat.
Kristin Peer, 39, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary and special counsel for water policy at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Peer has been assistant general counsel at the California Environmental Protection Agency since 2015. She was a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2010 to 2015, an associate at Miller, Starr, Regalia from 2007 to 2010 and a credit analyst at Union Bank from 2002 to 2004. Peer earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $160,008. Peer is a Democrat.