Draft:Adetokunbo Omishakin

Adetokunbo "Toks" Omishakin is an urban planner and government official serving as the 4th Secretary of Transportation for the state of California at the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA). He made history as the first African American to serve in that cabinet-level position. and was appointed to this role by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2022. He has oversight of 8 California state departments with more than 42,000 people and a total annual budget that exceeds $30 billion.

Education
Omishakin has a Ph.D. in Engineering Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Technology from Mississippi Valley State University.

Career
Prior to his appointment as CalSTA Secretary, Omishakin was appointed Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), where, as the chief executive of the Department, he managed a $17.5 billion budget and more than 22,000 employees.

He came to Caltrans following eight years as Deputy Commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) with a particular focus on environment, planning and multimodal transportation. Prior to that role, he served as Director of Healthy Living Initiatives in the Nashville Mayor’s Office.

In October 2020, Omishakin was appointed to the President-elect Biden-Harris Transportation Transition Team

Personal life
Omishakin and his wife have two children.