Adetokunbo Omishakin

Biography: Toks Omishakin was appointed director of the California Department of Transportation by Governor Newsom in 2019. He manages a $15 billion budget and nearly 21,000 employees who oversee 50,000 lane miles of highways, maintain 13,000 bridges, permit more than 400 public-use airports, fund three of Amtrak’s busiest intercity rail services and support more than 200 transit agencies. Previously, he spent eight years as deputy commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and served in the Nashville Mayor’s Office. Omishakin is chair of the Active Transportation Council for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and is an America Walks board member. A Tennessee native, Omishakin and his wife have two children. He is completing a Ph.D. in Engineering Management at University of Tennessee, Knoxville; has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University and bachelor of arts in Engineering Technology from Mississippi Valley State University.