Toks Omishakin

Tokh O Prince

Toks Omishakin

Early Life and Education

Adetokunbo "Toks" Omishakin was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is a first-generation American, with parents who immigrated from Nigeria in the late 1960s. Omishakin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Technology from Mississippi Valley State University, a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University, and is completing a Ph.D. in Engineering Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville [1][1].

Career

Omishakin began his career in transportation with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), where he served for eight years. He held the position of Deputy Commissioner for Environment and Planning, managing an annual budget exceeding $300 million. During his tenure, he established significant environmental and multimodal planning policies, including the Multimodal Access Grant program 3 4.

Prior to his role at TDOT, he was the Director of Healthy Living Initiatives in the Nashville Mayor’s Office. In this capacity, he developed Nashville’s Complete Streets Policy and initiated bicycle-sharing programs to promote non-motorized transportation [2][3].

In September 2019, Omishakin was appointed as the Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) by Governor Gavin Newsom. He managed a budget of approximately $15 billion and oversaw nearly 22,000 employees responsible for maintaining California's extensive highway system. Under his leadership, Caltrans focused on creating a safe, equitable, sustainable, and multimodal transportation system [2][4].

In February 2022, he was appointed Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), making history as the first African American to hold this cabinet-level position. His vision emphasizes safety, equity, climate action, and economic prosperity [1][3].

Professional Affiliations

Omishakin has been active in various professional organizations. He became Chair of the Council on Active Transportation for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in December 2019. He also serves on the boards of America Walks, Veloz, Mineta Transportation Institute, and ITS World Congress [2][4].

Personal Life

Toks Omishakin is married to Julie Eledah, a nurse practitioner, and they have two children. He is committed to promoting sustainable transportation solutions that prioritize safety and accessibility for all Californians [1][3].

References

```Citations: [1] https://en.everybodywiki.com/Toks_Omishakin [2] https://www.ppic.org/person/toks-omishakin/ [3] https://www.techtransfer.berkeley.edu/people/toks-omishakin [4] https://calsta.ca.gov/about-us/secretary [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Transportation_Agency [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ministries_of_transport_by_country [7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7NXG9ThHQA [8] https://en.everybodywiki.com/Tokunbo_Omishakin