Newsletter

Will Kempton Announces His Departure

Yesterday, Will Kempton announced that he would be leaving his post as the state’s top transportation official effective the end of July. Beginning in August he will be heading the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) as its Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Kempton was appointed to the Caltrans Director’s position by Governor Schwarzenegger in November, 2004 and has headed the Department for the last five years, overseeing 50,000 miles of state highways and directing $10 billion worth of transportation projects. Many, in Industry, credit Will for the renewed partnering effort between Caltrans and Industry, primarily as the result of his recent “Go California” effort. In his address to Caltrans yesterday Will said “Together, we have improved the image and credibility of the Department, we have become better partners, we are more efficient, and customer service is a hallmark of the way we do business” clearly indicating a mark that he has left on the Department.

At OCTA, Kempton will manage a much smaller agency with a $1.2-billion budget. The agency administers both the county's highways and transit systems. One of the biggest challenges facing Kempton is financial -- funds from the state are dwindling and the agency faces a $33-million budget gap this coming year, according to OCTA Chairman Peter Buffa.

Schwarzenegger, in announcing Kempton's departure from Caltrans, said his Caltrans Chief was an "incredible driving force" behind rebuilding the state's infrastructure. The governor has named Randell "Randy" Iwasaki, the chief deputy director of Caltrans, as Kempton's replacement. Iwasaki, 49, has been with Caltrans since 1993. The Elk Grove resident has served in several engineering and managerial jobs, including interim director before Kempton was appointed in 2004.

Kempton will be replacing Art Leahy, who now heads the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. (Return to Top)

State Pavement Engineer Appointed

Last week, on Wednesday, June 17^th, Mike Miles, Deputy Director for Maintenance & Operations announced the appointment of Dr. Shakir Shatnawi as the Chief of the new Division of Pavement Management. With this position also comes the title of State Pavement Engineer. While Shakir has been functioning in the position for several months, he has had "Acting" before the title indicating that the position was

not "official". With last weeks announcement, the position is now official and the "Acting" can be dropped.

Shakir Shatnawii (pictured) being congratulated by APA of California Executive Director Jim St.Martin.

For many years, Industry has promoted the idea of having a central figure within the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) that would be in charge of all things relative to pavements. Some “one” individual that Industry could go to for answers to issues and concerns. The Asphalt Pavement Association of California first introduced this topic to Caltrans Director Will Kempton at their Annual Dinner in January, 2006 with a “white paper” on the topic. This new department has now become official and the new Chief of the Division of Pavement Management has been named.

Mr. Shatnawi has over 30 years of extensive Caltrans professional experience working in maintenance, materials, design & rehabilitation, research, construction and investigations. At one point in his Caltrans history, Shakir participated in the Longer Life Asphalt Concrete Task Group and played an instrumental role in convincing Caltrans to consider the new mechanistic, emperical design procedure for the innovative I-710 project in District 7. Shakir also worked in Districts 10 and 4, at FHWA's Turner-Highway Research Center and in private industry. For several years he was also a part-time educator, teaching civil engineering courses at California State University.

He obtained a Ph.D. in Pavement Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1990, a Masters Degree in Construction Management from the San Jose State University in 1985, and his Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering from Sacramento State University in 1982.

Shakir will have approving authority over the Department's pavement engineering standards, specifications, policies, and practices and will take the lead on the Department's pavement partnering efforts with Industry. Caltrans is currently reorganizing and staffing this new department. While no “new” positions will be created, it is expected that some existing positions will be realigned to conform to the new internal structure for Caltrans. (Return to Top)

Stretching Your Pavement Dollars

The NAPA-SAPA Webinar Series announce "Stretching Your Pavement Dollars." For the featured programs listed below, Department of Transportation and local public works employees can register for this national webinar for only $25!

This month’s presentation will focus on Mix Type Selection and will be followed next month with a presentation on Thin Overlays for Pavement Preservation.

June 24^th, 10:00 am Pacific Daylight Time

Mix Type Selection: Save Dollars with the Right Mix for the Right Job
Presented by Kent Hansen, PE, NAPA Director of Engineering
There are many mixes that can be used to construct asphalt pavement. General categories include dense-graded, gap-graded, and open-graded. Each mix may be used in a number of situations. Selecting the right mix will result in the most economical pavement with good performance. You will take away:
• What mix types are appropriate for different conditions including traffic, environment, and appearance
• A procedure for selecting mixes for different layers of the pavement
• How to determine binder grades for your pavements
$85 for general attendees

$45 for NAPA members

$25 for state DOT and city/county public works officials
Register here

July 15^th, 10:00 am Pacific Daylight Time

Thin Overlays for Pavement Preservation
Presented by Dave Newcomb, Ph.D., P.E., NAPA Vice President—Research and Technology Thin asphalt overlays are the pavement preservation technique of choice by the majority of DOTs, according to AASHTO. Whether they are applied in conjunction with milling or placed on an existing asphalt surface, thin overlays offer better performance, enhanced ride quality, noise reduction, and reduced permeability at a cost that is lower than traditional asphalt overlays. You will take away:
• How to appropriately select a thin overlay option
• How to select the materials and perform a mix design
• Production and construction techniques
• Performance expectations

$85 for general attendees

$45 for NAPA members

$25 for state DOT and city/county public works officials