The California Asphalt Pavement Association

Vol. 19, Issue 25 || June 22, 2026

Greetings!

This weekly report contains news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry, customers and agency partners in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements. To subscribe to the newsletter click HERE. To provide feedback or story ideas click HERE. Having difficulty viewing this newsletter? View as Webpage

When the Covid-19 health emergency burst on to the scene in 2020, everyone was scrambling to understand the threat, and what impact it would have to our lives. The construction industry was no different. As reports began circulating that some states were shutting down public works construction projects, CalAPA initiated a series of unprecedented weekly conference calls with the leaders of other construction trade associations in California to compare notes and coordinate strategy and messaging. The first of what would become weekly calls was held on Mar 19, and they continued until June 1. It worked, and for the most part widespread construction shutdowns in California were averted.

At about the same time, the Caltrans-construction industry liaison committee commenced conference calls every other week to also share information about the fast-moving crisis, all with the goal of ensuring that safety was at the forefront. The first of the calls was scheduled for March 17 at 7:30 a.m., and they continued to be held every other Tuesday at the same time since.

While the Covid crisis subsided, the Caltrans-industry calls continued as they were deemed a useful mechanism to check in, share information, and promote strong communications and partnering. That is, until earlier this month.

Caltrans Division of Construction Chief Ray Hopkins recommended to members of the Caltrans-construction industry liaison committee that the calls move to a less frequent schedule. He noted that while the calls still had utility, keeping lines of communication open and identifying issues and controversies early, they could be held less often and still achieve the same objectives. No one disagreed. The calls are now on a monthly schedule, and the regular Caltrans-industry face-to-face meetings remain on a quarterly schedule. It was a non-controversial change.

The same could not be said for another holdover from the Covid era. Since 2020 many state workers moved to remote work as part of the "social distancing" protocols put into place by public health officials to tamp down on the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In recent years many industries have revised their remote-work policies, having employees come in to the office more frequently. For state employees, however, the process has been a bit more haphazard. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order last year calling for most state workers to return to the office, but delayed implementation. The latest deadline for implementation is July 1. Meanwhile, the union that represents Caltrans engineers, PECG, and the union representing administrative professionals, SEIU, challenged the move and even introduced legislation on the topic. A story on Newsom's back-to-office order is HERE. A story about union concerns about the move and legislation on the topic is HERE. And lest we forget, the Covid outbreak is blamed for more than 1 million deaths nationwide, and more than 100,000 in California, although the state had among the lowest per-capita death rate among the 50 states.

For many people the issue comes down to trust. Many Caltrans offices came to resemble ghost towns, and there were limited opportunities for spontaneous conversations, brainstorming, mentoring and other interactions that are part of a positive and productive in-person work experience. But employees became accustomed to working remotely, and the flexibility that can provide for families and commutes. For managers, it presents additional challenges to evaluate employees based on the quality and quantity of what they produce, rather than if they are occupying a seat in an office for set amount of hours each day. There is also the impact to an organization's culture. Maintenance personnel and other field workers, including many in the Division of Construction, do not have the luxury of working remotely as many of their duties requiring being on-site in person. That lack of consistency can lead to discontent within the workforce.

Waves of technology that have come on the scene over the years have disrupted the work dynamic, and more changes are forecast with the advent of Artificial Intelligence. But there's no substitute for old fashioned, face-to-face interactions between humans. Case in point: this week's "Summit at the Summit" Executive Leadership Forum taking place at Lake Tahoe. Now in its third year, the event is having its best attendance ever, and the golf tournament is sold out. Providing ample opportunities for real humans to have quality in-person interactions will continue to be a feature of CalAPA's programming now and in the future, regardless of what technology is used.

A former federal transportation official from Nigeria, Andrew Onoja, graduated from the University of California at Davis earlier this month with a master's degree in engineering.

Onoja is a familiar figure in the asphalt industry in California and at Caltrans, having attended several CalAPA events. He was profiled previously in CalAPA's official association magazine, California Asphalt. That story is on-line HERE.

On June 11, Onoja joined his fellow graduates to formally be recognized for their academic achievements. He was accompanied by his wife and children (pictured), who are living with him in Davis while he completes his studies and his work as a graduate researcher at the University of California Pavement Research Center. Dr. John Harvey, director of the UCPRC and one of Onoja's mentors, said he appreciated Onoja's work at the institution. Harvey previously worked in Africa, and another UCPRC official, Dr. Dave Jones, hails from South Africa.

Onoja will be in California through October while he finishes work on recycled asphalt and other research, and is exploring employment options. He can be reached at: aaojona@ucdavis.edu .

UCPRC's Dr. John Harvey (left) chats with Andrew Onoja (right) at a CalAPA asphalt conference.

Andrew Onoja (left) meets with Bonny Nyaga of Caltrans last year in Sacramento. Nyaga is International Policy Advisor for Caltrans and the California State Transportation Agency.

Andrew Onoja (left) and Jackie Wong, chief of Materials Engineering & Technical Services for Caltrans, at the UCPRC earlier this year.

The Women of Asphalt, California Branch, have held a festive hat contest in recent years at CalAPA's annual "Day at the Races" event.

The luxury "skybox" reserved by CalAPA affords a bird's-eye view of all the action, with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop.

CalAPA's "Day at the Races" is a family-friendly event, with special discount pricing for kids.

The "Asphalt Insider" is an official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. For more information or to inquire about membership, call (916) 791-5044, or click HERE to contact us. Copyright © 2026 California Asphalt Pavement Association -- All Rights Reserved. The CalAPA name (No. 5,621,794) and logo (No. 5,621,795) are registered trademarks with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

The California Asphalt Pavement Association ®

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1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 120, West Sacramento, CA 95691

PHONE: (916) 791-5044 WEB: www.calapa.net

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