The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has named Blair Thompson as its first Chief of Innovation, Risk and Strategic Management, with the goal of streamlining and improving the agency’s performance.
“Blair Thompson will be a valuable addition to the Caltrans executive team,” says Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “He will help Caltrans accomplish its strategic goals by using data and innovation to improve the department’s performance.”
Part of Thompson’s responsibilities will be to implement Caltrans’ 2015-2020 Strategic Management Plan in addition to other “innovation initiatives and risk management projects.”
He will also manage Caltran’s involvement in the Federal Highway Administration’s State Transportation Innovation Council; ethics helpline and ethics policy development; risk management; Lean-6 Sigma process improvements and other special projects, such as open data and intellectual property.
Thompson previously worked for 18 years at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, working in project management and helping create the agency’s Strategic Planning Program. He most recently served as the department’s Acting Enterprise Planning and Performance Branch Chief.
