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Commissioner

On November 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Amanda L. Ray as the 16th Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol (CHP); the first woman to lead the Department of more than 11,000 members. Prior to her appointment to Commissioner, she served as the Deputy Commissioner and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CHP.

Commissioner Ray is a 30-year veteran of the CHP and has earned numerous awards and commendations in her personal life and during her professional career with the Department. Commissioner Ray has been a pioneer for women in law enforcement as the first African American female in the CHP’s 91-year history to hold the position of Deputy Commissioner for the nation’s largest state police agency.

Commissioner Ray served an integral role as the Department’s first female to be assigned as the Special Response Team Tactical Commander during Super Bowl 50 held at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Her vast field experience has allowed her to effectively serve as incident commander during a variety of other high-profile events including the Department’s response to COVID-19, civil unrest, and wildfires.

In 2020, Commissioner Ray was selected to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Executive Institute executive training program where she enhanced her knowledge in national and international political, economic, and social trends affecting law enforcement.

As a leader in law enforcement, Commissioner Ray holds firm to the values set forth by the CHP’s Public Trust Initiative to serve and safeguard our communities with compassion and understanding. Throughout her career, Commissioner Ray has actively engaged with the communities she serves, seeking every opportunity to participate in outreach events, and active involvement in departmental programs to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security to the people of California.

Commissioner Ray holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and she is the first female in the history of the CHP to hold the rank of Commissioner.

Deputy Commissioner

Deputy Commissioner Jim Epperson is a 37-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and has earned numerous awards and commendations during his professional career with the Department. In November 2020, Deputy Commissioner Epperson was selected by CHP Commissioner Amanda L. Ray to serve as the Department’s Deputy Commissioner.

With an operational budget of over 2.8 billion dollars, he oversees the day to day operations, the administrative and field operations of the CHP, as well as the Offices of Legal Affairs, Internal Affairs, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Community Outreach and Media Relations. Deputy Commissioner Epperson most recently served as Assistant Commissioner, Staff, where he served as the Department’s Chief Financial Officer. Commissioner Epperson has spearheaded innovations in the state and in national forums for law enforcement in the areas of commercial vehicle safety and concepts surrounding the evolving technology of autonomous vehicles (AV).

Deputy Commissioner Epperson’s vast commercial vehicle experience has allowed him to be influential in the policy and regulation development of AV technology for the past several years. He was a member of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) Autonomous Vehicle Committee, AAMVA Law Enforcement Standing Committee, and the California Transportation Agency Autonomous Vehicle Visioning Group. Commissioner Epperson was also the cochair of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Enforcement and Industry Modernization committee addressing commercial vehicle AV issues, the California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology Truck Platooning Project, and lead the CHP AV working group.

Within the State of California, he has been a voting member for the California Freight Advisory Committee, the California Maritime Security Council, the Regional Railroad Accident Preparedness and Immediate Response Fund Advisory Committee, and the Chair of the California Electronic Bypass Management System Steering Committee.

Commissioner Epperson is an active member of the California Peace Officers’ Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, serving on the Highway Safety Committee. Commissioner Epperson holds an Associate of Arts degree in Public Administrations and is certified as a Program Manager; Law Enforcement Auditor; Risk Communication, Radiological Safety Officer; and certified in advanced computer forensics.

Assistant Commissioner, Field

California Highway Patrol (CHP) Assistant Commissioner Rich Stewart was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating from Omaha Central High School, he joined the United States Army, and completed tours of duty in Heidelberg, Germany; Fort Ord California; and at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.

After serving his country for six years, Commissioner Stewart joined the CHP Academy in 1990. After graduating the CHP Academy, he was assigned to the San Jose Area office where he worked as a patrol officer and as a public affairs officer for nine years.In 1999, he promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to Border Division in San Diego, California, where he was responsible for overseeing the Public Affairs, Recruitment, and Background Investigation Units. In 2005, Commissioner Stewart promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and was assigned to the Indio Area and later to the Riverside Area.

In July 2009, Commissioner Stewart promoted to the rank of Captain and was assigned to the San Diego Area, where he was the Commander of one of the largest and most complex Areas in the state. Commissioner Stewart promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief in 2013 and served in both Inland Division (Inland Empire) and Border Division (San Diego, Orange, Riverside, and Imperial counties).Commissioner Stewart promoted to the rank of Chief in June 2018 and served as the CHP Central Division Commander.

Geographically, Central Division covers 9 counties, encompassing nearly 30,000 square miles, 20,000 miles of unincorporated roadway, 600 miles of freeway, and a population of approximately 3.4 million people. In August 2020, Commissioner Stewart was selected by CHP Commissioner Warren A. Stanley to serve as the Department’s Assistant Commissioner, Field, and is responsible for the administration of all field operations, including the 8 geographical Divisions, Protective Services Division, and the Office of Air Operations.Commissioner Stewart is a 30-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, is a United States Army Veteran, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from San Jose State University. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and daughter and rooting for the San Francisco 49ers!

Assistant Commissioner, Staff

Assistant Commissioner Ryan Okashima is a 30-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and has earned numerous awards and commendations during his professional career with the Department. In November 2020, Assistant Commissioner Okashima was selected by CHP Commissioner Amanda L. Ray to serve as the Department’s Assistant Commissioner, Staff. With an operational budget of over 2.8 billion dollars, and as the primary law enforcement agency for the State of California, he serves as the Department’s Fiscal Officer, and provides Executive level oversight of the Department’s four administrative Divisions, the Office of Employee Safety and Assistance, and the Office of Risk Management.

Commissioner Okashima’s vast experience includes diverse assignments throughout the state and he has been assigned to several CHP Headquarters commands. Commissioner Okashima served as the tactical training program lieutenant at the CHP Academy and also served as the commander of the Dignitary Protection Section, which is responsible for providing protection to the State Constitutional Officers including the Governor and First Family. As the commander of the CHP Office of Employee Relations, Commissioner Okashima was the CHP’s labor relations officer responsible for overseeing labor issues for 12 different employee labor organizations representing CHP employees.

Prior to being selected as Assistant Commissioner, Staff, Commissioner Okashima served as the Personnel and Training Division Chief where he oversaw the CHP Academy, Professional Training Section, Human Resources Section, Selection Standards and Examinations Section, and the Organizational Development Section. Commissioner Okashima was responsible for the development of training programs supported by the most contemporary adult learning concepts, which included the professional development of employees at all ranks within the organization. Additionally, through broad-based recruitment efforts and a strict adherence to a merit-based selection process, Commissioner Okashima served as a resource to the CHP on varying examinations, selection, and personnel transactions issues.

Throughout his career, Commissioner Okashima has actively engaged with the communities he serves, seeking every opportunity to participate in outreach events, and active involvement in departmental programs to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security to the people of California.

Commissioner Okashima is an Advisory Committee member for the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training; and a member of Governor Newsom’s California Leads Diversity Task Force. Commissioner Okashima earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from San Jose State University, completed the University of California, Davis, Labor-Management Relations program, and graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.