Caltrans announced today that Karla Sutliff has been appointed as California’s Chief Engineer — the first woman to be appointed to the position. As chief engineer and deputy, Sutliff is responsible for all engineering aspects of the department’s construction projects statewide from their design through the completion of construction. She will oversee a program of more than 9,000 employees and an annual budget of $1.8 billion. Sutliff has been with Caltrans for 26 years, and over the past 11 years, she served as the chief over several Caltrans divisions, including Design, Traffic Operations, and Project Management. She also filled the …