Our Story

The California Transportation Foundation was founded in June 1988 by former Caltrans Chief Deputy Director Heinz Heckeroth. Mr. Heckeroth had recently retired from Caltrans and wanted to create a charity that would give back to the Caltrans community he dearly loves. He envisioned a non-profit that would one day be able to expand to serve private sector and other public transportation agency employees as well.  Mr. Heckeroth served as the Foundation’s first executive director and recruited a dedicated board of former Caltrans employees.

Supporting Caltrans workers injured or killed on the job was the first priority for the new charity.  CTF has now expanded the Injured and Fallen Worker program to the private sector and other public sector transportation employees.  The Foundation provides Fallen Worker Grants to provide immediate assistance to the families of the fallen, and creates individual accounts in the name of the injured and fallen to which people may donate.  CTF matches those donations dollar for dollar when the injury or death is work-related.

The Transportation Awards was another early program of CTF, providing recognition for transportation achievement, innovation, and excellence.  Today the Transportation Awards recognize achievement from public and private sector across all modes and from every corner of the state.

An important aspect of our mission is to remember our fallen comrades. Early in its history, CTF purchased and placed in Caltrans Headquarters and in each Caltrans District, bronze plaques recognizing those lost in the line of duty.  CTF also planted a tree in remembrance of colleagues lost too soon. Over the years, the tree has grown, and continues to be visited each year in April at the Caltrans Fallen Worker Memorial Ceremony that takes place on the steps of the state capitol building.

The CTF scholarship program began in two ways. First, Heinz and Hope Heckeroth endowed a scholarship for university and college undergraduate students majoring in civil engineering, interested in pursuing a career in transportation after graduation, and who were affiliated with Caltrans (interns, volunteers, student assistants, employees).  Next, CTF established the CTF Partnered Scholarship program in which Caltrans districts and divisions worked with CTF to establish scholarships.  The partners raise 75% of the scholarship amount and CTF provides the rest out of general fundraising.  While each scholarship has unique criteria, general CTF scholarship rules include: students must be studying in California, must be studying a transportation-related field, and no member of a selection committee can be related to a scholarship winner. Scholarships are not limited to students affiliated with Caltrans.  CTF now has 42 scholarships, and has awarded more than $1.4 million in total scholarships to talented students entering transportation-related fields.

CTF now hosts several signature events each year. The Transportation Education Symposium, a two-day mentoring event, began in 1994. The Transportation Forum was added soon thereafter.  The CTF Charity Golf Tournaments, fundraisers for CTF programs, were added later and continue to be popular networking events. CTF is always looking to support innovation in the transportation field, and our newest event, the New Mobility Symposium offers an opportunity for mentoring and information-sharing.

CTF’s most recent program is the Emergency Relief Fund, added in response to the wildfires that have raged across California in the past two fire seasons. CTF has been there for workers whose homes have been in the way of the flames, just one more way that CTF supports the transportation profession.

Today, CTF is a respected 501 c(3) charitable foundation with a diverse board that is ready to help the transportation profession.  CTF will be here for years to come, testament to the legacy of Heinz Heckeroth – remembering those we’ve lost and aiding those injured in the job, recognizing achievement in transportation and educating the next generation of California transportation professionals.

On March 6, 2022 the world lost a true transportation hero, as Heinz Heckeroth passed away quietly at his home near the family he loved so dearly. CTF honors his memory daily by redoubling our efforts to live out his mission.