Chapter 1: The DMV in 2019

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the state department responsible for vehicle registration and driver licensing. And in 2019, the DMV was a mess. 

The government department faced a catalog of operational challenges that had led to widespread public frustration and criticism. Negative media headlines about the DMV's slow and disorganized service were commonplace. Office visits sometimes lasted 5, even 7 hours. Behind the scenes, IT systems were built on outdated technology, some over 60 years old. A hierarchical, siloed culture impeded collaboration and innovation between departments. Strain on the department's services was compounded by a major influx of additional visitors to DMV field offices, as millions of California residents arrived to apply for the new federally mandated Real I.D. cards.

California Governor Gavin Newsom described the department as “chronically mismanaged,” as he admitted to a dysfunctional culture of institutional negligence and low levels of innovation or accountability. Critics of the department argued for new leadership with expertise in business and technology, as the DMV had been led by long-time bureaucrats seen as poorly equipped to cater to modern customer service standards. 

The combination of long wait times, outdated technology and mismanagement contributed to the California DMV's dire public reputation. In Governor Newsom's own words, “People are outraged by their experience at DMV.”

Governor Newsom was sworn into office on January 7, 2019, and on January 9 he ordered a GovOps strike team to evaluate the department's root cause issues and advise him on how to transform the department. The team's recommendations included an increase in the quality and availability of online services and an increase in the access points outside of field offices. Most pressing, however, was the need to replace the outgoing DMV director. Newsom needed someone with the right fit of personality and experience to take the department in a new direction.