Sound Transit board close to finalizing an agreement with a new CEO
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
Sound Transit
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Seattle, Wash. –– Sound Transit has announced that it has selected a new CEO and is now negotiating the contract with this individual.
The Seattle Times this week reported that Sound Transit has selected a new CEO and is negotiating a contract, but has not released the name of the person it has selected. The selection was made by the agency’s 18-member governing board, which has narrowed the number of candidates from the top five, then to three, then to one, who was chosen by the executive committee in a unanimous vote.
Included in the top five candidates was King County Executive Dow Constantine, who was the only candidate named publicly. This was because Constantine recused himself from the selection process, and had announced in November 2024 that he would finish his term toward the end of 2025 and would not run for re-election. There has been wide speculation that Constantine is very interested in the Sound Transit position.
Other than Constantine, the remaining top four candidates are chief executives of U.S. transit agencies, according to Snohomish County executive Dave Somers. The hiring process was completly private, but officials said that 60 people applied for the job, which pays somewhere between $450,000 to $675,000.
The only person not on the board who participated in the interview process was Greg Woodfill, who is t President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587. This union represents individuals who run some buses and the Sound Transit light rail system. According to the Times, Woodfill said “he participated in online meetings that included the seven standard questions, and he was impressed by all finalists.”
The full board is expected to vote on March 27.
