SEATTLE — Sound Transit has selected its preferred candidate to become the agency’s new CEO and is beginning negotiations with that candidate.
The Seattle Times reports that the final five candidates for the position include chief executives of four other U.S. transit agencies, as well as King County Executive Dow Constantine, currently part of the 18-member Sound Transit Board. Constantine became the only publicly identified candidate when he recused himself from the selection process. The board’s executive committee selected its top candidate earlier this week by a 7-0 vote in executive session.
The board keeps the names of its candidates confidential out of concerns applicants could face repercussions in their current positions.
Sixty people applied for the job, which comes with advertised annual pay of $450,000 to $650,000. The board is expected to vote on a final contract for the new executive at a March 27 meeting.
The new CEO will succeed the current interim holder of that position, Goran Sparrman [see “Sound Transit board approves hiring ..,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 12, 2024]. Sparmman stepped into the job after previous CEO Julie Timm announced her resignation in late 2023 after just 16 months on the job [see “Sound Transit CEO Timm to resign,” News Wire, Dec. 13, 2023]. Timm cited family considerations, but the website The Urbanist reported the Sound Transit board had been expected to take a vote on her performance because of frustrations over a variety of issues.
