Board recommends Dow Constantine as new Sound Transit CEO

King County Executive Dow Constantine is expected to be named the new chief executive officer of Sound Transit.

The Sound Transit Board is scheduled to vote on the appointment of a new CEO at its full board meeting on Thursday, March 27, according to a Monday, March 24 Sound Transit news release. The preferred candidate of board members is Constantine, and the appointment requires a supermajority vote at a public meeting.

“We are pleased to put forward Dow Constantine for a vote of the board,” according to a statement from Dave Somers, Snohomish County executive and Sound Transit board chair; Ryan Mellow, Pierce County executive and Sound Transit Board vice chair; and Claudia Balducci, King County Council member and Sound Transit Board vice chair. “We are confident he has the knowledge, experience, and commitment to achieve Sound Transit’s goals and complete the ST3 package.”

Constantine announced in November 2024 that he wouldn’t run for reelection as county executive in 2025. He is in his 16th year as county executive. He has also served since 2009 on the Sound Transit Board, composed of elected officials from across the region appointed to the positions.

The annual salary of the new CEO is expected to be as high as $675,000 per year, according to the Seattle Times. Constantine was one of five finalists. He makes $296,028 as county executive. If chosen as CEO, he will resign as county executive prior to the end of his term.

The statement from Somers, Mellow and Balducci included the following:

“Being CEO of Sound Transit is a tough job with many constituencies to serve, and Dow has proven over his career in public service that he can deliver large capital projects, successfully oversee a major transit agency, and foster partnerships across our region that are essential to make Sound Transit function at the highest possible level. We know this is a crucial time for the agency, and there are difficult and complex discussions on the near horizon, along with reforms that will require knowledge and commitment to continue forward.

“These include operational and maintenance challenges that need to be addressed immediately by an incoming CEO, increased accountability measures, as well as rising financial pressure from inflation and economic uncertainties. As Board leaders, our priority remains delivering on the voter-approved ST3 package, while operating a safe and dependable system.”

The board started with 60 applicants from around the world and narrowed the field from 15 to five to three and finally to one, according to the news release, which added that it was a thorough process with significant public input, vigorous discussions, and multiple panels that included transit riders, disability advocates, other regional transit agencies, and labor and economic development organizations.

The board includes three members from Snohomish County, 10 from King County, four from Pierce County and the secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation. While they are elected officials, none are elected voters to the board, which is appointed. The county executive in each county appoints members who are then confirmed by county councils, according to state law.