(The Center Square) – Sound Transit is set to appoint King County Executive Dow Constantine as its next permanent CEO following an upcoming vote by its board of directors.
Sound Transit is the Seattle metropolitan area’s public transit agency and has been without a permanent CEO for more than a year.
Constantine would take over from interim CEO Goran Sparrman.
The agency narrowed down its list of candidates for the CEO position to five candidates, but kept details about the candidates confidential, with the exception of Constantine, who confirmed his pursuance of the CEO position during a meeting last month.
Constantine is finishing up his fourth term as county lead and is not running for reelection this year.
The Sound Transit Board of Directors is scheduled to vote on the appointment of Constantine as the new CEO at the full board meeting on Thursday.
“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,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci said in a joint statement on Monday.
Constantine is set for hefty pay if he gets the job. According to a public post for the position, the next CEO could make a salary ranging from $450,000 to $650,000.
The $450,000-$650,000 salary range is higher than the pay of CEOs of other major U.S. city public transportation agencies. News publications such as the New York Post and CBS News reported that New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber makes in excess of $400,000 in annual salary and the next Chicago Transit Authority president could make around $391,000 in salary.
Constantine’s salary could be more comparable to Washington DC Metro Area CEO Randy Clarke, who made $485,000 in 2023. However, the Sound Transit CEO salary range is not close to what the previous Amtrak CEO, Stephen Gardner, made: $735,129.
Sound Transit told The Center Square that contract details, like Constantine’s salary, have yet to be finalized, but they will be in time for Thursday’s meeting. The Center Square plans to follow up with information on how much Constantine could make as the head of the public agency responsible for connecting the Puget Sound region’s transportation network.
