On Thursday, March 27, the Sound Transit Board of Directors voted 15-0 to confirm board member and longtime King County Executive Dow Constantine as the new CEO of Sound Transit.
“Dow, you just got hired!” shouted transit advocate Joe Kunzler, fist-bumping Constantine as he strode through Union Station’s Ruth Fisher Board Room to accept his position.
Formerly a Sound Transit board member, Constantine has previously been on the other side of the CEO hiring process, which he described as “extensive, inclusive, exhaustive.” Over several months, an international candidate pool was whittled down from sixty to three, from which Constantine was ultimately chosen.
Constantine, a former state legislator who has served as King County Executive since 2009, had been widely considered as the favorite for the job, drawing criticism from some, including King County Assessor John Wilson. “This is a glaring example of insiders helping insiders,” Wilson told KOMO earlier this week.
Before officially voting to hire Constantine, the board addressed such concerns, as well as questions about transparency. Although Constantine’s high public profile in King County led to his candidacy being reported by The Seattle Times, the hiring process is designed to be anonymous. King County Councilman Girmay Zahilay questioned Sound Transit’s recruiting consultant Gregg Moser about the secrecy of the process, who said that a lack of anonymity would cause a “chilling effect,” leading to less qualified candidates.
“No one is indebted to Dow Constantine,” said Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus regarding accusations of insider collusion. “This is not just a name-only board, we are all working all the time to ensure that we are bringing light rail to this region. He has skin in the game.”
Several other board members, transit organizations, and members of the public spoke glowingly about Dow’s experience and history with Sound Transit. Supporters also pointed to his leadership at one of the largest transit agencies in the country in King County Metro, which transports armies of commuters through Seattle and its suburbs on a daily basis.
Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss said that Constantine “stood out from the rest” due to his “local relationships,” while transit activist Kunzler mentioned numerous “transit measures” that Constantine had saved from a “death spiral.” Ray Stephanson of Economic Alliance Snohomish County spoke to Constantine’s preparedness: “We don’t have the luxury of going through a learning curve with someone… we have a talented, knowledgeable, and experienced leader in Dow.”
Rachel Smith, President & CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce representing some 2,500 members, also endorsed Constantine “on the behalf of” her employer, Microsoft.
Slightly less enthused was Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell, who acknowledged that she had hoped for “someone from outside of the organization…a fresh perspective.” Still, Frizzell stated that she was impressed by the County Executive’s past achievements and “eager to see how Constantine will put his positive mark on the agency.”
Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin thanked outgoing interim CEO Goran Sparrman, shared the extensive effort she and the Board put forth in the CEO selection process, and endorsed Constantine for the top spot.
“I wanted to voice my support for this appointment,” Franklin said. “Light rail has not yet made it to Everett, and our community does not yet trust that we will deliver on our promise. So I’ll be working with our new CEO to ensure we are able to deliver on this, and I will work closely with him to build and develop trust and him as our agency’s leader as well as the Sound Transit agency in the city of Everett.”
In his acceptance speech, Constantine stressed that public transportation in the greater Seattle area should function holistically. He committed to “keeping regionalism as our North Star” and prioritizing “reliability, safety, and cleanliness” on trains. Thanking outgoing interim CEO Sparrman, Constantine said, “We will navigate these choppy waters together.”
After 16 years, Constantine’s last day as King County Executive will be March 31; his CEO term begins on April 1. His starting annual salary will be $450,000, roughly a $200,000 increase from his county position. Deputy Executive Shannon Braddock will fill in as the Acting Executive until a replacement is selected.
After the board meeting, Constantine and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers spoke to the Lynnwood Times about their professional synergy, transit development north of Lynnwood, and federal challenges faced by Sound Transit.
Both men agreed that expanding the light rail further into Snohomish County should be an “important priority,” with Constantine sharing his family’s historical ties to Everett. “I have a strong affinity for Snohomish County broadly,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of growth there, a lot of economic activity, a lot of opportunity there. We need to get light rail to Everett.”
Speaking about potential risks to federal funding, Constantine said he would be working closely with the Federal Transit Administration to maintain a strong relationship. He touted the efforts of Senator Patty Murray, who he called “a champion of Sound Transit since day one” that would advocate for “transit funding not just for us, but across the nation.”
“After this initial period of tumult, there will be some more clarity and we’ll find our way forward,” Constantine concluded.
Executive Somers shared his great faith in Constantine, calling him “well-versed in the agency, the region, partners, communities, and issues.” In Somers’ view, time is of the essence when it comes to transit expansion; he’s glad there won’t be any “honeymoon” period for Constantine. “We don’t have a year for a new CEO to learn how to pronounce Puyallup,” Somers quipped. “He hits the ground running. Dow’s knowledge is going to be very valuable for us.”
Jokingly, Constantine refused to choose his personal preference between Snohomish or Pierce counties: “We love all of our children equally,” he said. As for his first moves as CEO, Constantine plans to “meet with employee groups, visit worksites, and meet with each board member individually” to assess “the next chapter” for Sound Transit.
Author: Kayvon Bumpus
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