(The Center Square) – The Sound Transit Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to hire King County Executive Dow Constantine as the agency’s new CEO. Constantine will start his new job on April 1.
Sound Transit is the Seattle metropolitan area’s public transit agency and has been without a permanent CEO for more than a year since Julie Timm resigned from the position in January 2024.
Constantine will take over for Interim CEO Goran Sparrman, who will continue to serve as the acting CEO until Constantine’s first day on the job. Sparrman will then serve as an advisor through May 2, as requested by Constantine.
“Much of my service as an elected official has been devoted to building the world-class transit system our region has long needed and creating vibrant, transit-connected communities throughout Central Puget Sound,” Constantine said in a statement. “I can think of nothing I would rather do than lead this agency into the future, and I thank the board for their vote of confidence.”
Constantine is expected to step down from his role as King County lead earlier than he anticipated. His term as county executive ends on Jan. 1, 2026.
As a result, the King County Council will need to appoint an acting executive to fill the seat. A motion to appoint an acting King County executive is set for April 1.
Constantine’s Sound Transit contract runs through Dec. 31, 2026. The board may renew the agreement for a one-year term in both 2027 and 2028.
His base salary as Sound Transit CEO is set at $450,000. The board has authorized a salary as high as $650,000 a year for the new CEO.
Salary increases for Constantine in 2026 and 2027 could range between 3% to 6% based on his annual performance rating, according to contract details.
On top of an annual base salary, Constantine could see an annual award of $30,000 if he meets mutually agreed upon goals.
The Center Square previously noted that Constantine’s salary is more comparable to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke, who made $485,000 in 2023, and less than what former Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner made: $735,129. Earlier this month, Gardner abruptly resigned his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad.
Constantine’s $450,000 salary is more than Timm’s annual base salary of $375,000, but is $50,000 less than the $500,000 Sparrman received in his 2024 contract.
