The Sound Transit Board made it official Thursday, March 27 with the hiring of Dow Constantine as its new chief executive officer.

Constantine will start his new job April 1 and resign as King County executive, a position he’s held since 2009. Constantine will be paid a base salary of $450,000 per year, according to a March 27 Sound Transit news release.

“For every large organization, time is money, and we don’t have time or money to waste delivering on the promise of a truly regional mass transit system,” said Dave Somers, Snohomish County executive and Sound Transit board chair. “Dow can hit the ground running and intimately knows the inner workings of Sound Transit. He has proven his ability to oversee large organizations, run a major transit agency, and maintain crucial partnerships locally, regionally, and nationally that will be necessary to complete the central spine. Our economy and environment will benefit from the success of Dow and Sound Transit.”

The board’s action followed the recommendation of the board’s Executive Committee, which solicited input on priorities and reviewed 60 applicants from around the world, 15 of whom were interviewed, according to the news release. The final selection process included candidate interviews with multiple panels representing a wide range of regional interests.

“It is an honor to be chosen as the next CEO of Sound Transit,” Constantine said. “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. 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.”

King County executive candidate John Wilson, currently the county assessor, criticized Sound Transit’s choice of Constantine to be the agency’s next chief executive officer as a case of “too many insiders taking care of each other instead of the public.”

“I want to congratulate Dow Constantine on his nomination as the next CEO of Sound Transit,” Wilson said in a statement. “I have worked closely with Dow for years and consider him a friend. However, this is a glaring example of why the public is so skeptical of government and too many insiders taking care of each other instead of the public.”

As King County executive, Constantine appointed more than half of the 18-member Sound Transit Board.

Wilson, if elected as county executive, wants changes for the 18-member Sound Transit Board, which includes elected officials from King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Members are appointed by county executives and approved by county councils.

“I will propose reforming the board to assure at least one member has actual transportation planning and operational expertise,” Wilson said. “And, most importantly for the thousands we ask to pay for Sound Transit through higher taxes, I will fight to directly elect a portion of the board by the voters of King County.”

Constantine was elected county executive in 2009 and is serving a record fourth term as leader of one of the nation’s largest metropolitan regions. He announced late last year he would not seek reelection in 2025. A former member of the King County Council and the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives, Constantine is a three-time University of Washington alumnus, holding postgraduate degrees in law and urban planning.

According to the news release, Constantine has led the region’s work to deliver world-class transit, restore our cherished natural environment, combat climate impacts, and build health, safety, and opportunity for all people.

Constantine has extensive experience leading large transit agencies, namely King County Metro, one of the largest agencies in the U.S., and an agency voted in 2018 as the Best Large Transit Agency in North America by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) – nonprofit international association representing public and private sector organizations involved in public transit, according to the news release. In the wake of COVID, recession, inflation, and workforce shortages that were holding back transit service, Constantine led Metro back to an era of growth, efficiency, strong ridership recovery and a full workforce.

“I have dedicated a great deal of my professional life to expanding light rail specifically and transit generally in our region,” said Claudia Balducci, Sound Transit vice president and a King County Council member. “In selecting the next CEO for Sound Transit, as with all the decisions I am called on to make regarding transit, I put the mission of providing great transit at the very forefront.”

Balducci, also a candidate for King County executive along with County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, strongly supports the hiring of Constantine.

“We must get this system built,” she said. “We must build it as quickly as possible. And we must put the needs of riders first at all times. I support the appointment of Dow Constantine as our next CEO because I believe he is the candidate most capable to lead the agency in the right direction to meet our goals, today and into the future.”

As member of the Sound Transit Board since 2009 Constantine has been intimately involved in the successes and challenges of the agency during an unprecedented period of growth, according to the news release. He led the 2014-2015 process to conceive of, draft, and present Sound Transit 3 to voters, the largest transit capital expansion project in North American history. He led the 2014-2015 process to update the long-range plan, adopt a system plan and ultimately conceive of, draft, and present Sound Transit 3 to voters. His leadership led to passage of the largest transit capital expansion project in North American history.

Interim CEO Goran Sparrman will continue to serve as the acting CEO or as an advisor, as requested by Constantine, until May 2.

Contract details

Under the terms of the proposed contract, Constantine’s initial term will run through Dec. 31, 2026, with two successive one-year renewals available at the board’s discretion through Dec. 31, 2028. Constantine will start at $450,000 per year, but has opportunities for some high pay increases, according to contract details released by Sound Transit:

• $450,000 annual salary. A market study will be completed at the end of 2025 to determine a base salary for 2026 that will be set, at a minimum, at the average of market comparable salaries, but not less than the current annual salary. The same process will be applied to determine base salary for 2027 if the board, in their discretion, renews the agreement for the 2027 one-year term.

• In addition to the annual market-rate base salary increase in 2026 and 2027, for each year, an annual 3% to 6% base salary increase will be awarded based on Constantine’s annual performance rating. If the agreement is extended from Jan. 1, 2028 until Dec. 31, 2028, a 3% to 6% base salary increase will be awarded effective Jan. 1, 2028 based on Constantine’s annual performance rating.

A 3% raise in 2026 on $450,000 would be $13,500 for the year while a 6% raise would be $27,000.

• An annual contribution performance award of $30,000 may also be awarded based upon the achievement of mutually agreed to goals. For 2026, the board will establish goals for the contribution performance award by May 30 for the first annual performance period and by March 31 thereafter.