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Snohomish Deputy County Executive Joni Earl selected as Sound Transit's new chief operating officer

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Sound Transit's nation-wide executive search for its first chief operating officer ended up finding the right candidate in its own back yard, selecting Snohomish Deputy County Executive Joni Earl to fill the newly created position. The chief operating officer will be responsible for Sound Transit's overall agency administration and day-to-day operations. The exempt position pays $140,000.

As Snohomish deputy county executive since 1992, Earl was responsible for the day-to-day management of 2,600 employees with an annual budget of $450 million. Her 25-year career in public administration includes serving as city manager of Mill Creek and director of internal management for Kitsap County. Earl holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Puget Sound, a bachelor's degree in business from Washington State University and she has completed executive management programs from Harvard University and the University of Colorado.

"Joni Earl's exceptional hands-on management experience combined with her personal understanding of our region's issues make her tailor-made to help keep Sound Transit moving forward," Sound Transit Executive Director Bob White said.

Voter-approved in 1996, Sound Transit is on track to implement a three-county regional transit system plan known as Sound Move. Sound Move is a seamless blend of three transportation systems: Sounder commuter rail, running 82 miles from Everett to Tacoma/Lakewood; Link light rail, a 21-mile system connecting the cities of Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac and a 1.6 mile system in Tacoma; and Regional Express, featuring 18 new ST Express limited stop, long-haul bus routes and numerous improvements to transit centers, park-and-ride lots and HOV lanes throughout the region.

For more information on Sound Move, please visit the Sound Transit website at www.soundtransit.org/, or call or write for more information at Sound Transit, Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 398-5000 or 1-800-201-4900.


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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.