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Board of Directors

The Board of Directors, as the governing body of the Corporation, establishes policy and legislative direction for the agency. The Board defines the organization’s mission, establishes goals, and approves the budget to accomplish the goals. Board members represent the agency’s position to the public, in the Legislature, and in the community, working closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). They are responsible for hiring, supervising and evaluating the CEO. Board members establish their performance standards and are expected to abide by all state and local laws with regard to Board member conduct and protocol, as well as the Corporation’s by-laws, resolutions, and procedures. The CEO and corporation’s legal counsel report to the Board of Directors.

The Board is composed of nine elected officials selected by and serving at the pleasure of the respective governing bodies of the component cities and county within the service area. Board members are appointed for two-year terms. A state law adopted in 2010 also requires public transportation benefit area corporations to have a non-voting union representative on the board of directors.

Representation is apportioned as follows:
  • Snohomish County
    There are two members and one alternate from Snohomish County.
  • Large Cities
    There are two members and two alternates from component cities with populations of 30,000 or more – Edmonds, Lynnwood and Marysville
  • Medium-sized Cities
    There are three members and two alternates from component cities with populations between 10,000 and 30,000 – Arlington, Bothell, Lake Stevens, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace and Mukilteo.
  • Small-sized Cities
    There are two members and one alternate from component cities with populations less than 10,000 – Brier, Darrington, Gold Bar, Granite Falls, Index, Snohomish, Stanwood, Sultan and Woodway.
  • Labor Representative
    This non-voting board member is selected by Community Transit's labor unions.
Next Meetings
The Board
Board Members
Council Chair

Dave Gossett

Board Chair
  • Snohomish County
  • Executive Committee
  • Marketing, Operations & Maintenance Committee Chair

Dave Gossett has served on the Snohomish County Council since 2001 and joined the Community Transit Board in 2003. He served 12 years on the Mountlake Terrace City Council, six years of those years as mayor. During that time, he took a leading role in the sub-committee that negotiated the successful consolidation of the city's fire and aid services with Fire District 1. Gossett chairs the Law and Justice/Human Services Committee and is vice chair of the Public Works Committee. He has been appointed to the Puget Sound Regional Council, the Economic Development District, the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, the Snohomish County Economic Development Council and the North Sound Mental Health Agency. Gossett also serves on the boards of the Snohomish County Health District, the Northshore Park and Recreation Service Area and the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board. He also is involved in many community groups, including the Lions Club, Friends of the Arts, Mountlake Terrace Garden Club and Friends of the Library.

 

Mayor

Joe Marine

Board Vice Chair
  • City of Mukilteo
  • Medium Cities Representative
  • Planning and Capital Projects Committee Chair
  • Marketing, Operations & Maintenance Committee

Joe Marine joined the Community Transit Board of Directors in January 2008. He was appointed to serve as representative to the Sound Transit Board of Directors in February 2009. Marine was elected mayor of Mukilteo in 2005 and previously served on the Mukilteo City Council for three years. In 2001, he was appointed to the Washington State House of Representatives 21st Legislative District and served in that capacity for one year. He is serving his third term as president of Snohomish County Cities and Towns, is a member of the National League of Cities Leadership Training Institute Committee and represents Snohomish County Cities to the Association of Washington Cities.
Mayor

Mike Todd

Board Secretary
  • City of Mill Creek
  • Medium Cities Representative
  • Finance and Administration Committee
  • Planning and Capital Projects Committee

Mike Todd was appointed to the Mill Creek City Council in May 2005, and has since been elected to that position twice. He currently serves as mayor. He was elected as an alternate to the Community Transit Board in January 2008 and became a board member in October 2009. He serves on the Mill Creek Capital Facilities Planning Committee, is the council representative to WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council, and serves as council liaison to the Mill Creek Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. He is very active in local youth soccer as a coach and referee, and plays amateur soccer himself.
Mayor

Jon Nehring

Jon Nehring began serving on the Marysville City Council in January 2002 and became mayor in July 2010. He was elected to the Community Transit Board of Directors in January 2010. His priorities include public safety, improved traffic circulation and more four-lane roadways. He is currently on the Marysville Finance Committee, SERS Board and Snohomish County Tomorrow. He volunteers his time with youth sports programs.
Labor Representative

Lance Norton

  • Non-voting member

Lance Norton was selected by the members of Community Transit's unions as their representative in 2010. He was president of the Amalgamated Transit Union 587 from 2000 to 2009. Prior to that, Norton was a coach operator for King County Metro Transit for 23 years.
Councilmember

Steven Slawson

  • City of Sultan
  • Small Cities Representative
  • Finance and Administration Committee
  • Planning and Capital Projects Committee

Steve Slawson has been on the Sultan City Council for two terms, and was elected to the Community Transit Board of Directors in October 2009. He is a member of the Snohomish County Tomorrow Steering Committee and Snohomish County Cities LEOFF (Law Enforcement Officers & Firefighters) Retirement Program. He was awarded the Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities in 2009. He is a Master Electrician and works for Snohomish County Facilities Maintenance Department.
Mayor

Jerry Smith

Jerry Smith was elected to the Mountlake Terrace City Council in 2001 and served as mayor since 2004. He joined the Community Transit Board in October 2009. He is the council liaison for SNOCOM (Southwest Snohomish County Communications Agency), SERS (Snohomish County Emergency Radio System Board), WRIA 8 (Watershed Planning) and the LEOFF 1 (Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters) Disability Board. He is a retired Seattle police officer.
Councilmember

Dave Somers

Dave Somers has been a Community Transit Board Member or alternate since January 2006. He was just elected to his third term as a member of the Snohomish County Council and serves as council chair. He is also chair of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Growth Management Policy Board and is a member of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Executive Committee.

 

Mayor

Dianne White

Dianne White was elected mayor in 2005, and re-elected in 2009. She joined the Community Transit Board in January 2010. She also serves on the Department of Emergency Management Board, the Snohomish Health District Board and the Stanwood-Camano Senior Center Board.

 

Board Alternates
Councilmember

Tom Hamilton

Tom Hamilton began serving on the Snohomish City Council in January 2010, and was elected Community Transit Board Alternate that same month. Previously, he was a member of the Snohomish Planning Commission and the Strategic Advisory Committee. He currently serves on the boards of Arts of Snohomish and the Snohomish Parks Foundation. He is an avid runner and cyclist.
Councilmember

Stephanie Wright

Stephanie Wright was named an alternate to Community Transit’s board in mid-2010 after she was selected by the County Council to fill an open position there. She was elected to the Lynnwood City Council in 2007 and has worked as a teacher and librarian in the Northshore School District.