About

Team

Learn about the Team at Sound Transit, including our Board Chair, Board Member and Finance & Audit Committee Chair, and Interim Chief Executive Officer.
Photo of Dow Constantine

Dow Constantine

Board Chair

Mr. Constantine joined the Sound Transit Board in 2006 and has served as Chair of the Board since 2023. He also served as Board Chair from 2014-2016 and as Board Vice Chair from 2020-2022. He was elected to his third term as King County Executive in 2021, a position he has held since 2009. He previously served on the King County Council and as a member of the Washington Senate and the Washington House of Representatives. He also serves as a member of the Puget Sound Regional Council and on the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.

Photo of Nancy Backus

Nancy Backus

Board Member and Finance & Audit Committee Chair

Ms. Backus joined the Sound Transit Board in 2016 and has served as Chair of the Board’s Finance & Audit Committee since 2019. She has also served as the Mayor of Auburn, Washington since 2014 and previously served on the Auburn City Council from 2003 through 2013. She also serves as a member of the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County and the Puget Sound Regional Council. In addition, she serves on the U.S Conference of Mayors’ Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee and the Veterans Affairs Task Force.

Photo of Goran Sparrman

Goran Sparrman

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Sparrman joined Sound Transit as the Interim Chief Executive Officer in January 2024 after previously serving as Business Development Officer and Vice President at HNTB Corporation, a major infrastructure firm. From 2011 to 2014 he served as the deputy director and interim director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, where he led planning, design, building, maintenance, and operations of Seattle’s transportation infrastructure. He was also Director of the City of Bellevue Transportation Department for 12 years, where he worked closely with Sound Transit on the planning for the East Link Extension. Mr. Sparrman is a licensed professional engineer in Washington and holds the equivalent of both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Photo of John Henry

John Henry

Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Henry serves as the Chief Financial Officer, a position in which he plays a central role in overseeing the nation’s largest transit expansion program.  Mr. Henry has more than 20 years of experience in finance, accounting and treasury services including CFO of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and CFO of the Jefferson County Commission in Birmingham, Alabama.  A veteran of the U.S. Army, Mr. Henry graduated from its Airborne and Ranger schools and received an honorable discharge as a captain.  Mr. Henry earned a bachelor’s in accounting from Virginia State University and an MBA from the Howard University School of Business. He is also certified as a CPA, CMA and CTP.

Photo of Kevin Chung

Kevin Chung

Chief of Staff

Mr. Chung serves as a key partner to the Chief Financial Officer and department leadership, and stewards the team's strategy, effectiveness, and alignment with agency priorities. He received his B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Photo of Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark

Deputy Executive Director of Financial Operations/Controller
(206) 553-3649
jeff.clark@soundtransit.org

Mr. Clark joined Sound Transit in 2019. He manages financial operations, the investment portfolio and the debt program. He has over 20 years of experience in accounting and financial services across a number of industries. He is a CFA charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant, and he holds a Master’s degree in Professional Accounting.

Kristen McKern

Deputy Director Treasury
kristen.mckern@soundtransit.org

Ms. McKern joined Sound Transit in 2019.  She manages the treasury team, and has over 20 years of treasury experience across several industries.  Kristen has an MBA from Babson College.

Heather Rochelle

Senior Grants and Loan Administrator
(425) 241-8221
heather.rochelle@soundtransit.org

Ms. Rochelle joined Sound Transit in May 2014. She oversees all aspects of the federal loan program at Sound Transit. She has over 15 years of experience in accounting and over 8 years in grants and federal loan administration. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Board of Directors

The 18-member Sound Transit Board includes elected officials and the Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Executive Leadership

Get to know us