Lynne Griffith will take over as Assistant Secretary for the Washington State Ferries Division, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.
Griffith will replace interim WSF chief George Capacci.
She officially begins in her new job in October. Griffith — the first woman to hold the position of Assistant Secretary for WSF — will be responsible for guiding the ferries management team and all ferries employees to meet safety, operational and budgetary goals, officials said.
“I am excited to work with the 1,700 men and women who are responsible for providing such an important transportation connection to Washingtonians,” Griffith said. “It is no small task to operate service reliably and safely on such a large scale, and I am looking forward to this opportunity.”
Griffith has more than 35 years of experience in the transportation industry in transit, airlines and rail, from entry level operations to executive management. She currently serves as the chief executive officer of Pierce Transit. She has also worked at C-TRAN in Clark County, and managing bus and specialized transportation for people with disabilities at MARTA, in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the largest transit authorities in the United States.
“I am very pleased Lynne is joining the WSDOT team and I want to thank Capt. George Capacci for serving in the interim role,” said Lynn Peterson, Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation.
“Our ferry system is an iconic symbol of the state of Washington and a vital link in our statewide transportation system. It will be in good hands with Assistant Secretary Griffith,” she said.
Also Wednesday, Secretary Peterson sent a memo to Governor Jay Inslee with short- and long-term considerations to move the division forward under Griffith’s leadership.
“Coming from an island community that relies heavily on WSF services, I personally understand and appreciate how this leadership role is important to keeping the economic engine of Washington running,” said Gov. Inslee. “I am pleased someone as capable and experienced as Lynne Griffith is joining our team to make this system even better.”
