Gov.-elect Ferguson promotes assistant secretary to lead WA Department of Transportation
Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson on Jan. 8 announced his pick for transportation secretary.
Assistant Secretary Julie Meredith will now lead the Washington State Department of Transportation, according to a Jan. 8 news release. Her appointment takes effect next Wednesday, Jan. 15.
“Julie Meredith brings deep experience and leadership and a strong commitment to public service to this role,” said Ferguson, who revealed the appointment during a Washington State Ferries listening tour. “I am confident that she will center the needs of Washingtonians at the Department of Transportation, so our roads, bridges, and transit systems work better for the people of our great state.”
Meredith has worked for WSDOT since 1989. She has worked on transportation infrastructure, and was key in carrying out some of the Puget Sound region’s critical projects, including the replacement of Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct and improvements along Interstate 405 and state routes 509 and 167, among others.
Meredith’s portfolio also features tolling operations and management; regional mobility management; and the WSDOT-Sound Transit partnership “to deliver historic systemic expansion,” the release states.
Meredith is a licensed professional engineer who has earned a reputation for proactively working to solve complex issues, according to the news release, and has fostered inclusive and diverse leadership in her industry.
“For the last 36 years I have been proud to be part of an agency committed to creating the reliable and safe transportation network that Washington’s economy and people rely on,” Meredith said in the news release. “It is an honor to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation for Washington state, and I look forward to serving communities around the state.”
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State Sen. Marko Liias, an Edmonds Democrat, said he was excited to see the governor-elect choose Meredith, whom he described as a forward thinker. Liias acknowledged her work as assistant secretary for WSDOT’s Urban Mobility, Access and Megaprograms, highlighting projects including the SR 520 bridge replacement.
“As chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I look forward to partnering with Secretary-designate Julie Meredith to get Washingtonians where they need to go, safely and efficiently,” Liias said in a Jan. 8 news release.
On Jan. 6, Ferguson announced two reappointments. Michael MacKillop will return as executive director of the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, and Charlie Clark will again serve as director of the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.
Ferguson has made several other appointments and reappointments in recent weeks. Casey Sixkiller was picked to helm the Department of Ecology, for example, and Derek Sandison was reappointed to head the Department of Agriculture.
In November Ferguson announced that he was seeking fresh leadership for nine state agencies.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 12:55 PM.
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