The following is a release from King County Metro Transit:

The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its approval to the appointment of Rob Gannon to lead Metro Transit. Gannon, appointed by County Executive Dow Constantine in October, now formally serves as the General Manager of one of the most heavily used transit systems in the nation.

“Metro transit covers over 2,100 square miles of transit service all over King County, including buses, vanpools, street car operations and Real-Time Rideshares. With over 1.3 million vanpool rides in 2015, King County Metro provides the largest vanpool system in the country and possibly the world,” said King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci.

“Thousands of people rely on metro each day for their services being available, on time and adoptable to meet the ever-growing and changing demand. Rob Gannon has proven to be a steady leader in his willingness to collaborate with others and his openness to new ideas,” Balducci continued. “He has a steady rhythm and clear sense of where the agency needs to take us. I look forward to working with him on getting King County to where we need to go.”

Gannon will direct the 10th largest transit agency in the U.S., a system responsible for transporting almost 400,000 passengers on a daily basis.

“I thank the County Council for unanimously approving my appointment of Rob Gannon as Metro’s next General Manager. As our region grows, so does demand for transit. Rob is the right person to lead the agency in this time of tremendous change and opportunity,” said County Executive Dow Constantine. “Whether it’s integrating Metro service with Sound Transit and other partners, or making sure bus shelters are clean and welcoming, Rob will lead the effort to ensure Metro’s customer service is second to none. He will take the best transit system in the nation and make it even better.”

As Metro GM, Gannon will also oversee accessible services for people with disabilities, commuter vanpools, and alternative services in communities where regular bus routes aren’t the best solution for local transportation needs. Metro also operates Sound Transit’s Link light rail and most of its Regional Express bus service in King County under contract.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Rob in his capacity as interim General Manager, as I’ve found him to be knowledgeable, responsive, transparent, and committed to customer satisfaction,” said Council Vice Chair Rod Dembowski, chair of the Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee. “I look forward to working with Rob to ensure that Metro Transit continues to invest in and prioritize additional service for underserved communities, enhanced passenger and driver safety, and an aggressive shift toward a zero emissions/carbon-neutral fleet.”

“I’m deeply honored to lead this outstanding transit agency and am grateful to the Council, the County Executive, and the Transportation Department Director for the trust they have placed in me,” said Gannon. “Metro’s role in the community is essential for connecting people with jobs, school and services. We are focused on meeting today’s demands and also preparing a foundation for expanding those services to meet the needs of the region for years to come.”

Gannon was appointed Interim General Manager in March when Kevin Desmond left Metro to direct the transit system in Vancouver, B.C. Prior to his appointment, Gannon had served as Metro’s Deputy General Manager from 2013-2016, and Human Resources Manager for the King County Department of Transportation from 2011-2013. County Executive Dow Constantine nominated Gannon as the permanent GM on Oct. 25.