Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District General Manager Celia B. Kupersmith has announced she is leaving to take a job as Deputy Chief Executive Officer with Sound Transit in Seattle, Wash.
Kupersmith has been with the district for 11 years. Her last day will be Sept. 1.
“While it was not my intention to make a career move at this time, life has a way of surprising you with new and unexpected opportunities,” Kupersmith said in a news release.
“For a transit professional, the opportunity to round out my portfolio by both building and operating multiple rail modes was just too intriguing to pass up,” she said.
Sound Transit is a regional agency responsible for the construction and operation of both commuter and light rail systems in the Central Puget Sound area as well as a provider of regional commuter bus service.
District Board of Director President Al Boro said the board is sorry to see Kupersmith leave.
“Under her leadership, we have been able to move the District forward in many ways,” Boro said.
He cited the seismic retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge that is two-thirds completed, finding funding for a moveable median barrier and the decision to install a suicide deterrent net system under the span when funding becomes available.
“Her contributions at the District leave the organization stronger than ever and she will have a lasting legacy,” Boro said.
Kupersmith’s salary was $185,000. The Board of Directors will develop a plan to recruit Kupersmith’s successor over the next several weeks.
