After six years on the job, the head of Washington State Ferries says he will step down on April 15.
David Moseley made his announcement Tuesday. His resignation comes as the nation’s largest ferry system continues to encounter choppy seas.
Moseley has been at the helm since 2008. In a farewell statement, he says he took over a ferry system in crisis — old boats and inadequate funding. Since then, the state has built three new ferries. Three more are under construction or are about to be built.
Nonetheless, problems persist. Staffing shortages have caused sailings to be canceled, and just this week came news that maintenance crews accidentally drilled a hole in the hull in one of the larger ferries.
Still, former transportation secretary Paula Hammond, who hired Moseley, praises his tenure.
“He brought that right balance of appreciating the maritime culture, but recognizing that it’s the communities that the ferry system serves that’s the primary customer,” Hammond said.
Hammond, who spoke to Moseley this week, says it was his decision to resign. The Washington Department of Transportation plans to launch a national search for Moseley’s replacement.
