King County Metro Transit has named Ernest Kandilige its permanent deputy general manager. Kandilige has served as King County Metro's interim deputy general manager since January.
As deputy general manager, Kandilige is focused on supporting King County Metro operations in vehicle maintenance, bus operations, transit facilities, safety and security and marine and rail.
“I was born in Ghana, West Africa, and growing up there taught me how to be resourceful. With limited accessibility, we didn’t always have many choices. For example, when it came to food, we often only had access to what we were able to grow ourselves. My experiences during my time there instilled my passion for continuous improvement and encouraged me think about the ways in which I could efficiently utilize the resources at hand. When I moved to the Pacific Northwest 21 years ago, I carried that mentality with me. It has influenced my work throughout all facets of my career from my time as a public-school educator to my work in the private sector and throughout the years I have spent in public service,” Kandilige said.
Kandilige will help encourage improvement to King County Metro's work by evaluating the ways in which the agency can improve processes, efficiently utilize resources and enhance King County Metro's rider experience as a whole.
Before joining King County Metro, Kandilige served as senior continuous improvement manager for King County’s Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget and has many years of experience in the private sector. In private industry, he served as both a human resources manager and as a training manager in Lean manufacturing principles.
