Supervisor Spotlight: Highlighting those behind the scenes who keep us moving

It takes a lot of people to keep a transit system running smoothly across 150 routes and over 300,000 boardings a day.

Bus drivers are the most visible part of any transit system, but there are people behind the scenes who are just as vital in the day-to-day operation of King County Metro.

Their responsibilities include training operators, planning the routes that run throughout the region, and literally being the “traffic controllers” who keep track of the buses on their daily runs.

They’re also the former bus drivers who use their knowledge to guide current drivers. Some were interested in transit from a young age and who put their backgrounds from other fields into good use.

And sometimes, they’re invisible co-pilots that help you get where you need to go when you ride with Metro.

We’d like to introduce you to the staff that help keep the wheels on the bus going “round and round” every day.

 Merch DeGrasse Communications Coordinator  

Driving part-time for Metro while going to college sounded like a great idea to Merch in 1984. He knew others who were driving for Metro to pay for college. Forty years later, Merch is a First-line Supervisor at the Transit Control Center (TCC).

Merch has been a first-line supervisor since 2006. He is currently in his third “tour of duty” at the TCC serving in the role of coordinator. He is responsible for overseeing South Base service including a small amount of East and Bellevue service area, school routes, route 106 out of Central and a couple of West Seattle routes out of Ryerson Base. As a first-line supervisor, he has worked in all four classifications (Base Dispatcher/Planner, Service Supervisor, Instructor and Communications Coordinator). Out of those four, he has worked in Base Operations the least.

When Merch started at Metro, the first route he drove was Route 108 – a tripper out of South Base. His favorite piece of work was driving the Waterfront Streetcar for two years. He loved the scenery, the many tourists and the “random moments of terror operating antique equipment.”

Since becoming a first-line supervisor, one thing he appreciates is how much the role broadens your thinking, computer, communication, and other skills. Merch enjoys using all the skills and experience he has gained over the years to help operators, the public, and management.

One piece of advice Merch has held on to over the years is to have flexible expectations. This helps him have better work-life balance. “Burnout is a big challenge with the job as a first-line supervisor. Having flexible expectations allows you to adjust plans to suit the situation.”

Merch also shares that the current transit landscape has presented challenges with security. It can be a balancing act following procedures and managing operator expectations in some situations. Through it all, Merch says he keeps in mind why it is we do what we do – helping operators, and ultimately serving the public.

Outside of work, Merch is a semi-professional musician. He plays the guitar and sings in a rock band. He still performs from time to time with his band The Fred Roth Revue. Their recent performances were last  July at “Weirdfest II” and in early September at the Dead End Block Party in Columbia City. He is always looking to play and rehearse with bands. Merch also spends his time skiing, playing soccer and sailing.

George Shields Service Supervisor

George has been a First-Line Supervisor for 16 years. His career began at Metro in 1998 after years of his brother (who was already an operator) trying to convince him to also drive for Metro. After seeing his brother rise through the ranks at Metro and becoming a First-Line Supervisor, George thought that would be the ideal position for him as well. He left his career as a certified mechanic and began driving for Metro with the goal of becoming a supervisor.

While driving part-time, George, augmented his income as a custom home framer and a waiter. After being promoted to full-time, he worked three shakeups at Atlantic Base and then moved to North Base where he spent the rest of his driving career. He loved driving Route 36 because of his riders and the community the route served. “Nobody was riding the bus because they just wanted to, they were riding because that was their car.” As an operator, he was operator of the month and was a member of the North Base Safety and coach procurement committees.

After one unsuccessful attempt at becoming a supervisor, George persevered and became a Supervisor- In-Training (SIT) in 2008 on his second try. His goal was always to work in Service Quality (SQ). After his mandatory time in Base Operations, he picked into SQ and stayed. Since being in SQ he has worked almost exclusively in the Central Business District. Currently he covers District 23A.

George is an active and engaged supervisor. He is a member of the Safety Committee. He often supports Service Quality orientations at part time and full-time operator and SIT classes. George also assists in the onboarding of new transit police deputies.

George has also worked as the Special Events Coordinator, Service Quality SIT Trainer and multiple stints as an acting Service Quality Chief.

George considers Metro to be his second family and tries to treat coworkers as such. He tries to build good relationship with his peers. George has accumulated several unicorns over the span of his career as a First  Line Supervisor. His colleagues often gift him a unicorn as a joke to “make him more approachable.” George enjoys the camaraderie and keeps one of the many unicorns on the dash of his SQ vehicle.

After years in SQ, his best advice is to never assume anything and approach each radio call with an open mind.

George and his wife reside in Snohomish County with their three rescue cats and are approaching the finish line of a full home renovation. When not engaged in remodeling projects, George enjoys maintaining his all Ford vehicle fleet, woodworking projects, and repurposing found objects.

George is a member of the Metro Employee Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA) and runs the employee car show on their behalf at the annual Metroadeo.

A mantra George tries to live by is “Never present a problem if you cannot offer a solution.”

Interested in becoming a part of Metro? Visit “Start your Metro career” to explore well-paying positions with full benefits and a pension in transit operations, trades, rail operations, customer information and countless other fields.