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.

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

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.

Yar Runyon, Base Dispatcher

Coordinate and provide consistent, efficient, and effective base operations. Ensure all routes have an assigned operator, and that all routes commence on time.

Named “Yar,” which means seaworthy and trustworthy, he lived with his parents on a boat.

After working a variety of odd jobs, Yar was looking for steady employment and found his way to Metro. He started driving buses in 2008 and spent 11 years driving the Route 44 and the old Route 43. From the driver’s seat, he enjoyed the west facing view of the Olympics and the valley below the rise of the hill above Ballard.

In 2018, Yar was ready for a new career challenge, so he decided to become a supervisor. He began in Service Quality but has since spent most of his supervisor years as a base dispatcher–his favorite role.

For Yar, “working the window” is like solving a puzzle every day. He enjoys helping operators get what they need, answering questions, and keeping everything moving through the daily rhythm of calm and chaos. Balancing the needs of operators, the base and the window requires constant negotiation and careful decision-making.

As his kids grew older, Yar has been able to devote more time to work, which he genuinely enjoys. The people are what make the job most rewarding. He has learned about other cultures by meeting people from so many different backgrounds and he values that diversity.

The best advice he has received and would pass on to others is “Let the base be the base.” Having worked the window at every base except Tukwila, he knows each one has its own personality and challenges. Rather than reacting to every difference, he believes it’s important to understand and work with each base’s unique environment and accept that some things are simply outside of your control. As Yar puts it, “every base is like a route; they all have their own unique vibe.”

When not working, Yar enjoys travel, cooking and family time.

Berhanemeskel Gebreselassie, Service Supervisor

Monitor service operations, respond to operators’ calls for assistance, and respond to service disruptions.

After discovering that he didn’t like living in Florida because of the hurricanes, Berhanemeskel—familiarly known as “G”—visited a friend in Seattle and moved here after falling in love with the city.

While driving for Access Paratransit, G became friends with a Metro operator who encouraged him to apply. It would take a couple of years of coaxing, but G applied and was accepted as a part-time operator while still driving for Access.

G left Access and became a full-time operator in 2012, driving the old Route 41 between Northgate and Downtown Seattle. He loved having a bus full of people and, just as he had done at Access, was determined to make sure they reached their destinations safely and on time.

G enjoys challenges, especially under time pressure. Whether navigating disruptions and obstructions or finding a way to get someone to an important medical appointment that had been scheduled months in advance, he approached every situation with determination and skill. Those qualities caught the eye of a base supervisor who recommended G for the Supervisor in Training (SIT) program.

G began his role as a first-line supervisor in the Training section, where he coached student drivers and conducted a wide variety of classes. His advice reflects the care he brings to his work: “Know everything you need to know. Triple-check your work.”

The Service Supervisor position aligns with G’s thirst for challenges and his ability to solve problems. He is often assigned to special projects, including managing bus operations through major downtown construction zones while working within tight deadlines. No matter what role he takes on as a supervisor, his goal remains the same: find solutions that make the operator’s job easier and help keep service moving.

G enjoys spending his days off playing soccer and helping his 10-year-old son with his homework, especially math.

Multiple skills to meet daily challenges

Supervisors are an essential part of Metro delivering transit service. They’re 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’re grateful for their professionalism and commitment to keeping riders moving safely and reliably.