Seattle Councilmember Richard McIver has assumed leadership of the Puget Sound Regional Council, the regional transportation and growth planning agency for central Puget Sound.
Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg will serve as vice president.
McIver succeeds Pierce County Councilmember Karen Biskey as Regional Council president. Biskey completes her term on the Pierce County Council this month.
Councilmember McIver joined the Regional Councils Transportation Policy Board in 1997, when he was elected to the Seattle City Council.
Prior to joining the Council, he was president of Comprehensive Planning and Development, a private management consulting firm.
He also served as the executive director of the Washington Association for Community Economic Development.
Councilmember McIver was elected Regional Council vice president in March 2002.
County Executive Ladenburg joined the Regional Councils Executive Board in 2001, when he was elected Pierce County Executive.
Prior to becoming Pierce County Executive, he was the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney and served one term on the Tacoma City Council.
The Regional Council develops policies and coordinates decisions about regional growth and transportation planning in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties.
The council is composed of over 80 county, city, port, transit, tribal and state agencies serving the region.
It coordinates the distribution of about $100 million in Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transportation Administration funds each year.
The Regional Council sets priorities and evaluates the most efficient ways to target those funds to support state and local transportation and growth management plans.
