Three weeks after Sound Transit released a memo alleging its leader berated employees and used racially insensitive language, the Sound Transit Board will consider a set of “performance goals” for CEO Peter Rogoff.
Early this month, the board discussed internal Sound Transit memos showing employees had complained about Rogoff’s leadership. The agency also released those memos to reporters. In the documents—one from Sound Transit HR and one from an outside lawyer who reviewed the complaints—Sound Transit staff said Rogoff looked women employees “up and down,” yelled, shoved furniture, called a woman employee “honey,” and “reportedly stated or implied that African Americans require more mentoring and assistance than their counterparts.” Most of the behavior allegedly happened during Rogoff’s first year on the job in 2016. Rogoff admitted to some of the claims and denied others, while leaning on supposed cultural differences between the west and east coasts to explain his management style. The agency has also hired a consultant to “coach” Rogoff. Rogoff makes $328,545 a year.
On March 1, a majority of the board approved a motion directing Rogoff to undertake a “leadership development plan.”
On Thursday, the board will vote on a set of “performance goals”, which include a mention of that leadership plan. But the goals are largely vague and do not directly address Rogoff’s alleged treatment of employees (including allegedly looking women “up and down”).
The goals document instructs Rogoff to “continue to enhance leadership skills, including the areas of active listening, self-awareness, and relationship building” and “develop specific action plans, performance expectation targets, and measurements to improve leadership abilities in these areas.”
The list of goals also says Rogoff will “develop and implement a 2018 work plan that includes workshops for senior leaders and staff to advance goals of Respect, Inclusion and Equity” and “establish Employee Resource Groups and other awareness and community-building activities that enhance agency culture and performance.” Otherwise, they’re focused on the agency’s work building light rail.
The agency does not yet have a more specific plan, according to a spokesperson. Three board members (Everett Council President Paul Roberts, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, and Steilacoom Mayor Ron Lucas) will work with Rogoff on his leadership plan.
Thursday’s meeting will be the first regular board meeting since the concerns became public on March 1.
At that meeting, two board members—Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Seattle City Council member Rob Johnson—voted against the motion about Rogoff. Durkan said she did not believe the issues with Rogoff’s leadership had been resolved. Johnson said he was not “confident” about how the board would monitor Rogoff’s progress on changing his behavior.
I’ve asked Durkan and Johnson whether they plan to vote for these performance goals Thursday and will update this post if I hear back.
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