COBI Public Works director takes new job with Sound Transit
Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 16, 2026
City of Bainbridge Island Public Works director Chris Wierzbicki’s last day will be May 1 as he has accepted a job with Sound Transit as its director of environmental, ecosystems and land use permitting, the city announced April 14.
“It has been an honor to serve the Bainbridge Island community and work alongside such dedicated staff, partners, and residents,” said Wierzbicki. “Together, we’ve tackled complex challenges and delivered projects that will benefit the Island for generations. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and grateful for the opportunity to have had a positive impact on the community.”
Wierzbicki served as COBI’s Public Works director since 2019 after previously serving in planning and engineering roles. During his tenure, he led some of the most significant capital and infrastructure projects in the city’s history, a press release says. Notable accomplishments include:
• Leading delivery of the Winslow Water Tank, a 2-million-gallon, seismically resilient facility strengthening water reliability and emergency preparedness.
• Advancing the Bundled Madison Avenue Project, integrating major utility upgrades with multimodal transportation improvements.
• Overseeing the Eagle Harbor Non-Motorized Improvements and Fish Passage Project, restoring salmon habitat while improving safety for people walking, biking, and driving.
• Guiding development of the city’s Sustainable Transportation Plan.
• Supporting upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Ushering in the replacement of the outdated police station with the Ted Spearman Justice Center.
Wierzbicki also navigated longstanding infrastructure challenges, including aging systems from Winslow and roads inherited from Kitsap County that required significant reconstruction, per the release.
“Chris has played a pivotal role in advancing Bainbridge Island’s infrastructure in a way that reflects our community values of resiliency and sustainability,” said interim city manager Ellen Schroer. “His leadership has left a lasting mark on our Island. We will miss his expertise, responsiveness and steady guidance. And, we are profoundly grateful for his many contributions and wish him the very best in his next chapter.”
Wierzbicki joined the city as an engineering project manager in 2007 and later served as the deputy director of Planning and Community Development until 2013. He also served as the deputy director of King County Road Services and executive director of Futurewise, a statewide non-profit organization focused on healthy, sustainable and equitable growth and land use, the release says.
In his new role at Sound Transit, Wierzbicki will lead environmental permitting and ecosystem compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and develop land-use strategies for major regional projects such as the light rail extensions to Everett and West Seattle.
The city will share more information about interim leadership and next steps for the Public Works director position in the coming weeks.
