Introduction to Julie Meredith

Julie Meredith joined the Washington State Department of Transportation in 1989 and has spent her entire professional career at the agency. She began as a temporary Transportation Technician 2, working on several projects and programs in progressively responsible leadership roles through the years, directing transformative investments to enhance mobility and safety. She was named Deputy Assistant Secretary of Mega Programs in 2018, and Assistant Secretary of Urban Mobility & Access in December 2020. She was appointed Secretary of Transportation by Governor Bob Ferguson in 2025. She oversees an agency that is a steward of a complex, multimodal transportation system responsible for ensuring people and goods move safely and efficiently. 

Meredith is a licensed Professional Engineer and a leader known for her proactive approach to solving complex problems, building lasting partnerships and a commitment to diverse and inclusive leadership in the transportation industry.

In the last two decades, Meredith has been instrumental in delivering the Puget Sound region’s most complex, high-profile transportation projects. She has been involved in improving the State Route 520 corridor across Lake Washington, including the world’s longest floating bridge; replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct; and improvements along the Interstate 405, SR 167 and SR 509 corridors. She’s also managed regional mobility planning and operations, WSDOT’s partnership with Sound Transit to deliver historic system expansion, and tolling operations – including toll operations for the new interstate bridge connecting Washington and Oregon. In addition to serving on the WSDOT Executive Leadership Team, Meredith also was the steward of agency-wide strategic planning for resilience.

In 2017, Meredith was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Design Build Institute of America for the SR 520 Program and received the Public Service Recognition Week Leadership Award. Meredith was the WTS Puget Sound Chapter Woman of the Year (2015-2016).

Meredith graduated from the University of Washington in 1989 with a degree in forest resources before launching her engineering career.

Download the high resolution photo of Julie Meredith (JPG 2.57MB).