Spokane Transit Authority CEO Karl Otterstrom says he enjoys solving problems, particularly those that intersect different dimensions, including geography, finances, and public policy. Otterstrom, a Spokane native, has about 20 years of experience in public transportation, including over 15 years at STA.

After joining the public transportation agency in 2009, Otterstrom was named CEO in August 2025. He succeeds E. Susan Meyer, who retired after nearly two decades as the agency's CEO. 

STA provides public transportation services to the cities of Airway Heights, Cheney, Liberty Lake, Medical Lake, Millwood, Spokane, Spokane Valley, and parts of unincorporated Spokane County.

Education: Bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning, Eastern Washington University; master's degree in urban planning, University of Washington.

How would you describe yourself as a leader? A pragmatic visionary that gets energy from gathering people around ideas and efforts that make for a better world.

Why did you choose your career path? I was interested in cities and urban mobility from a young age, especially after attending Expo '86 in Vancouver, British Columbia, where transportation was a key theme and the SkyTrain, which opened just months before, was our daily commute to the exposition grounds. I followed transportation in the news and studied plans and reports in high school and college.

What is a major professional accomplishment you're proud of? Gaining community support to continuously improve transit in Spokane, especially the corridors, services, and infrastructure that combined represent a "High Performance Transit Network" serving millions of riders annually.

What would you tell others looking to follow a similar career path to yours? The transit industry has a very diverse set of career paths that can lead to executive-level roles. I encourage people to gather technical knowledge and practical experiences at any level they can, and be regular users of transit.