The executive director of the Sunset Empire Transportation District is stepping down due to personal reasons.

Craig Johnston was hired in November 2023 to help steer the transit district out of financial difficulty. Jeff Hazen, the former director, resigned after a financial collapse in the spring of 2023 that led to the temporary suspension of bus service and other operations.

When Johnston took on the role, he said his priorities were to keep the transit district on sound financial footing and to restore bus routes.

The transit district has steadily increased ridership but, as of September, was still below the levels of service before the financial collapse.

Before moving to Clatsop County, Johnston was the operations manager for Basin Transit Service Transportation District in Klamath Falls.

Debbie Boothe-Schmidt, the chair of the Sunset Empire Transportation District Board, said in a statement Nov. 25 that Johnston is resigning in order to move back to Klamath Falls to be closer to family and friends.

Boothe-Schmidt said Johnston “has been instrumental in stabilizing funding for the district’s current budget and into the future. We are in a much better place than we were when Craig was hired, and we are sorry to see him leave.”

Johnston will be working through mid-January and may remain in his position until the board hires a new or interim executive director.