Retiring Link Transit CEO Nick Covey reflects on 32 years with the agency
As a young man, Nick Covey learned the fundamentals of business in the bustling kitchen and dining room of his family’s restaurant, Covey’s, a longtime Wenatchee gathering place where rock-and-roll bands played six nights a week. The restaurant taught him lessons that would shape the next three decades of his life: work hard, treat people well, and never lose sight of the customer experience.
Those lessons carried seamlessly into his career at Link Transit, where Covey retires Ji;u 1 after 32 years of service. Over the years, he served as director of finance and chief of staff, overseeing nearly every department in the organization except operations and vehicle maintenance. When longtime CEO Rick DeRock stepped down in 2023, the board selected Covey to lead the agency through its next chapter.
Few people know the organization as intimately as Covey. He has watched Link Transit evolve from a growing regional bus system into a critical economic lifeline for North Central Washington.
Since the tenure of Link’s first CEO, Ken Hamm, the agency has emphasized professionalism and customer service. In its early years, Link leaders even trained with the Disney Institute on Leadership, studying how that company creates exceptional customer experiences. Riders were referred to as “guests,” employees as “associates,” and managers were taught that supporting employees was the key to outstanding service.
As CEO, Covey has made it a priority to live up to those elevated customer service standards.
Born in Canada, Covey moved to Wenatchee with his family as a child. He graduated from Wenatchee High School before earning an accounting degree from Central Washington University. After several years working in the Seattle area while raising a young family with his wife, Cathy, the couple returned home to Wenatchee.
The timing proved fortunate. Link Transit was hiring an accountant.
“Like most people who get into transit, 32 years later, here I am,” Covey said with a laugh.
What makes Link special, he said, is not just the buses or facilities, but the people behind them. Residents may see buses moving through town every day without realizing the dedication of the employees who keep the system operating.
Under Covey and DeRock’s leadership, Link expanded service significantly after voters approved a tax increase that allowed the agency to grow. The system also made a major investment in electric buses, with 32 already in service and nine more on order. The brightly wrapped vehicles have become a familiar sight throughout the region, though some longer rural routes still rely on diesel buses because current electric technology is not yet practical for every trip.
Covey believes public transit plays a far greater role than many people realize. For workers in restaurants, hotels, and other service industries, reliable transportation can determine whether they are able to keep a job. In a region where housing costs continue to rise, Link Transit helps connect employees to workplaces even when they can no longer afford to live nearby.
“It’s an economic driver for the entire region,” Covey said.
Covey has also endured profound personal loss during his years at Link. His wife, Cathy, died from a brain tumor several years ago, a loss he says remains deeply felt.
As he prepares to step away, Covey leaves behind an agency in the midst of transformation. One accomplishment he takes particular pride in is the completion of Link’s new 41,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility, designed to house up to 56 buses.
“I love that building,” he said.
Now, after more than three decades helping shape public transportation in the Wenatchee Valley, Covey is looking forward to a quieter chapter — spending more time with his children and grandchildren, and enjoying a well-earned retirement.
There will be an opportunity to honor Covey at the opening celebration of the new Bus Barn facility from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 25. The public is encouraged to attend.
