SAN ANTONIO (March 25, 2016) — VIA President and CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt was the San Antonio Chapter’s inaugural recipient of the Secretary Ray LaHood Award, created by WTS International to honor a man who is an outstanding role model and has contributed to the advancement of women and minorities in transportation.
Arndt has dedicated his 35-year transit career to bringing collaboration, inclusion and access to opportunity to the industry. As the CEO for VIA, he leads the organization in its quest to be an innovative and forward-thinking agency and an active partner in the region’s transportation landscape. As an established leader in the community and the industry, he also serves on the Boards of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; San Antonio Mobility Coalition (SAMCo); Texas Diversity Council; Centro Alliance; United Way of San Antonio; Texas Transit Association (TTA); South West Transit Association (SWTA); and the Advisory Council for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
Four VIA Metropolitan employees, including Arndt, were recognized at the WTS Annual Awards Dinner held on March 17, 2016, for representing WTS’ pursuit of transportation excellence through the achievement and success of women in the transportation industry.
– Hannah Santiago, Strategic Planner II, was named WTS’ Member of the Year. The award recognizes an extraordinary member who shows great commitment to the goals and growth of WTS. Santiago served as the local WTS Chair of Professional Development last year, before taking over as Co-Chair of Communications.
– Christina Castaño Bradshaw, Strategic Planner II, and Christine Viña, AIA, Project Manager, Urban Design, received the Innovative Transportation Solutions Award, which honors an innovative transportation project led by women. The award was presented to for the VIA Villa development, which includes The Grand and Centro Plaza, two of VIA’s recently completed transportation assets.
“We are honored to be recognized for the work that we do in support of diversity and inclusiveness in transportation,” Arndt said. “Receiving these accolades from WTS San Antonio affirms our commitment to promoting access to opportunity for all within the industry.”
WTS is an international organization dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women. With nearly 6,000 members, including both women and men, WTS is turning the glass ceiling into a career portal through its professional programs, networking opportunities, and unparalleled access to industry and government leaders. The San Antonio Region Chapter of WTS was established in 2009.
VIA Metropolitan Transit provides public transportation services to 13 cities in the Greater San Antonio Region and the unincorporated areas of Bexar County. VIA operates seven days a week on 90 routes, and provided 44 million rides across the region in 2015. VIA’s mission is to enhance the community’s quality of life by providing regional and customer-oriented public transportation that is dependable, cost-effective and enticing to more riders. VIA’s AAA bond rating reflects the organization’s sound management and financial practices. Visit www.VIAinfo.net for more information. Follow us on www.Facebook.com/VIATransit, www.Twitter.com/VIA_Transit, and www.Instagram.com/VIATransit.