VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt has been elected to serve as Chair for the Visit San Antonio (VSA) Board of Directors, a designation that reflects Arndt’s and VIA’s ongoing support for connecting the region’s rich culture and historical destinations.
“VIA’s mission to connect our region means bringing together the people, places and events that make San Antonio a unique destination for more than 37 million visitors each year, and many in our community,” Arndt said. “I’m honored to serve in this role and work with the Visit San Antonio Board to help position our city for continued economic development, and increased awareness of all there is to explore in the true heart of Texas.”
Through Arndt’s vision and leadership, VIA launched its VIVA lines in 2016—three specially branded routes that travel the heart of the city, connecting major cultural, historic, and entertainment destinations and events. The routes also support employees and businesses in the city’s massive tourism and hospitality industry. Since launching, VIVA has delivered nearly 1 million passenger trips throughout the region’s cultural corridors.
Arndt’s responsibilities as Chair include promoting San Antonio and the region to the world, and encouraging people to visit and spend time in the Alamo City. Arndt will serve a one-year term as VSA Board Chair. He previously served on the Board as Vice-Chair.
Visit San Antonio is a 501(c)6 organization, and serves as the sales and marketing arm of San Antonio as a leading leisure and meetings destination. San Antonio welcomes 37 million visitors annually. Hospitality is one of the top five industries in the city, contributing $15.2 billion into the local economy and employing more than 140,000. More information about Visit San Antonio is available at VisitSanAntonio.com.
Inaugural ABLDP Gerencia con Corazón Award Goes to Arndt
Arndt also has been selected by the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the 2019 Alexander Briseño Leadership Development Program (ABLDP) Steering Committee to be the first recipient of the organization’s Gerencia Con Corazón Champion Award.
The award is bestowed upon individuals who embody servant leadership. Arndt was selected to receive the inaugural award as an honor for his many years of support and continued engagement with the leadership program and the community it serves.
“I’m humbled to receive this award, named in honor of VIA’s former Board Chair, Alex Briseño,” Arndt said. “It’s a symbol of our strong partnership with the Hispanic Chamber and its emerging leaders to deliver innovative solutions for mobility our region.”
The Alexander Briseño Leadership Development Program is a seven-month program that focuses on skills to succeed in today’s working environment with networking and learning opportunities for participants. The program is named after retired City Manager Alexander Briseño and is grounded in his leadership philosophy “Gerencia Con Corazon,” practice management with compassion/heart.
Program participants collaborate with VIA on innovation-focused initiatives, including the founding of VIA GoCodeSA and Codeathon, a partnership event designed to apply the skills and knowledge of San Antonio’s tech community to address transit challenges in our region. The program earned VIA state and national recognitions for innovation.