Two new members have been appointed to VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Board of Trustees while a third was re-appointed to another term by the San Antonio City Council on Nov. 6.
The council appointed Paola Fernandez, CNU-A, NCI, a community planner and engagement expert; and Ramon Flores, MBA, a real estate and community development professional; while reappointing Melanie Aranda Tawil to her third term on the VIA board.
“These Trustees each bring unique expertise and a deep commitment to our region,” VIA Board Chair Laura Cabanilla said. “Their leadership will help VIA continue connecting San Antonio, delivering on major capital projects like the VIA Rapid Green and Silver Lines and supporting initiatives to provide faster, more frequent and more reliable service across the system.”
All three trustees will serve terms through Dec. 31, 2026, and were sworn in following the City Council vote on Nov. 6. They fill the vacancies created by the departure of former Trustee Javier Paredes and by Laura Cabanilla’s transition to Chair of the Board.
“These appointments strengthen a Board that consistently champions VIA’s mission and pushes us to deliver the highest level of service,” President & CEO Jon Gary Herrera said. “Their expertise and commitment will help ensure our transit system continues connecting people to what matters most and create opportunity within our region.”
VIA’s 11-member Board of Trustees sets policy and works with staff to oversee the operations of the region’s public transit system. VIA provided more than 30 million annual passenger trips last year, manages a fleet of over 500 vehicles and employs more than 2,000 team members.
All VIA Board of Trustees meetings are live-streamed. Past Board meetings and additional information can be found at VIAinfo.net.
Paola Fernandez, CNU-A, NCI
Fernandez is a dedicated urban planner and community engagement coordinator with 13 years of professional experience shaping equitable cities and neighborhoods. As an advocate for community-led planning and design, she has delivered a wide range of successful projects, from small-scale urban interventions to large-scale comprehensive plans. Fernandez currently serves as the director of urban planning for The Urban Alchemy Collective where she helps shape systems that serve communities and create positive impacts through the projects she leads.
With a deep understanding of the complexities of urban development, Fernandez brings a collaborative, inclusive and empathetic approach to every project, working closely with community members and stakeholders to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met. Fernandez’s expertise in urban design, planning and community engagement has been strengthened through her work on initiatives that advance mobility, equity and the activation of public space.
In 2019, she was on a four-person team that won VIA’s GoCodeSA Codeathon by developing an automated people counter that used body-tracking software that could leverage on-board security cameras to accurately count passengers on buses.
Fernandez is one of the inaugural members of VIA’s Council to Keep San Antonio Moving, an advocacy group that supports the Keep SA Moving mission and projects and helps advance VIA’s community engagement. She also currently serves as the vice chair of ActivateSA. Previously, she served as a mayoral appointee on the Historic Design and Review Committee, co-chair for the San Antonio Bond 2022–2027 Street, Sidewalks, and Bridges Committee, and a co-chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Mobility Local Member Council. Fernandez has also served on the SaySí Board, was an inaugural board member of NOMA Central Texas, and contributed to transit-supportive development efforts as part of the City of San Antonio TOD Task Force.
Ramon Flores
Flores is a seasoned real estate and community development professional with more than 25 years of experience advancing public–private partnerships and economic growth in San Antonio. As Senior Vice President of Strategic Design, Construction, and Delivery at Port San Antonio, he oversees major real estate projects that drive innovation and advance the Port’s strategic goals.
A native of San Antonio, Flores has dedicated his career to equitable growth through roles in public, private and nonprofit sectors, including executive director of the Westside Development Corporation and senior positions at Fannie Mae. His expertise spans real estate development, finance and community planning.
Flores currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Keystone School and a Board Member and Schools Committee Chair for the Harvard Club of San Antonio. His past service includes appointments to the City of San Antonio’s Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Committee (NIAC), Historic Design and Review Compliance and Technical Advisory Board (CTAB, Housing Trust and Board of Adjustment, as well as leadership roles with the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. He was honored to be named the “Nonprofit Board Member of the Year” by the San Antonio Business Journal in 2018. Mr. Flores is an alumnus of the Texas Lyceum and member of the Leadership San Antonio Class 39 and Steering Committee for Class 42.
Flores holds an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
Melanie Aranda Tawil
Trustee Tawil was reappointed to the board for her third term. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2021. Tawil is a technology entrepreneur and civic advocate dedicated to building inclusive, equitable and accessible public infrastructure in San Antonio. As CEO of SwipeTrack Solutions, she leads a company that partners with nonprofit organizations to deliver technology solutions that increase efficiency, engagement and impact.
A seventh-generation San Antonian, Tawil brings a strategic mindset informed by her experience as a business leader and parent. She is committed to ensuring that public transportation and civic infrastructure provide meaningful access to education, employment, health care and opportunity for all residents.
Tawil was recognized as a San Antonio Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2018. She holds a B.A. from Texas State University and a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law.