Team - VIA Metropolitan Transit

Team

VIA is governed by a 11-member board of trustees. Board members are appointed to staggered two-year terms by the following entities: San Antonio City Council (appoints five), Bexar County Commissioners Court (appoints three), and the Suburban Mayors (appoints two). The Chair of the Board is elected by the Board members and serves a two-year term. The 11-member VIA Board of Trustees meets monthly to discuss policy issues and hear comments from the community. VIA Board meetings are generally held on the 4th Tuesday of each month.

CURRENT VIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Fernando Reyes

Fernando Reyes
Chair


Elected by VIA Board of Trustees

Image: VIA Trustee Laura Cabanilla

Laura Cabanilla
Vice Chair


City of San Antonio Appointee

Athalie Malone
Secretary


City of San Antonio Appointee

Image: VIA Trustee Paul Basaldua

Paul Basaldua
Member


Bexar County Appointee

Image: VIA Trustee Akeen Brown

Akeem Brown
Member


Bexar County Appointee

Bob Comeaux
Member


City of San Antonio Appointee

Louis R. Cooper
Executive Committee


Greater Bexar County
Council of Cities Appointee

Image: VIA Trustee Ayda Gonzalez

Ayda Gonzalez
Member


Bexar County Appointee

Image: VIA Trustee Javier Paredes

Javier Paredes
Member


City of San Antonio Appointee

Image: Board Member Melanie Tawil

Melanie Tawil
Member


City of San Antonio Appointee

Image: VIA Trustee Kevin Wolff

Kevin Wolff
Member


Greater Bexar County
Council of Cities Appointee

VIA EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Image: VIA President and CEO Jeff Arndt

Jeffrey C. Arndt,
President/CEO


Jeffrey C. Arndt is President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Metropolitan Transit. VIA provides transportation services to the Bexar County region, including the fast-growing City of San Antonio, identified as the seventh-largest city in the United States.

Arndt joined VIA in February 2012 as Deputy CEO/Chief of Business Support Services. Over his 40+ career in transit, he has gained experience in virtually every element of the industry.

In June 2013, Arndt was named President and CEO. He is continuously working to bring innovation to VIA that will improve the livability and sustainability of the region, encompassed by the Keep San Antonio Moving plan that features Advance Rapid Transit and VIA Link “micromobility” services.

Arndt came to San Antonio from Houston where he worked for Houston METRO for 25 years and achieved the position of Senior Vice President of Operations/Chief Operating Officer. Arndt spent five years as a research scientist/research specialist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and also served as General Manager of Fixed-route Transit Services for First Transit, a company under contract with Houston METRO.

Arndt holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Houston, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He currently serves on several boards, including the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Visit San Antonio (past Chair), Texas Diversity Council, South West Transit Association (SWTA) (past Chair), The Bus Coalition (Vice Chair), Texas Transit Association (Vice Chair) and San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE). Additionally, he has served as an adjunct professor in the public administration graduate program at the University of Houston. He was selected for the 38th Leadership San Antonio Class (2013); served on the Steering Committee for LSA 46; and is Co-Chair for LSA 47.

Image: Edward Johnson

Edward Johnson,
Chief Operating Officer


As COO, Johnson works with Transportation and Fleet & Facilities teams to focus on implementing best practices and enhancing the customer experience.

Mr. Johnson brings to VIA more than 20 years of experience in the transit industry. Before coming to San Antonio, he led the LYNX transit system in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties in Florida. He also served as the chief administrative officer for MARTA in Atlanta, Georgia and as the grants and planning manager for MAX in Birmingham, Ala.

He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master in Public Administration, Political Science from Jacksonville State University in Alabama. He also served honorably in the U.S. Army Reserves where he received a commission as Second Lieutenant.

Jon Gary Herrera,
Senior Vice President of Public Engagement


Herrera is responsible for VIA's Public Engagement Group, including Marketing & Communications, Government & Community Relations, and Customer Relations & Sales.

Herrera previously served as Regional Vice President of Communications for Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable), where he led award-winning strategic communications, public relations, and government affairs programs for 2 million customers throughout the Texas region. He was Vice President of Business Development for the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where his work included program plans for small businesses, including support for business education services and programs.

Herrera is a San Antonio native and UTSA graduate with deep ties to the community and extensive experience in public- and private-sector initiatives, and served as Fiesta San Antonio’s Rey Feo LXVII, raising $450,000 to support scholarships for local students.

Bonnie Prosser Elder,
Senior Vice President Legal/General Counsel


Bonnie Prosser Elder is responsible for the oversight and coordination of legal services for VIA. She is also responsible for the risk management and claims section of the organization.

Prosser Elder has been involved in the public sector and transportation issues for over 25 years, and she has extensive experience in law, public administration, and open government matters for public agencies as well as broad experience in intergovernmental relations, legislative matters, contract development, and ethical considerations for public and private matters.

Prosser Elder received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law.

Kammy Horne,
Senior Vice President of Development


Kammy Horne is responsible for service and capital planning, capital engineering, and real estate acquisition and management.

Horne is a transportation planner who has gained considerable federal, state, and consultant experience on major transportation projects in various locations around the country over her 25-year career. She has spent most of her career in the transportation field and has built a reputation for her thought leadership in the field of transportation policy at various levels of local, state, and federal government.

Horne has worked in the public sector for both the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. She has been actively involved in Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) over the course of her career and currently serves on the WTS Foundation Board.

Horne earned a Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Long Island University in Southampton, New York.