SAN ANTONIO — The VIA Metropolitan Transit Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, to appoint Jon Gary Herrera as the new president and CEO.
Herrera will succeed Jeffrey C. Arndt as president/CEO at VIA beginning Jan. 4, 2025.
Arndt is retiring after 40 years in the transportation industry and 13 years behind the wheel at VIA, leaving the agency as the “Most Outstanding Metropolitan Transit Authority in Texas,” a distinction earned three times under Arndt’s leadership, a news release stated.
Herrera, a San Antonio native, has served as VIA’s Senior Vice President of Public Engagement since 2017 and helped lead a historic 2020 initiative to secure additional funding for VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan. He was selected as the lone finalist for VIA’s top job at a special-called board meeting in October, where trustees approved Board Chair Fernando Reyes to negotiate a contract with Herrera that was approved.
“The board chose from among three impressive and capable internal candidates, who have each demonstrated a passion for their work and a commitment to carry us forward to the future,” Chairman Reyes said. “Every member of the team is part of Jeff’s legacy here. He will leave VIA stronger than he found it, and with the Board’s sincere thanks for a job done well, and always done with heart.”
Herrera will be VIA’s first Latino President and CEO to lead the state’s second-largest transit service area in the agency’s 46 years.
“I applaud the board’s selection and congratulate Jon Gary, who will be a strong and visionary leader for the agency and the people at VIA who keep San Antonio moving, every day,” Arndt said. “Choosing from within the VIA family speaks to the strength of our leadership and the entire team, who together will continue to accomplish great things for the community we serve.”
“I’m honored to be chosen to lead VIA at a time of great progress and change for the city I was born and raised in, and where I have worked to support its continued growth and prosperity,” Herrera said. “Our Board and longtime CEO have charted a path toward a more mobile future for our region. I’m proud to be part of that mission and vision, and introduce new, innovative ways we can get there, together.”
Source: VIA Metropolitan Transit
