SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 19, 2024) — VIA Metropolitan Transit trustees have elected from within their ranks the board’s Executive Committee, including appointing Vice Chair Laura Cabanilla to serve as their next chair.

Chair Fernando Reyes, who has led the board for the past four years, is retiring from the position in January. 

The board elected new Trustee Leo Gomez, the Brooks president and CEO who joined the board earlier in December, to serve as Vice Chair. They also re-elected trustees Athalie Malone and Louis Cooper to serve as board secretary and vice secretary, respectively.

“Laura Cabanilla has an impressive track record as a community relations professional and has demonstrated her commitment to public service,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. “Laura’s experience as a VIA board trustee and vice chair have prepared her to assume the transit board’s top leadership role. I deeply appreciate her willingness to take on this responsibility.”

Cabanilla joined VIA’s Board of Trustees in 2021 and was first elected vice chair in December 2022 for the 2023 term. She is a director of Corporate Responsibility at USAA and a strategy lead for Face the Fight, a public awareness and health campaign founded by USAA that brings together businesses and organizations in the fight against veteran suicide.

She is a Texas Lyceum director and has been active in Leadership San Antonio, including serving on its steering committee and subsequently as a co-chair.

“It’s an honor to be chosen to lead this dynamic board during a transformative time for VIA and the community we serve,” Chair-elect Cabanilla said. “Years of strategic and diligent efforts by VIA, its staff and partners have created this moment of critical mass and helped pave the way for us to deliver modern mobility solutions for our fast-growing region.”

Gomez was appointed to the board on Dec. 10 by Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and the County Commissioners Court.

“Laura Cabanilla’s robust history of community leadership in the public and private sectors, combined with her dedication to finding transportation solutions, make her the ideal choice for VIA Board Chair. Newly appointed by Bexar County, Leo Gomez is a great addition to the Board and his extensive experience in our community will be critical as VIA grows in the coming years. I am proud of his election as VIA Vice Chair,” Judge Sakai said. 

“After leading Bexar County to invest $102 million in the VIA East-West Silver Line, I am placing my confidence in the new VIA leadership to protect the federal investments necessary to connect our community. VIA is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of our community.”

Prior to his service at Brooks, Gomez worked for Toyota Manufacturing as general manager of Administration, and for Spurs Sports & Entertainment as vice president of Public and Government Affairs. He also served as president of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the vice president of Governmental Affairs for the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Gomez also serves on the boards of greater:SATX, Arboretum San Antonio and the San Antonio Report.

Just before the 2025 Executive Committee is sworn in, VIA will welcome its new president and CEO — Jon Gary Herrera, who currently serves as the agency’s senior vice president of public engagement. Herrera’s first day to lead VIA is Jan. 4.

“I look forward to working with Chair Cabanilla, Vice Chair Gomez and the balance of the VIA Board,” he said. “I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with the incoming chair throughout her tenure on the board. Laura’s passion for transit, attention to detail and drive to improve the agency will keep us on the upward trajectory we’re charting.

“And I’ve enjoyed working with Vice Chair Gomez over the years in various capacities, including during the 2020 election that secured funding for the Keep San Antonio Moving initiative. Leo has been a strong supporter of transit, and I know VIA will benefit from his leadership on the board.”

The term of office for VIA Board chair is two years. All other Executive Committee positions hold one-year terms. 

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ABOUT VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT 

VIA provides safe, reliable transportation options that place opportunity within reach for millions of passengers each year. VIA began operation in 1978 and today serves 14 member cities and the unincorporated areas of Bexar County, operating seven days a week on 75 routes, with complementing VIAtrans paratransit service and VIA Link on-demand options. VIA’s family of services help connect our community, support economic vitality, and enhance quality of life throughout the region. In 2020, voters approved funding for VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan, in support of projects designed for a modern mass transit system in San Antonio and Bexar County. Visit VIAinfo.net for more information. Follow us on Facebook, X, Threads, YouTube, and Instagram.