Nuria Fernandez – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

"We have been entrusted with such an important responsibility." 

Innovation evangelist, mobility game-changer, and transit leader Nuria Fernandez shares her remarkable journey to where she is now - GM and CEO of Santa Clara's Valley Transportation Authority. 

Born and raised in Panama, she ended up studying civil engineering in the United States, in the "land of caterpillars" state of Illinois. After graduating, her first foray into transit began when she worked at the Panama Canal for one year, before moving back to the US. 

A lifelong public transit rider, Nuria shares her interesting experiences working for large public transit agencies, as well as in the Clinton Administration at the Department of Transportation, and now also as the 2019-2020 APTA Chair.

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