Nuria Fernandez

Nuria Fernandez was appointed as the Deputy Administrator and senior official of the Federal Transit Administration on January 20, 2021. With more than 35 years of experience, Fernandez has made a name for herself as an inspiring leader in the transportation industry. She comes to FTA after serving as the General Manager and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), delivering projects, programs, and transit services that provide mobility solutions for more than two million people who live and work in Silicon Valley. Prior to leading VTA, Fernandez held leadership positions at some of the busiest transit agencies in America, including Chief Operating Officer of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Sr. Vice President of Design and Construction for the Chicago Transit Authority and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, consecutively. She also served as Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Aviation, overseeing O’Hare and Midway Airports. Fernandez is the immediate past Chair of the American Public Transportation Association, and served on the boards of the Mineta Transportation Institute, The Transportation Learning Center and on the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board. Nuria Fernandez was born and raised in Panama City, Panama. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and an M.B.A. from Roosevelt University in Chicago.