BuildIT congratulates Nuria Fernandez - ATPA 2026 Hall of Fame Recipient

BuildIT resoundingly congratulates Nuria Fernandez on her induction into the 2026 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Hall of Fame. ATPA will induct its 2026 Hall of Fame honorees during the Honors Ceremony on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at its TRANSform Conference and Expo being held in Chicago, Illinois.

With more than three decades dedicated to public transportation, Nuria has always championed a powerful truth: public transit is fundamentally about people, and it matters. The buses, trains, ferries, and infrastructure we build are vital because they connect lives, create opportunities, and strengthen communities.

Under the leadership of Nuria Fernandez, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors voted unanimously to include LGBT-owned businesses into their procurement and diversity programs on May 5, 2016. This landmark decision established the expanded Business Diversity Program (BDP) and it marked a historic milestone as the first time a government transportation agency in the United States codified the inclusion of LGBT enterprises into its formal procurement policies. There were no goals associated with this program. Rather, it was an invitation for LGBT/Allied businesses to actively engage in the VTA’s competitive bidding process based on the firm’s experience, qualifications and capacity.

Please join all of us at BuildIT in celebrating Nuria and congratulating all of this year's fellow Hall of Fame inductees and APTA award recipients on their incredible achievements.