Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, an influential and dedicated servant leader, innovator and advocate for the Texas transportation community, was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor at a reception and ceremony at Mi Tierra Café in San Antonio Jan. 7.
Andrade, a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman in the San Antonio community for more than three decades, was honored by a prestigious group of speakers representing San Antonio and the state of Texas.
She was the second woman appointed to the Texas Transportation Commission and the first to serve as chair. Her contributions resulted in impactful, multimodal transportation solutions and record-breaking funding for roadways and safety initiatives.
She also was chair of the VIA Metropolitan Transit Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2019, having previously served on the board. Under her leadership, the agency expanded access and developed innovative approaches to service delivery, culminating in VIA being recognized as the outstanding metropolitan transit agency in Texas in 2015 and 2017, and as a recipient of the American Public Transportation Association’s Innovation Award in 2018.
Texas Senator José Menéndez; San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg; Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff; Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Chair Elaine Mendoza; Bruce Bugg, Jr., Chair of the Texas Transportation Commission; honoree Hope Andrade; Joe Krier, former president and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; former Texas Senator and Bexar County Judge, Cyndi Taylor Krier; President and CEO of VIA Metropolitan Transit, Jeff Arndt; and TTI Agency Director Greg Winfree.
While serving as Texas’ first Latina secretary of state and as a member of the Texas Workforce Commission, Ms. Andrade championed transportation infrastructure and its importance to the state’s economy.
“In the view of the board of directors of the Hall of Honor, perhaps what set Ms. Andrade apart from so many other deserving individuals is her commitment to improving access to transportation throughout our state and her servant leadership exhibited in multiple positions throughout her lifetime,” Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Agency Director Greg Winfree told attendees at the ceremony. “These attributes, combined with her public policy experience and strong network have given her a unique ability to inspire others to come together for the benefit of the state and the San Antonio community.”
Andrade is the 45th member of the Hall of Honor, which was established in 2000 by TTI to recognize select individuals who played pivotal roles in the advancement of transportation in Texas and the nation. Each individual inducted is recognized by a plaque on permanent display in the Hall of Honor, which is located at TTI’s Headquarters in Bryan-College Station, Texas.