Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager to chair VTA

This evening Ken Yeager will assume the role as VTA (Valley Transportation Authority) chair representing the County of Santa Clara. Ken represents the 4th District, which includes the cities of Campbell and Santa Clara, as well as west San Jose and the Burbank and Cambrian neighborhoods.

Ken previously served six years on the San Jose City Council, first elected in November 2000 and re-elected to a second term in March 2004. Prior to that, Ken served two terms as a Trustee of the San Jose Evergreen Community College District, from 1992-2000.
Ken is an avid cyclist as well as a long-time advocate for expanding parks and trails throughout the County.

In December 2008, Ken was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the board of the California Air Resources Board (ARB), the statewide agency responsible reducing air pollution and combating global warming. He also sits on the local Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

Ken also sits on the Joint Policy Committee that coordinates the regional planning efforts between ABAG, BAAQMD, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and the Bay Conservation and Development. He also serves as the MTC appointment as Director to the Caltrain Joint Powers Board.

Ken will be taking over the board at a time when the county is seeking to expanded its demographic and political power within the area. Santa Clara is seeking additional representation on the regional MTC Board of Commissioners. With one quarter of the San Francisco Bay Area's population Ken hopes to increase representation to about a quarter of the Board. Doing so would increase funding for key transportation projects, which county transportation officials believe is long overdue.

Ken will be replacing Mountain View Council member Margaret Abe-Koga who will remain on the VTA board.

Margaret Abe-Koga