Ackemann: A vacuum in Bay Area transit leadership? A VTA Blue Line train travels through downtown San Jose. File photo. Leadership is a quality we aspire to and place high value on as a society and yet often fail to meaningfully define. But the Bay Area is grappling with this question on multiple fronts in our civic lives. VTA is currently in the midst of the vaunted “nationwide” search to replace former CEO Nuria Fernandez who recently took a position in the Biden-Harris Administration. Some Santa Clara County officials suggested it could take months to find the right person to lead VTA’s complex and growing mix of responsibilities.