Johnny Santiago Speaks of Goals for Hispanic Leadership Association of NJ
Photo of Johnny Santiago courtesy of Hispanic Leadership Association of New Jersey
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
CAMDEN – After 35 years of law enforcement experience, former command officer Johnny Santiago said he hopes to promote diversity during his term as the board president of the Hispanic Leadership Association of New Jersey.
Santago worked with Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New York and the Port Authority Transit Corporation, being named its DRPA’s Police Officer of the Year along with other awards while rising to lieutenant.
“I attended several NJ HLA Leadership and Awards Gala events and the interest in the non-profit organization’s mission became of interest to me,” Santiago told Front Runner La Prensa. “I was invited to attend a board meeting by the founder Angel Fuentes in 2019. I was asked to serve as a board member, and I became president in February.”
Fuentes has established himself as one of the leading Hispanic leadership voices in New Jersey. He is a former state assemblyman who currently serves as influential president the Camden City Council. He worked for the City of Camden and was elected on city council before those stints. The HLA was his vision to make sure Latinos around New Jersey had a voice in the shape of policies and growth of the state.
Santiago has spoken at annual Leadership and Scholarship Awards gala events, at the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County about safety and social media topics, participated at the annual Three Kings toy distribution, and annual Book Bag and School Supply distribution.
” I also organize with fellow board members annual NJ HLA Summit workshops, businesses and professional networking events, conferences, and the annual leadership and scholarships awards gala events,” he said.
Santiago said there are several challenges he would like to address while serving as board president of the HLA.
“Latinos have demonstrated, more than ever before, the ability to be strong leaders,” Santiago said. “We are taking on greater roles, such as public servants, artists, and business owners, and have shown courage to face the challenges of fighting civil rights.
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“We have faced many challenges, but through values, skills, and education, many Latinos have achieved leadership roles in their employers and communities. As president of the New Jersey Hispanic Leadership Association, my goal is to help empower other Hispanics, motivate them to continue acquiring an education that will help achieve success and involve other successful Hispanic leaders to share their stories and show the paths they have taken to achieve success.”
Santiago said he wants to promote diversity and encourage others to build relationships with others outside of the Hispanic culture, particularly the younger generation, who will mirror our legacy.
“I want to support others to help them fill leadership roles in their employment and communities, and to contribute towards the success of others.”
Here are other questions Front Runner La Prensa asked Santiago about his life, profession and his effort to bring mor exposure to the Hispanic Leadership Association.
FRNJ: Mr. Santiago, give me some details about you — where do you live, work, education, family? Just whatever you’d like to share. It helps with background information.
Johnny Santiago: I grew up in Camden City, NJ. I retired from the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, a regional transportation agency that serves as steward of four bridges that cross the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and its Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), a mass transit rail line that runs from Camden County, New Jersey, to Center City Philadelphia.
Backed by over 35 years of law enforcement experience, I last served in the capacity of Lieutenant for the Police department. I specialized in different units of the Police Department, including the Honor Guard, High Angle Rescue, Special Investigations, Juvenile Unit, interviews and recruitment processes of potential police officers, succession planning and mentoring programs of potential Lieutenants, and handling sensitive information.
Besides working in various law enforcement roles, I have a diverse set of experiences that include working with local, state, federal, NJ, and PA officials in a vast array of assignments, including being second in command for the DRPA’s Police Department during Hurricane Sandy. I continue to support my former Police Department by designing graphics for its customized uniform patches, challenge coins, logos, and more.
Throughout my law enforcement career, I represented the DRPA and PATCO in making connections with business leaders in the community. I also volunteered in community schools for the McGruff Drug and Drug and Alcohol Educational Program and continue to volunteer in a local charity with the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 5.
I obtained an education at Camden County College, and am a State of New Jersey Certified Public Manager, a certification earned from the Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration. My educational highlights include an education from the Northwest School of Police Staff and Command, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), and I became certified in many Police educational programs. In my law enforcement career, I received the honorable DRPA’s Police Officer of the Year award, and many other Police department awards.
My parents raised my siblings and me in Camden, NJ. Two of my siblings also worked at the DRPA.
FRNJ: How are you hoping to increase the exposure of HLA?
Johnny Santiago: I collaborate with the Board of Directors throughout the year and organize annual NJ HLA Summit workshops, Business and Professional Networking Events, Conferences, and the Annual Leadership and Scholarships Awards Galas. Board Members serve as volunteers, and together, we brand by inviting the community to attend these events via social media platforms. We award Hispanic college students scholarships and encourage them to continue their education. Getting involved in leadership positions is essential to acquire a successful career and fill leadership roles in the future.
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