Mayor James J. Fiorentini has appointed a veteran of the Iraq War to be the city’s next Veterans Services Officer (VSO).
Luis Santiago, 39, who is bilingual and served in the Army from 2001 to 2005, began his new job Monday, July 6. He replaces Amanda Buckley, who left last month after her Marine fiancée was transferred to another military base.
Santiago served as an infantryman in the Iraq War and was a soldier in the brigade that captured Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Santiago, who most recently was an intern in the Lawrence Veterans Services Office, is a 2018 graduate of Northern Essex Community College and a 2019 graduate of Merrimack College. He received his master’s degree in public affairs from Merrimack College in June.
Santiago speaks fluent English and Spanish and is proficient in many computer applications.
“We had a number of great applicants and I was pleased to select Infantryman Santiago,” Mayor Fiorentini said. “He has tremendous enthusiasm and has the experience from working in the Lawrence office to start the job immediately. The interview committee was especially impressed with his commitment to helping unemployed veterans find jobs.”
A screening committee that included the city’s personnel director and human services director vetted the candidates.
Santiago, a Lawrence native who lives in that city with wife Johanna and their four children, said he’s excited for the opportunity to help Haverhill veterans. He said it’s been a busy first few days. A recently discharged female soldier looking for housing and educational benefits and a veteran whose check got lost in the mail were among his first customers.
“I’m committed and passionate about helping veterans so this was a position I was very interested in as soon as I heard about it,” Santiago said. “The mayor is doing a great job moving Haverhill forward and I’m excited to be a part of that now and to start helping veterans and the city.”
While stationed at Colorado’s Fort Carson in the early 2000s, Santiago maintained and managed data bases, personnel assignments, promotions and related personnel actions.
Prior to his Lawrence internship, Santiago was a manager at a pharmacy and for a health care provider.
Among other duties, the VSO position determines veteran eligibility for benefits through reviews of military discharge papers, Veteran Administration records and related documents; decides the extent of financial need and the amount of aid to be given; counsels veterans and their families about available benefits; arranges for veteran burials and helps plan local military observances and holiday celebrations.
Haverhill’s VSO office is located in the Citizen’s Center on Welcome Street. Santiago can be reached at 978-374-2351, x3932 or lsantiago@cityofhaverhill.com.
