Camillo Santiago

Santiago was born in the Puerto Rican town of Naranjito but spent her childhood in Brooklyn, N.Y.She remembers moving frequently with her parents and six siblings from apartment to apartment - to places that didn't have roaches or rats or were closer to school.

In 1972, the family moved to Meriden.Santiago attended Platt High School for her senior year and her father was hired as a machinist at International Silver Co. in Wallingford.

Santiago attended Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and in 1977 graduated with a bachelor's degree in education, with a focus in social science.After college she worked in a bilingual program for the Meriden Board of Education.

In 1978, she left her job to raise her son and daughter.In 1981, she worked for the Meriden Community Action Agency, at first as a receptionist.Over a 14-year career, there she became a program director, education coordinator and an interim director.

"Somehow I did a little bit of everything," she said.

From 1996 to 2001, she worked at Veterans Memorial Medical Center and MidState Medical Center, most recently as a health services manager.

In 2001, she moved over to New Opportunities for Waterbury as a program manager for the Head Start program in Waterbury.

Her political career kept her active in the community as well.A member of the Democratic Town Committee since 1992, Santiago spent time as a city councilor, was nominated to the Electoral College during the 1996 presidential election and served on a variety of committees and boards, including a panel to study options for a teen center in Meriden.

She has also been involved with Children First Initiative, United Way of Meriden and Wallingford, Casa Boricua and the Meriden Black Coalition of Concerned Citizens Organization.