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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – This spring, Salem State University will host two distinguished leaders in public service and innovation as fellows for a semester, between them a physician, veteran, and state cabinet secretary, and a business executive, equity champion, and civil rights leader.
The Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics has announced Jon Santiago and Tanisha Sullivan as its Spring 2026 Fellows, the next two leaders to represent the fellowship program. Throughout the spring semester, Santiago and Sullivan will engage with Salem State students in a mix of public conversations, leadership workshops, and mentorship opportunities. They’ll also host events featuring guests from their professional networks, offering students rare access to practitioners shaping policy and civic life across the Commonwealth.
Salem State welcomed Santiago and Sullivan at a welcome reception on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in Charlotte Forten Hall.
“We are honored to welcome Jon Santiago and Tanisha Sullivan as our Spring 2026 Fellows to engage, inspire, and mentor Salem State and the campus community through speaking events and workshops, class visits, one-to-one mentoring, and more,” said Hannah Levine, assistant director of the Berry Institute of Politics.
Santiago most recently served as Massachusetts’ first secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans Services, a cabinet role created in 2022 to provide more coordinated and equitable support for the state’s more than 200,000 veterans and their families. He has stepped down from the role to return to his public health and medical career as a physician.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Roxbury, Santiago’s early experiences with public health inequities shaped his commitment to service. His career includes the Peace Corps service, U.S. Army Reserve duty, and several terms as a state representative for the 9th Suffolk District, where he focused on public health, housing, and the opioid crisis.
“As someone deeply committed to public service in Massachusetts, I’m excited to partner with Salem State’s IOP and help students translate their passion for their communities into effective action and leadership,” Santiago said.
Sullivan is an award-winning civic, legal, and business leader whose nearly 30-year career spans the life sciences, law, public education, and civil rights advocacy. She serves as Sanofi’s head of external engagement and health equity strategy, following previous senior roles within the company and earlier work at firms in Boston and New York.
A dedicated public servant, Sullivan served as the inaugural chief equity officer for Boston Public Schools and completed four terms as president of the NAACP Boston branch. She now leads the NAACP New England Area Conference and chairs Governor Maura Healey’s Advisory Council on Black Empowerment. Her leadership has shaped public health, accountability, and anti-racism initiatives state-wide, earning her recognition on the BBJ Power 50, Boston Magazine’s Most Influential Bostonians, and BLOC’s 100 Most Impactful Leaders in BioPharma.
“As our nation marks the 250th, the Berry IOP Fellowship resonates deeply with me, because it affirms that the future of our democracy depends on business and civic leaders who are willing to step up together to strengthen our communities and expand opportunity for all,” Sullivan said. “I look forward to meeting, learning, and engaging with the campus community as we explore what’s possible in the next 250 years.”