Vereliz Santana

Vereliz Santana is a public servant with more than a decade of experience delivering results for our communities across New Jersey. A strong and effective champion, she turns our shared values into meaningful change for the people she serves.

She serves as Co-Vice President of the Newark Board of Education, where she has helped deliver major milestones for Newark families, including the opening of the city’s first school dedicated exclusively to students with autism, the successful renegotiation of the Newark Teachers Union contract securing fair and competitive wages for teachers, and districtwide efforts that drove down chronic absenteeism.

Vereliz is Director of Advocacy for the Governor, where she works with the broader advocacy ecosystem to advance shared priorities and strengthen partnerships between government and the people it serves.

During the most recent election cycle, she served as Latino Base Vote Director for New Jersey Democrats, where she led a statewide strategy to engage, activate, and mobilize Latino voters across the Garden State, contributing to the largest Democratic majority in contemporary state history.

Previously, Vereliz served as Legislative Director in the New Jersey Senate, where she helped advance landmark legislation including cannabis decriminalization reforms, universal home visiting for new families, and requirements for lead paint inspections in rental housing to better protect children and families from lead exposure. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Aide to the Mayor of Newark, where she led grassroots engagement and community partnership initiatives across the city.

Born in Newark to Dominican immigrants, Vereliz remains guided by the belief that public service is about fighting for the priorities that matter most to our communities.