Jacquelyn Santiago is Chief Executive Officer at COMPASS Youth Collaborative, Inc. “Youth are my inspiration and my deepest desire is to see them thrive in our communities” is how Jacquelyn (Jackie) Santiago describes her motivation for helping youth succeed. She is a champion for youth equity, a dynamic youth development trainer, and an advocate for youth at risk. The former Chief Operating Officer for COMPASS, Jackie played an increasingly important role creating and developing after-school programs, creating comprehensive school day supports for schools, and creating impactful outreach and crisis intervention programs for youth at risk. Jackie received her BA from Trinity College, in Hartford, and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in nonprofit leadership. She began her career as an education organizer at Hartford Areas Rally Together before joining COMPASS in 2001. She is bilingual (English/Spanish) and has one son. In 2015, Jackie was awarded the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 under 40” award and, in 2017, their “100 Women of Color” award. Other recognitions include Hartford’s “Champion for Youth and Leadership Development” award in 2018, the Urban League of Greater Hartford’s “Champion of Justice Award” in 2019, and Trinity College’s “50 for the Next 50 Award.”
