Joseph Santiago A.B.D.

Data-Informed Author & Cultural Innovator | Building Legacy Programs & Capacity Development with Cultural Communities

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

About

Results-oriented facilitator and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with 18 + years of translating complex data into actionable strategy for health agencies, nonprofits, and cultural initiatives. I steer the Ryan White Part A priority-setting cycle—aligning community voices, epidemiology, and budgets—while arming stakeholders with AI-powered, data-driven workflows that elevate outreach, recruitment, and messaging. A former Clinical Quality Management ECHO trainer, I have converted clinical metrics into documented HIV-care gains for the Ryan White grant (plus EHE funds) in the New Orleans EMA. Board and executive posts with the Crown Legacy Cultural Catalyst Fund and regional tourism and education nonprofits showcase my talent for pairing tech-forward storytelling (AR/VR, LLMs) with sound governance. Backed by a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology and ABD status in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, I blend evidence-based insight with cross-sector collaboration to deliver sharper programs and measurable community impact.

Experience

  • Cultural Working Group Member at New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund
    Apr 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 3 mos

    I serve as the representative for local authors, artists, and culture bearers who work with AR, VR, and mixed media. The New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund is committed to empowering the city’s cultural industries and tradition-keepers through strategic partnerships, grants, and programs that foster sustainable tourism. As a nonprofit economic development organization, we provide resources to strengthen New Orleans’ culture bearers—preserving the city’s rich traditions while supporting the growth of skills, knowledge, and innovation. By transforming creativity into marketable goods, services, and experiences, we help sustain the local cultural economy and enhance tourism.

  • Executive Director at Crown Legacy, Visibility, and Cultural Catalyst Fund/Program
    Dec 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 7 mos

  • Health Planner at New Orleans Regional Aids Planning Council (NORAPC)
    Oct 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 9 mos

  • Rhode Island Advocacy for Children (7 yrs 11 mos)
    • Board Member
      Apr 2016 - Jun 2023 · 7 yrs 3 mos

      Nominated to be a Board Member to lead the IT, Communications, and Media Committee

    • Communications & IT Director
      Aug 2015 - Dec 2016 · 1 yr 5 mos

      • Nominated to be a Board Member to lead the IT, Communications, and Media Committee

  • Health Project & Planning Specialist / Quality Management Coordinator at New Orleans Department of Health
    Jun 2019 - Oct 2021 · 2 yrs 5 mos

    STIGMA REDUCTION THROUGH U=U CAMPAIGN CQM Poster Undetectable equals Untransmittable, or U=U, is a revolutionary message backed by science that has provided hope to many persons living with HIV an opportunity to live healthier lives and prevent new infections. The CDC defines HIV stigma as “negative attitudes and beliefs about people living with HIV. It is the prejudice that comes with labeling an individual as part of a group that is believed to be socially unacceptable.” The plague of the HIV community has resulted in people not getting tested for HIV, not getting into care, dropping out of care, isolating themselves from society and sharing their HIV positive status with loved ones, who could serve as a support system. In New Orleans, the Office of Health Policy and AIDS Funding (OHP) embarked on a mission to support clients and providers in understanding and disseminating the U=U message. Ensuring that communities are properly educated is critical to ending the epidemic and reducing the stigma surrounding HIV. As a quality improvement initiative, OHP began to systematically address stigma, prevention of new infections, and improving client health using U=U messaging by engaging community members and stakeholders to develop tools and provide trainings to frontline community partners such as providers, case managers, and counselors.