Jon Santiago, the state’s first-ever Cabinet-level veterans services secretary, will step down from his post this fall in the latest high-profile departure from the Healey administration, officials announced Friday.
After more than two years leading a newly elevated state government office, Santiago plans to leave and shift more attention to his ongoing work as a physician at Boston Medical Center, according to his office.
His departure will mark additional turnover for Gov. Maura Healey’s Cabinet more than halfway through her four-year term. Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao left at the end of April, and Health and Human Services Kate Walsh stepped down in July. Both remained involved as advisors.
Healey has picked new secretaries to fill the other two roles that opened recently. Kiame Mahaniah took over as health and human services secretary at the end of July, and venture capitalist Eric Paley will join as economic development secretary in September.
Santiago, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, served more than two terms in the House before Healey tapped him as veterans services secretary in 2023. He became the first person to lead the department since a 2022 reform law elevated it to the Cabinet level.
In a statement, Santiago said he will “leave confident that the foundation we’ve built will continue to serve veterans well for years to come.”
“We set out to restore trust in the veteran community, and today, Massachusetts has become a national model in how a state cares for its veterans,” he said. “I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together and none of this would have been possible without the dedicated team at EOVS, our partners across the state, and the veterans who served.”
Santiago official departure date was not made clear in the announcement by the governor’s office. Deputy Secretary Andrea Gayle-Bennett will take over the top post on an interim basis, according to Healey’s office.
“Secretary Santiago stepped into this role at one of the most challenging moments in our state’s history for veterans services,” Healey said in a statement. “In just over two years, he turned that challenge into a success by rebuilding trust, driving transformative reforms and positioning Massachusetts as a national leader once again. His steady hand, strategic vision and deep commitment to our veterans have made a lasting impact.”
A Democrat, Santiago burst onto the Beacon Hill scene in 2018 by unseating longtime Rep. Byron Rushing, who at the time was an assistant majority leader in the House. He continued to work as an emergency room physician at BMC while serving in the House, a role he held into his time as secretary.
Santiago ran for Boston mayor in 2021 but dropped out of the race before the preliminary election.
In 2022, lawmakers and then-Gov. Charlie Baker enacted a range of reforms to veterans services, especially at the state-run soldiers’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea after major -- and deadly -- shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law also elevated the Department of Veterans Services to a Cabinet-level executive office.
Healey tapped Santiago in early 2023 to lead the new office.
During his tenure, Massachusetts overhauled licensure and compliance at the soldiers’ homes and moved toward infrastructure upgrades at both facilities. Another law approved last year updated a suite of benefits for veterans.
The state has also targeted veteran homelessness in a new campaign. Officials said since July 2024, more than 500 veterans have been placed into permanent housing and 386 have been placed into transitional or temporary housing, driving a substantial decrease in homelessness.
