History-making move

High-profile federal agency counts on San Antonio native as its new leader

The San Antonian is the first Latino to hold the post.

U.S. Census Bureau

San Antonio native Robert Santos now leads one of the highest-profile agencies in the federal government.

Santos, who was born and raised in San Antonio, was recently sworn in as the 26th director of the U.S. Census Bureau. He is the first Latino person to hold the job. In November, the U.S. Senate confirmed Santos for a five-year term as head of the Census Bureau, which is tasked with counting the U.S. population and tracking population trends.

“I’ve spent the majority of my career with organizations dedicated to delivering credible and informative statistical analysis for the public good. Census Bureau data have been essential to that work,” Santos says in a news release. “It is such an immense privilege to join the Census Bureau and its very talented team.”

Santos most recently was vice president and chief methodologist at the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Earlier, he was executive vice president and a partner at NuStats, a social science research firm based in Austin. Santos was president of the American Statistical Association in 2021.

“Mr. Santos is a tremendous leader, and I have full confidence that he will lead the Census Bureau with integrity in the years ahead,” says U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. “The Census Bureau is an invaluable asset to our government and the American people, providing essential data for businesses, government leaders, and policymakers to make informed decisions.”

Santos earned a bachelor’s degree in math from Trinity University in San Antonio after attending San Antonio Community College, and got a master’s degree in statistics from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Citing concerns about an undercount of Latinos in the 2020 Census, Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, said in November that he hopes Santos “will bring his life experience and cultural understanding of the Latino community to pursue new strategies to improve the count of Latinos.”

texas politics

A Night at the Market

San Antonio's Pearl unwraps holiday lights for night market series

Photo courtesy of Pearl

Pearl side streets are at their coziest when holiday decor is up.

The magic of the night market is returning to San Antonio's Pearl for the 2024 holiday season. A news release promises "festive music, unique local makers, and one-of-a-kind holiday finds" on Wednesday Evenings.

Like an extension of the usual farmers and summer makers markets held on the weekends, these markets will bring local vendors to the streets. Holiday Night Markets are scheduled for November 27 and December 4, 11, and 18 from 5-9 pm.

Although Pearl hasn't provided a list of vendors, we do know they'll be selling seasonal goods. Produce is not on the menu, so shoppers will still need to stop by the farmers market for their veggies.

Pearl Holiday Night Market The Holiday Night Markets are a lot like farmers markets in the same location.Photo courtesy of Pearl

The markets will be surrounded by Pearl's other holiday initiatives, including a holiday tree that lights up November 29, the day after Thanksgiving. In response to a question on Facebook about when carolers would stop by, Pearl could not give a date but confirmed that there would be different entertainment every week.

There will also be an opportunity to donate to several charities via Giving Machines from November 18 to December 8. The five benefactors in 2024 are the San Antonio Food Bank, Wish for Our Heroes, Alamo Head Injury Association, Vibrant Works and Catholic Charities of San Antonio. Donors can choose which they want to receive their gift.

Pearl Giving Machines The Giving Machines are like vending machines that drop gift cards into a collection bin to show contributions.Photo courtesy of Pearl

“We are delighted to welcome The Giving Machines back to Pearl in 2024,” said Pearl CEO Mesha Millsap in a separate press release. “Last year's overwhelming response showcased the incredible generosity of San Antonians during the giving season. We're excited to once again offer our community a chance to come together and make a tangible difference in the lives of our neighbors.”

Let me know if you have any questions. I am sharing a link to a folder of high-res images here to include markets, the tree and the Giving Machines. Our Giving Machines event takes place this morning at 10:30 a.m. and we opened a media pass through 11am for that press conference.

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