Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/author/nsantana/)
Norberto Santana, Jr. is an award-winning investigative reporter with nearly two decades reporting experience, most recently engaging Orange County government institutions and decision makers as the founding publisher of the nonprofit digital newsroom, Voice of OC. As publisher, Santana oversees all newsroom, engagement and fundraising operations and also writes a weekly Opinion column about Orange County government. In 2017 and 2018, the Orange County Press Club recognized Santana as Orange County’s best columnist. Before founding Voice of OC in 2009, Santana was a lead investigative reporter for the Orange County Register from 2004-2009, focusing on county government. He’s spent nearly two decades just focusing on local governments across Southern California, previously as a staff writer with outlets such as the San Diego Union Tribune and the San Bernardino County Sun. Santana began his journalistic career in the early 1990s as an apprentice reporter with Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C. covering daily floor action in the U.S. Congress and followed that up with a stint covering the territorial Senate for the U.S. Virgin Islands Daily News. In addition to his experience as a journalist, the Southern California native has a master’s in Latin American Studies, has worked as an elections analyst on National Endowment for Democracy programs across Latin America and was one of the founders of CubaNet.org, a website featuring the work of dissident journalists inside Cuba that has operated since 1995. Languages spoken: English and Spanish Areas of expertise: Orange County, southern California, investigations, politics, elections, government transparency, Congress, Latin America, local government, civic education and reporting education.
Laguna Beach Democrat and businessman Harley Rouda talks about why he’s taking on incumbent Republican Dana Rohrabaher in the 48th Congressional District this November. Rohrahbacher has not answered an invitation to join the On OC podcast.
With public safety pensions rising, driving several sales tax increases in several Orange County cities, residents and office seekers need to start asking themselves about social investments that enhance public safety but aren’t within the local police department budget.
Voice of OC today joins more than 120 news sites around the world showing the Project’s Trust Indicators battling misinformation and bolstering a new standard for journalism that allows readers to judge the transparency of news organizations.
Given Orange County’s longtime, official fervor for ideological debates on issues like immigration along with this year’s competitive congressional campaigns, it’s surprising that the question of city recognitions of Columbus vs. Indigenous People’s Day hasn’t yet hit the city council dais.
Voice of OC Publisher Norberto Santana, Jr., interviews Jack Toan, vice president at Wells Fargo. A leader in Orange County and part of Well’s Fargo’s Corporate Responsibility team, Toan is working with the United Way on funding UC Irvine cost studies on homelessness. He talks about the challenges in the philanthropic community around funding programs on housing.
The intense rivalry between State Senator Janet Nguyen, who faces re-election this year, and County Supervisor Andrew Do has some wondering whether the spat could impact turnout in local and congressional races. Nguyen has called on GOP leaders to quiet Do.
Paul Hodgins talks about the new Arts & Culture section at Voice of OC as well the future of Arts institutions, like the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and South Coast Repertory, in a changing Orange County.
Sean Garcia-Leys and Eric Lam from the Urban Peace Institute talk about their ongoing assessment of local policing, a Sept. 26 public forum in Santa Ana to discuss public safety and the broader prospects for enhancing public safety without breaking the public budget.
Tonight, at a Santa Ana Unified School District Summer Enrichment Showcase at Santa Ana High School, local teachers from Lowell Elementary will be showing off the results from a summer reporting boot camp with Voice of OC.
Longtime Orange County GOP political consultant, Eilleen Padberg offers a hard look at life on the streets for homeless women living in Orange County as well as the challenges and costs of building permanent supportive housing for them.