Margarita Nolasco Santiago

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Margarita Nolasco Santiago

|image =

|caption =

|state_senate= Puerto Rico

|district = at-large

|term_start = 2008

|term_end = 2019

|predecessor =

|successor =

|office2 = President pro tempore of the Senate of Puerto Rico

|term2 = 2008–2012

|preceded2 = Orlando Parga

|succeeded2 = Jose Luis Dalmau

|order3 =

|office3 = Member of the Puerto Rico Senate from the Guayama district

|governor3 =

|term3 = 2004–2008

|preceded3 =

|succeeded3 =

|office4 = Majority Speaker of the Senate of Puerto Rico

|term4 = 2005–2008

|preceded4 = Jorge de Castro Font

|succeeded4 = Roberto Arango

| office5 = Majority Whip of the Senate of Puerto Rico

| term_start5 = 2005

| term_end5 = 2005

| preceded5 =

| succeeded5 = Carlos Pagán

|office6 = Mayor of Coamo

|term6 = 1996–2000

|preceded6 = Carlos Luis Torres Santiago

|succeeded6 = Juan Carlos García Padilla

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|08|25|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Coamo, Puerto Rico

|death_date =

|death_place =

|spouse =

|children = Angel Miguel (b. 1979)

|alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

|profession = {{flatlist|

}}

|party = New Progressive Party

|religion =

|website =

}}

Margarita Nolasco Santiago is a Puerto Rican politician, senator, and former Mayor of Coamo. She has been a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 2004.

Early years and studies

Margarita Nolasco graduated at Florencio Santiago High School in Coamo. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico,{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} and her master's degree from State University of New York{{which|reason=Which SUNY?|date=March 2021}}, both in Education with a Major in Mathematics. She then completed her Doctorate in Education with a Major in Curriculum from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

Professional career

After receiving her bachelor's degree, Nolasco worked for the Puerto Rico Department of Education in Barranquitas High School. After finishing her master's degree, she worked as a mathematics teacher at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in Barranquitas. Two years later, she was appointed as Coordinator of Academic Affairs of the same institution.

After some time, she transferred to the Interamerican University of San Germán where she worked as Director of the General Education Program. She then transferred to the Ponce Campus where she worked as Dean of Academic Affairs.

She is co-author of two books in mathematics with McGraw-Hill.

Political career

Nolasco began her political career in 1996, when she was elected as Mayor of Coamo.[http://www.salonhogar.net/Link%20P.R/www.linktopr.com/coamo.html Alcaldes de Coamo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525080011/http://www.salonhogar.net/Link%20P.R/www.linktopr.com/coamo.html |date=2012-05-25 }} on SalonHogar.net[http://www.ceepur.org/elecciones1996/escrutinio/alcaldes.php?municipio=CM Elecciones Generales 1996: Coamo]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on CEEPUR She ran again in the 2000 elections, but lost to the candidate of the Popular Democratic Party.[http://www.ceepur.org/elecciones2000/escrutinio/alcaldes.html#CM Elecciones Generales 2000: Alcaldes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623063658/http://www.ceepur.org/elecciones2000/escrutinio/alcaldes.html#CM#CM |date=2011-06-23 }} on CEEPUR

In 2004, she was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico for the District of Guayama.[http://cee.ceepur.org/recuento/principal.aspx?Cargo=SND&Nivel=DS&L2=6 Elecciones Generales 2004: Recuento] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526072039/http://cee.ceepur.org/recuento/principal.aspx?Cargo=SND&Nivel=DS&L2=6# |date=2012-05-26 }} on CEEPUR She became the Majority Whip of her party, and eventually the Majority Speaker. During that term, she presided the Commission of Superior Education, among others.

For the 2008 general elections, Nolasco ran for Senator at-large after winning a slot at the PNP primaries.[http://ceepur.org/elecciones2008/CEE_Events/ELECCIONES_GENERALES_2008_4/ESCRUTINIO_GENERAL_8/default.html Elecciones Generales 2008: Senadores por Acumulación] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120101807/http://ceepur.org/elecciones2008/CEE_Events/ELECCIONES_GENERALES_2008_4/ESCRUTINIO_GENERAL_8/default.html |date=2011-11-20 }} on CEEPUR She was elected and appointed as President pro tempore by President Thomas Rivera Schatz.[http://www.senadopr.us/Diario%20de%20Sesiones/062009.pdf 16ta Asamblea Legislativa de Puerto Rico] on SenadoPR