Robert L. Santos did not get to shoot concerts at the South by Southwest festival this year because, as the new Census Bureau director, “I have a day job now.”
A former vice president at the Urban Institute and past president of the American Statistical Association, Santos now helms the agency producing data that guides more than $1.5 trillion in federal spending annually. He also spent years honing his skills as a photographer, working his way up to crew chief at the annual SXSW festival in Austin.
President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Census Bureau through 2026, Santos is the first person of color to head the agency permanently. Two months after Santos took over the role, the agency released a report showing the 2020 census missed almost one in 20 Latinos nationwide. It also overcounted the white and Asian population.
