Adrian Hayes-Santos’ eyes lit up at the mention of his city.
A bicyclist and innovation-seeker, he is a proud product of Gainesville.
“I love this city,” he said. “It offers an amazing quality of life.”
Hayes-Santos, 30, is running for the Gainesville City Commission At-Large Seat 1 in Tuesday’s elections to further that quality for residents by running on a platform of economic development and government efficiency, he said.
Hayes-Santos grew up in Gainesville, where he attended Glen Springs Elementary, Westwood Middle School and P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School. A UF alumnus, Hayes-Santos earned a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in urban planning, then a master’s degree in international business.
He is currently the project manager of premium services at Grooveshark, a music streaming company started in Gainesville. A veteran of the startup scene, he was also the director of operations at ToneRite, a business that makes instrument tuners.
Hayes-Santos serves on several boards like the City Beautification Board and Downtown Redevelopment Advisory Board. He also volunteers as a youth counselor at the Florida Diabetes Camp.
Now he’s looking to get involved in politics to take his services to the next level.
A big concern of his is fostering job creation.
“Sticking with the status quo is not working for everyone. You have to be creative in your solutions,” he said.
Hayes-Santos said he will focus on making sure the city is working to provide job training. He also said Gainesville needs to diversify the economy beyond its colleges and hospitals.
He plans to bring affordable high-speed Internet, which will soon become a utility. He said everyone in Gainesville should have access to the Internet, and the city should be a leader in connectivity.
This will bring in more companies and businesses, and it will encourage students to stay in Gainesville like he did.
Lauren Poe is excited by Hayes-Santos. Poe, who currently holds the seat he is vying for, is endorsing him for his professional background and the relationships he has created within the community.
“He has an unusual set of talents,” Poe said. “He is working to broaden the voice. The more diversity the better, and I think he has a good chance of doing that.”
Hayes-Santos said he hates wasting time and money, and he is encouraging the removal of barriers.
He said it’s time to reinvest money for a more productive city, which calls for safe and effective transportation, more use of solar panels and lower GRU bills.
“I love learning, seeing how things work and how to make them better,” he said.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 3/11/2015]
Correction: The original article had an incorrect spelling of Lauren Poe.
J. Wayne Reitz Union
655 Reitz Union Drive, UF Campus, Gainesville, FL 32611
Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
315 Hull Road, UF Campus, Gainesville, FL 32611
Florida Museum of Natural History
3215 Hull Road, UF Campus, Gainesville, FL 32611
SFC Center for Innovation & Economic Development
530 W. University Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601
Thelma Boltin Activity Center
516 NE Second Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601
Doyle Conner Building
1911 SW 34th St., Gainesville, FL 32614
Paramount Plaza Hotel
2900 SW 13th St., Gainesville, FL 32608
Early voting is through Saturday at:
Cone Park Library
Millhopper Branch Library
Supervisor of Elections Office
Adrian Hayes-Santos, 30, is running for the Gainesville City Commission At-Large Seat 1 in Tuesday’s elections
