Our Veterans: Kaitlyn Santora, Code Enforcement Inspector

Published on November 11, 2025

Veterans Day is an opportunity to honor those who have previously served, or are currently serving, in the United States Armed Forces. In addition to thanking all Veterans for their service, we also want to highlight a few of our own. This year, we're continuing the "Our Veterans" series by highlighting a small number of the many Veterans who work for the City of Charlotte. Read or watch below as they share more about their time in the military and how they were able to transition to a career in public service.

Name: Kaitlyn Santora  

Job Title: Code Enforcement Inspector, Housing & Neighborhood Services 

MOS: Automated Logistical Specialist 

Branch: National Guard 

Length of Service: 9 years and counting

Why did you want to join the military? 

Fresh out of high school, I thought about the Navy. Life had other options, so I tried to go to school. I realized college really wasn’t my thing. It wasn’t for me. My uncle’s best friend actually was a recruiter for the National Guard, so he had been bugging me for a couple of years, and then finally I was like alright I’ll do it. 

Why was the National Guard appealing to you? 

The fact that I could still have, like, a “normal life.” I could still be a civilian and be in the military at the same time. 

Have you been on active duty since you joined the National Guard? 

I took a break in service. I got out in 2022 and then got back in 2024. I got out, and then I moved down here. I started working for the city, and I just missed the camaraderie. I missed belonging to something bigger than just my job. 

What is your job in the National Guard? 

I was a 92 Yankee, which is logistics supply. I’ve been a 92 Alpha. They’re both supply logistics. They go hand in hand. I originally enlisted in New York, so I was in the New York Guard, and then I was in the Maryland Guard. So in New York, I was in the infantry. In Maryland, I was also in the infantry, and then I came down here to North Carolina, and now I’m with the 105th MP’s (Military Police Battalion) doing supply for them. 

What has your time in service been like? 

I’ve done more actually here in the North Carolina Guard in my one and a half years that I’ve been in down here than I did in any of the other states. Things like Hurricane Helene. It was rewarding to be part of something like that. Seeing all the devastation in Asheville, that’s where my unit is. Asheville isn’t the same, and there's still people that don’t have what they had before the hurricane. So, just being able to say, like I was there and I helped package boxes, and I handed out these things to people that needed it... It’s rewarding. 

How was it covering the aftermath of Hurricane Helene? 

Obviously, it was all over Tik Tok. It was all over Facebook on the news, but once you got there, it was like a pain in your chest. It was heavy. Just seeing all the debris and the cars and like actually being in it. It was way heavier than you could imagine on TV. 

What led you to work for the City of Charlotte? 

It kind of really just fell in my lap. So, when I was in Maryland, I was working full-time for the National Guard. I already had three years of government background, so when I moved down here to the city originally, I was looking into logistics. Then I started looking into government jobs. So, I went on USA Jobs, and I started applying for more federal positions, and then realized that most of them are in Fayetteville and Raleigh. So, I just started applying for local government. 

How did you become a Code Enforcement Inspector? 

I actually ended up getting hired as an office assistant for Code Enforcement. I knew absolutely nothing about code enforcement or what they did or what I was getting myself into. I did that for about a year and a half. A lot of the other inspectors and my supervisor were like you’re bored. You’re overqualified for this. You need to do something. So that’s when I became an inspector. 

What is it like being a Code Enforcement Inspector?

It makes you look at other cities differently. Moving here to a city like this and then working in a department that focuses on keeping the city, you know, up to code—essentially beautiful, keeping it from crumbling, keeping houses from falling apart—it kind of makes you wonder what other cities are putting their money into. Charlotte is not a very big city compared to some of these other cities, and it’s beautiful really to live in. We deal with a lot of underlying problems, but in comparison to other cities it’s nothing really right. 

What skills have you gained from the National Guard? How have they impacted the work you do for the City of Charlotte? 

I’m in an MP (military police) unit here in North Carolina, so I had to go through the pepper spray and OC spray and getting tased. But I think going through those trainings kind of made me more aware of, like, if we do bring CMPD in, what that kind of would look like if things were to escalate, because our job is dangerous whether people admit it or not. Not everybody is receptive to us. Not everybody wants to be told what to do with the property that they own, or the pay taxes on, so I think the de-escalation training that we get on the military side, I think that helps with being able to de-escalate when there are people who are upset. 

What made you join the City of Charlotte’s Employee Resource Network, HUMVEE (Helping Uplift Military Veteran Employees through Engagement)?

So, Robert Cerrato—he’s in Housing and Neighborhood Services, also—and when he first brought it up, I was one of the first people he reached out to. So, when he brought it up to me, I was like yeah, I’m down.

What is it like having a space like this within the City of Charlotte? Why is it important?

I’m actually the community engagement liaison. So, I brought in resources and other companies or nonprofits that are local to Charlotte to meet with some of the Veterans to provide them with resources outside of what the city can provide. I like it. I like to be part of things. I enjoy it, actually. It gives me something to look forward to other than just coming to work. I think a lot of Veterans kind of lose that part of themselves once they transition out of the service. They kind of lose that sense of camaraderie that you get, so I believe that the ERN kind of brings that back to everybody and makes them realize like hey, you’re not alone. 

What’s next for you? 

My goal on the military side is to deploy. I want the opportunity to go overseas. I want the opportunity to see what that looks like. As far as my career with the city… I found out that the city does prepaid tuition, so I plan on going back to school. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to get to know Kaitlyn Santora, one of the many Veterans who currently works at the City of Charlotte. To all our resident Veterans in the Queen City, we thank you for your service.