Dr. Daisy Gonzales is the deputy chancellor for the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, the state agency responsible for setting policy and guidance for 73 districts and 115 community colleges. She coordinates the divisions of Academic Affairs, Student Services and Special Programs, Economic Development and Workforce Preparation, and the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI). She is also responsible for tracking and implementing the Vision for Success, the system’s comprehensive plan to improve student outcomes at California’s 115 community colleges.

Dr. Gonzales began her career as a dual-immersion thirdrd-grade teacher and left the classroom for a career in fiscal policy and legislation. She served as a principal budget consultant to the California State Assembly, where she managed $11.2 billion in state funds, and prior to joining the Chancellor’s Office, Dr. Gonzales was the principal consultant for the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where she was responsible for subject matter expertise, analysis, and political strategy in the areas of higher education, K-12 education, and jobs and economic development. Dr. Gonzales serves as a commissioner of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges and is the co-founder of the Sacramento Latina Leaders Network. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy from Mills College and her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.