Daisy Gonzales

Daisy Gonzales is the executive director of the California Student Aid Commission. Dr. Gonzales has been a student-centered leader whose life-long commitment to social justice, equity and inclusion is guided by the empowerment of communities and partnerships that enable economic mobility. With over two decades of experience in higher education and statewide fiscal policy, she began her career in the classroom and served as the second highest administrator for the California’s Community Colleges chancellor’s office. As deputy chancellor, she formulated policies to distribute $13B in local assistance and capital outlay funds to 73 districts, designs professional development to advance student success, and coordinated state and federal advocacy to secure resources that enabled 116 colleges to design learning environments and services for 1.9 million students. Dr. Gonzales' primary focus was implementing and tracking the commitments and goals outlined in California Community Colleges’ Vision for Success, which seeks to demolish achievement gaps, boost transfers to University of California and California State University campuses, and provide Californians with the necessary job skills to find good-paying careers. Gonzales was the principal consultant for the California Assembly Appropriations Committee, associate director of PACE, and a third grade teacher. Dr. Gonzales is a first-generation college student and an alumna of California’s Community Colleges. She holds a BA n public policy from Mills College at Northeastern University along with a MA and PhD in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

updated 2024