Daisy Gonzales

Daisy Gonzales is the executive director of the California Student Aid Commission. She has been a student-centered leader whose lifelong 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 Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. As deputy chancellor, she formulated policies to distribute $13 billion in local assistance and capital outlay funds to 73 districts, designed 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. Gonzales' primary focus was implementing and tracking the commitments and goals outlined in the California Community Colleges’ Vision for Success, which seeks to close achievement gaps, boost transfers to the University of California and California State University campuses, and provide Californians with the job skills needed for well-paying careers. She was the principal consultant for the California Assembly Appropriations Committee and associate director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). Gonzales is a first-generation college student and an alumna of California’s community colleges. She holds a BA in public policy from Mills College at Northeastern University along with an MA and PhD in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has also been a third-grade teacher.

updated 2025