Deputy Chancellor Daisy Gonzales, PhD, a former foster youth who was among the first in her family to attend college, is a role model for the next generation of California’s higher education professionals, and Latina leaders in particular. As deputy chancellor, Gonzales is responsible for coordinating the divisions of Educational Services and Support, Student, Workforce and Economic Development, the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) and Digital Innovation and Infrastructure (DII).

Gonzales most recently served as acting chancellor of the California Community College, while Chancellor Oakley was serving on a special assignment, and has overseen operational and strategic policy planning for the Chancellor’s Office since 2017. A fearless advocate for students, Gonzales is a former Aspen Institute presidential fellow who leads the system’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, serves on the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges and was selected woman of the year by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis in 2021.

Her primary duties involve implementing and tracking the commitments and goals outlined in California Community Colleges’ Vision for Success that 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.

Abdimalik Buul, EdD, is an innovative scholar who has earned praise for his use of social justice and activism as his guiding pedagogy for change. He serves as a visiting executive of educational excellence and equal employment opportunity programs for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Buul’s responsibilities include working to provide EEO professional development activities for the California Community Colleges, review and provide input on community college district EEO plans, co-lead the statewide EEO & Diversity Advisory Committee and serve on the statewide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group.

An assistant professor and transfer center director at San Diego City College, Buul was the first Somali hired as a tenure track faculty member at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, where he served as Umoja program coordinator, faculty chair of the Black Alliance and as an academic senator for the School of Counseling and Student Support. . His resume also includes serving as a counselor/professor at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, an adjunct counselor/professor at San Diego Mesa College and a program specialist with the San Diego Workforce Partnership.

Dr. Buul came to the United States at the age of 5 as a Somali refugee and grew up in City Heights and southeastern San Diego, where he became involved and helped lead myriad social justice programs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology and his master’s degree in education, with an emphasis in community-based counseling and social justice at San Diego State University, where he has taught restorative practices and conflict transformation. He earned his doctor of education in educational psychology from the University of Southern California.

Gina Browne joined the Chancellor’s Office team in December of 2018 and has been working to support a variety of areas in our Student Services Unit. Prior to joining us she was a Manager at the California Student Aid Commission focused on foster youth and outreach, and previously was the Financial Aid Coordinator at Evergreen Valley College for 10 years. Dean Browne will be overseeing the areas of Financial Aid, Student Senate, Veteran’s Affairs, and Title IX/Campus Safety.