Steven Gonzales

With nearly 25 years of instructional and administrative experience in higher education, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales has proven his commitment to education and established himself as an industry leader.

Currently serving as Interim Chancellor for the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), Dr. Gonzales is responsible for one of the largest community college systems in the nation, serving nearly 200,000 students with the support of 10,000 faculty and staff members across 10 regionally-accredited colleges.

Prior to MCCCD, Dr. Gonzales served as the eighth president of GateWay Community College, a Maricopa Community College that serves more than 10,000 students annually across four locations and one extended site. The college employs more than 400 faculty and staff members and is the only college in the district to boast a Children’s Learning Center, an Early College High School, more than 150 post-secondary and higher education options, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation.

Dr. Gonzales also served as the acting associate vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer for the Pinal County Community College District that operates as Central Arizona College, a multi-campus college serving more than 15,000 students, employing 350 faculty and staff, and annually contracting with an estimated 600 adjunct faculty. During his 15 years with the college, he also served as dean of communications, math, and learning support; associate dean of academic services; and math professor.

In addition, Dr. Gonzales has served with several past and present professional memberships, committees and affiliations including the National Community College Hispanic Council Executive Board; Community College Survey of Student Engagement Board of Directors, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development; AZ Post-Secondary Education Board of Commissioners; and American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), where he has served on the Board of Directors; Executive Board; Commission on Academic, Student and Community Engagement; and the Expanding Community College Apprenticeship initiative task force.

Equally committed to community involvement, Dr. Gonzales has previously or currently serving on several committees and boards including the Terros Health Board of Directors, Phoenix Forward Healthcare Leadership Council, City of Phoenix Workforce Development Board of Directors, Degree Phoenix Advisory Committee, Phoenix Community Alliance’s Education Advisory and Health and Bioscience Committees, Arizona Town Hall, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton’s Transit Oriented Development Council, Van Buren Civic Association, Mountain Park Health Centers’ Stakeholders’ Committee, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Coolidge Rotary, and the Pinal County Town Hall Executive Planning Committee and the Resolution Copper Education Advisory Committee.

For his contributions to the state’s growth, Arizona Capitol Times recognized Dr. Gonzales among other notable community leaders as a 2020 Leader of the Year.

He is also an adjunct faculty member for Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College graduate program and the Roueche Graduate Center’s Community College Leadership Program, a doctoral program at Kansas State University. Additional scholarly work includes articles in the New Directions for Community Colleges journal and a chapter in Generation X Presidents Leading Community Colleges: New Challenges, New Leaders.

Dr. Gonzales earned his doctorate in educational administration in the top-ranked Community College Leadership Program from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a Master’s degree in teaching mathematics and Bachelor’s degree in secondary education – mathematics from Northern Arizona University.