Maria Gonzalez, Deputy Director of Enforcement

Maria Gonzalez has served since 2026 as Deputy Director of Enforcement. She is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the team conducting all civil rights investigations. Prior to this role, she served for nine years as Assistant Deputy Director of the Enforcement Division with responsibility over CRD’s statewide fair housing investigation program. Prior to leading the statewide fair housing program, Ms. Gonzalez had over 14 years of civil service experience, with 8 of those years dedicated to protecting the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, hate violence and human trafficking. Ms. Gonzalez served as a key member of the team that reengineered California’s civil rights case management system to improve the tracking, case flow, and customer experience of all CRD cases. She has played a key role in implementing new policies and process improvements within CRD to elevate the enforcement program’s outcomes and meet its mission to safeguard civil rights. Ms. Gonzalez earned her Master and Bachelor degrees in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento.