Mari Minjarez Gonzales

Mari Minjarez Gonzales serves as the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources at the Santa Barbara County Education Office, holding this role since April 2011. In this capacity, Mari engages in systematic analysis to develop innovative models for educator recruitment and retention, impacting over 70,000 students across 20 school districts. Prior to this role, Mari was the Director of Classified Human Resources, providing management support and training related to investigations, performance appraisals, and employment law. Earlier experience includes serving as Special Education Coordinator and Bilingual School Psychologist within the Santa Barbara Unified School District, focusing on program support for students with disabilities and direct counseling for various age groups. Academically, Mari holds multiple degrees, including a Master of Education from UC Santa Barbara and a Master of Arts in School Administration from Azusa Pacific University, alongside undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Latin American Studies from both the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.