Lisa Gonzales is the Statewide Deaf Access Specialist with the California Department of Developmental Services. Since joining the state service on July 1st, 2022, Lisa has engaged in advocacy, equity, and equality for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Lisa is an experienced leader with years of non-profit management experience, specifically in organizations providing services to deaf adults and children with intellectual and developmental differences. With the Department of Developmental Services serving 16,700 individuals with hearing loss, she is enthusiastic about working with the newly created Deaf Access Specialists in all 21 regional centers in making a positive impact on provisions of services and support by utilizing a whole person-centered approach along with advising executive staff on proposed policy and operational directives to create an equitable service delivery meeting the social, cultural and linguistic needs of the deaf plus community. She has served on various disabilities-related task force committees locally, statewide, and nationwide. Lisa has demonstrated an exceptional ability to assess organization-wide and individual deaf program needs in-depth and craft and implement effective short and long-term strategies to produce transformational changes.